An East Lancashire MP has slammed the “completely unacceptable” lack of rail services on Sundays for Clitheroe passengers.
Jonathan Hinder, who represents Pendle and Clitheroe, said that he brought the managing director of Northern Rail to the town to discuss the issue and find a solution.
Poor Sunday services have long plagued rail users in East Lancashire, with staff shortages, sickness and contractual arrangements blamed for the disruption.
Data from OnTimeTrains revealed that Clitheroe ranks 2,520th out of 2,523 stations nationally for Sunday services, something Mr Hinder argues would not be allowed to happen in London and the South East.
The Labour backbencher said: “We still haven’t got Sunday services running from Clitheroe.
"It is completely unacceptable, which is why I brought the Northern managing director to Clitheroe to speak about this issue today and push for a solution.
“If this was in London or the South East, you can imagine how big a news story it would be, but we are supposed to put up with it. I am not going to do that.
“I continue to press Northern and the Department for Transport at every opportunity to resolve this issue, which is down to a lack of train crew on Sundays.”
In March, Blackburn with Darwen’s Council Leader and chair of the Lancashire Combined County Authority’s Transport Board Councillor Phil Riley welcomed improvements by Northern.
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These included developments relating to performance, rolling stock, and Sunday services.
The rail provider claimed it was working hard to restore four-carriage trains on several routes following a period of disruption caused by unexpected faults earlier in the year.
The temporary use of two‑car units has led to overcrowding on key routes, including the Clitheroe line and the Todmorden Curve.
A spokesperson for Northern said: “Our current Sunday timetable in the North West reflects the level of service we can reliably deliver while some conductors are contractually entitled not to work on Sundays.
“We know this is frustrating for customers, and we are working towards a resolution with our conductors and the RMT union. Once a solution has been reached, we will keep the timetable under close review and look to reinstate as many services as possible, as quickly as we can.”
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