In the market for a Sunday train boost

Proposals have been put in place to increase the number of services from Wigan’s North Western and Wallgate stations to two per hour on Sundays from this December to both Manchester and Liverpool stations.

Currently there is only one service every hour between Wigan and Liverpool.

But the frequency will be increased to two, between 9am and 6pm, with one train calling at Bryn every hour.

The service already calls at Garswood, en-route to the city’s Lime Street station.

And over the same timeframe on Sundays, a similar increase is planned for the Wigan to Manchester line, which runs via Ince, Hindley,, Hag Fold and Atherton.

This combines with a new hourly evening service, which will run up to 10pm, with the plans coming to fruition just in time for Manchester and Liverpool’s Christmas markets.

Makerfield MP Yvonne Fovargue said: “The timetable changes are long overdue and could not come sooner for residents who have wanted to see this change for some time.”

Coun Nathan Murray has also backed the move.

Bosses at Northern Rail have previously pledged a number of upgrades to lines in Wigan after securing the franchise last year.

Elsewhere the end-of-year shake-up of services will also see no fewer than four trains per hour running on the Wigan Wallgate to Manchester line via Atherton.

Eight trains per day while also be running through Wigan North Western on the Barrow to Manchester line.