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Congleton celebrates return of Sunday rail service

Richard PriceWest Midlands
Congleton Town Council A group of people standing outside a train station ticket office. There are five women and two men. They are all wearing coats, and looking at the camera.Congleton Town Council
Campaigners have been working for two years to persuade rail bosses to reinstate Sunday rail services in Congleton

A town is celebrating the return of train services on Sundays following a campaign by local residents.

"We desperately, desperately, need a seven day train service, so this is great news," said Congleton mayor Suzy Firkin.

Northern Trains announced earlier this week it had reached an agreement with conductors and the RMT Union to pave the way for more Sunday services across the north-west of England.

From this weekend, five trains in each direction will be reinstated on the Manchester-to-Stoke line, stopping at the Cheshire town on a Sunday for the first time in two years.

There were previously six trains in each direction and plans are in place to reinstate these in May.

Congleton Town Council A woman wearing a black dress and a gold mayoral chain of office. She is standing by a town war memorial, with names of soldiers inscribed on a wall behind her.Congleton Town Council
Congleton mayor Suzy Firkin said the Sunday services were "desperately" needed

Congleton Town Council and the local campaign group said they would continue to press for improvements to public transport, saying reliable rail and bus connections were important to support the town's growing population.

Discussions have already begun with Northern Trains, CrossCountry and Transport for Greater Manchester, they said.

"We are really, really pleased that the Northern Trains have re-established the service and it'll give people a great deal more confidence to use the train services knowing that we've got that basic seven day service now," said Firkin.

Congleton Town Council A train travelling beneath a blue-painted footbridge. It is passing through a station with signs indicating it is in Congleton. The train has a yellow front, and a blue and white livery.Congleton Town Council
Trains last stopped in Congleton on a Sunday in 2024

The town's annual events would benefit from the new services, added Firkin, citing its Jazz and Blues, and Unplugged festivals.

Richard Eadie, campaigner with Congleton Train Users, welcomed the announcement but said the return of Sunday services was a starting point rather than the end of the campaign.

"For me, this is obviously very welcome and the result of more than two years of struggle," he said.

Leisure travel had increased significantly since the pandemic, he added, and services were needed more than ever.

He said he would continue pushing for Congleton to have an "adequate and reliable seven-day railway" service.

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