New Northern rail timetable brings changes across North of England

Northern has announced that a new rail timetable will take effect on 15 December 2025, introducing a mix of service adjustments across the North of England. The changes aim to address customer demand, improve connectivity and support ongoing engineering projects.

North West enhancements

• Electric Class 323 Trains: Increased availability of electric Class 323 trains will provide additional capacity on selected routes
• Larger Trains: Services between Blackpool North and Manchester Airport will return to six-carriage trains, increasing seating capacity
• Route Updates: Liverpool Lime Street to Blackpool North services will operate with four-carriage Class 331 trains
• Cumbrian Coast Adjustments: Minor timetable changes are designed to enhance connections at Carlisle with long-distance services.

Station closures and works

• Salford Central: Closed from 10 February to 20 April for the next phase of a multi-million-pound renovation
• Salford Crescent: Weekend closures between 1 March and 18 May are planned, with details forthcoming
• Late-Night Replacements: Buses will continue to replace late-night services between Manchester Piccadilly and Wigan via Bolton and Atherton while electrification work is underway.

Yorkshire updates

• Leeds to Huddersfield Service: A new two-hourly service will connect Leeds to Huddersfield via Dewsbury, stopping at all local stations
• Leeds-York Reversion: Stopping services between Leeds and York return to their original routes after the completion of engineering work
• Transpennine Route Upgrade: Significant changes include diverted services and the replacement of late services by buses on certain nights.

Northern urges passengers to check their journey details before travelling, particularly during the holiday season, as engineering work and union actions could affect services.

Matt Rice, Northern‘s Chief Operating Officer, said: “The twice-yearly timetable change is an opportunity for us to adjust services so they better reflect customer demand. The Christmas period is also an opportunity for Network Rail to carry out engineering work whilst there are fewer people travelling on the network.”

Northern operates nearly 2,500 services daily, serving over 500 stations across the North of England, making it the UK’s second-largest train operator.