Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of restoring the twice-hourly train service between Castleton and Manchester following the lifting of covid-19 public health restrictions.

Passengers currently have an hourly service between Manchester and Castleton which increases to two trains per hour during the morning and evening peak. Northern operates on a complex network and like other operators, it has to make difficult decisions to maximise the number of services it can offer to customers whilst maintaining a high-performing railway that people can rely on.