For too long, people travelling via rail in our area have faced uncertainty over Sunday train services, with cancellations and reduced timetables often announced at short notice.
So it’s great to see that a new agreement at Northern will bring Sunday into the normal working week, helping deliver a more reliable seven-day railway.
That means fewer cancellations, greater certainty for passengers, and the progressive return of Sunday services.
Passengers should begin to see improvements over the coming months, with Northern expecting around 70 additional Sunday services each week by December 2026, rising to around 230 extra reliable journeys every Sunday by May 2027.
This is excellent news for local residents, businesses, tourism and everyone who relies on the railway to get to work, visit family and friends, or enjoy days out across our region. A more dependable service between Lancaster, Barrow, Millom and the wider west coast will make a real difference.
This comes at the same time as prep work on the Bransty Tunnel starting next week, which will continue to run over the next 2-3 months. This work will prepare the site ahead of beginning the actual work to fix the historic mine working under the tunnel.
More widely, I am continuing my work in Parliament to push for a full upgrade on the railway line given how strategically important it is, and how isolated our communities can become without a reliable service.