From December, there will be more seats for passengers travelling with TransPennine Express (TPE) between Sheffield and Liverpool, Manchester or Cleethorpes as most of the trains on this route are set to be run with six carriages.

The increase will benefit those travelling on the train operator’s ‘South Route’ services which run between Liverpool Lime Street and Cleethorpes.

Stops include Warrington, Manchester, Doncaster, Meadowhall, Sheffield and Grimsby. The change comes as train operators across the UK switch to a new timetable on Sunday 15 December.

TPE customers will see hundreds more seats on trains and services across the Pennines running every 15 minutes from this December, as the operator restores services while continuing to run a timetable customers can depend on.

placeholder image — A TransPennine Express train service

Four express trains an hour will run between Manchester Victoria and Leeds, once again providing fast, frequent and reliable trains – as well as increased services across TPE’s network.

Across the TPE network, there will be an increase in seats for customers of 12 per cent – around 1300 more every day. Other major changes include:

TPE will stop at Eaglescliffe for the first time, providing an hourly service.

Chester-le-Street will now receive hourly calls More evening services connecting Manchester and Oxenholme, calling at Bolton, Preston and Lancaster Customers in Castleford, Normanton and Wakefield will also benefit from a new hourly service, seven days a week connecting them to Manchester and York as well as other stations along this route 50 trains will run each way, every day, between Liverpool and Manchester stations (Monday to Saturday, with fewer services on Sundays)

This means an increase to two services every hour between Liverpool and Manchester Victoria. These trains will form a half-hourly express service calling only at one intermediate station (Newton-le-Willows and Lea Green alternately).

Chris Jackson, Managing Director at TransPennine Express, said: “We’re pleased to be returning to our more historic timetable, bringing back and adding new services and additional seats which will make a real difference for our customers.

“We have seen great achievements across TPE in the past 12 months in particular, with cancellations reduced by 70% and, thanks to our customers old and new having confidence to travel with us, we have become the second fastest growing train company in the UK.

“We urge customers to check before they travel in case there are any changes to their services.” For more information about individual services, customers should use the ‘Check My Timetable’ feature on TPE’s website.

For more information about the new timetable, visit https://tpexpress.co.uk/timetablechange