Passengers warned to check their new train times before heading back to work today
A Merseyrail train arriving at Sandhills(Image: Andrew Teebay/Liverpool Echo)
Rail passengers across Merseyside and the wider region are being warned that a new timetable kicks in for Merseyrail trains this morning, with changes to multiple services across the network. The rail operator is ending its specific autumn timetable and reverting back to its usual timetable.
From today, Monday January 5, Merseyrail’s autumn timetable for the Southport, Chester and Ellesmere Port lines will be withdrawn. This means that new train times will apply for any passengers travelling on these routes.
With huge numbers of people set to be returning to work today, Merseyrail is urging everyone to check the new timetables to make sure they don’t miss their train to work.
Some customers who travel on these lines from certain stations may notice their train times change by up to three minutes.
For instance, if you travel from Southport into Liverpool, the morning trains that were previously running at 8.18am, 8.33am or 8.48am (and similarly through the day), will now be running at 8.21am, 8.36am and 8.51am.
If you usually travel from Ellesmere Port into Liverpool, your commuter services will change from 8.12am and 8.42am to 8.19am and 8.42am, and so on through the day.
And if you travel from Chester into the city centre, the old timetable that saw morning trains run at 12, 27 past and 42 minutes past the hour will change to one that runs services at seven, 31 and 45 minutes past the hour.
There is bad news when it comes to the new timetable for people who travel regularly from Capenhurst Station, as trains from this station will change back from a 15 minute service to a 30-minute service.
Where services from Capenhurst into Liverpool had been running at 21, 36 and 51 minutes past the hour, they will now only run at 24 and 54 minutes past the hour.
In an update on its website, the rail operator said: “From Monday January 5, the autumn timetable for the Southport, Chester, and Ellesmere Port lines will be withdrawn. New train times will apply across these routes.
“In addition, Capenhurst station will revert to a 30-minute service.”
Customers are being advised to check the new train times by using Merseyrail’s journey planner, which can be found here.
The reason for a change in timetable can be explained by the fact that Merseyrail brings in a changed timetable for the autumn period.
This is because leaf fall on the tracks means that trains can’t accelerate as quickly and train times have to be changed to accommodate this.
After Christmas, the timetable reverts back to normal, which is what we are seeing kick into gear today.
