Northern Rail says sorry for shoddy Southport services

The train firm is facing pressure over costs, delays and cancellations

Hello and welcome to the midweek edition of The Southport Lead.

Today we turn our attention to Northern Rail, the provider of our train links to Manchester and West Lancashire which has become associated with delays, cancellations and uncomfortable journeys. For someone who believes we need to make more use of public transport, these problems being so very frequent mean it is hard to convince anyone that the train to Manchester is a better option than driving.

Reliable transport links to the city are desperately needed to help Southport’s growth and today, via this newsletter, Northern has directly apologised to its passengers.

In December, we are offering 20% off the price of a subscription if you make it as a gift to somebody else. You can read about our special Christmas offer here.

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Southport briefing

🎰 Another gambling arcade could soon open on Lord Street. London-based Emel Kucuk has applied for planning permission to convert a unit near the Bold Hotel into a ‘gaming centre’. Last occupied by Kevin Clark tobacconist - which sold a range including smoking pipes and cuckoo clocks - the unit has been empty since 2023. The application, which will be determined by Sefton Council, has been made in the name of a Grand Reels UK Ltd, a company which was formed in August. If approved, it will open from 8am-11pm six days a week with a later opening time of 10am on Sundays.

🏠 No more housing projects are planned for Sefton Council’s flagship housing company, as it nears completion of its latest development. Since 2019, Sandway Homes has built 141 homes including at developments on Meadow Lane, Ainsdale, and Bartons Close, Crossens. A cabinet meeting this week will be told that there are currently more than 3,000 people on the social housing waiting list in the borough, and more than 270 households in temporary accommodation. As a result, the council instead plans to focus on proposals for a Local Strategic Partnership with Sovini to deliver 1,000 new affordable homes in the borough by 2030. It says the Sefton Homes 2030 approach provide a range of additional benefits including training places for local people, operational improvements and place making improvements. Sefton Council Leader Cllr Marion Atkinson: “In addition to the 141 new homes which it has delivered, Sandway Homes and its partners have accessed £1.6 million of government funding for its Sefton developments. And by working with local suppliers, Sandway and its partners have also contributed more than £3 million to the local economy.”

🚯 Sefton Council is increase the fines its gives out for environmental crimes. Under proposals due to go before cabinet tomorrow, the maximum penalty for fly-tipping will increase from £400 to £1,000, with maximum littering penalties doubling from £75 to £150. Cllr Peter Harvey, Cabinet Member for Cleansing and Street Scene, said: “Fly-tipping and littering blights our communities and cost taxpayers thousands of pounds each year. These proposals are part of our fight to protect our Borough’s streets, parks, and public spaces - to make Sefton a cleaner, safer and more attractive place for everyone. Despite our robust policy of enforcement, which has resulted in a number of people having to pay Fixed Penalty Notices or fines, complaints about fly-tipping and littering have remained high.”

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Calls for Northern Rail improvements prompt apology over poor services

Pic: The Southport Lead

By Jamie Lopez

Northern has apologised to Southport rail users for its performance and high rate of cancelled services.

The rail service is facing scrutiny over the cost and reliability of its services as it continues to be blighted by delays and cancellations during weekdays and Sundays during which almost no trains run due to a lack of available staff.

For years, Northern Rail has been a source of great frustration for Southport. With high fares, outdated trains, frequent delays and cancellations, non-existent Sunday services, and timetables too impractical to commute with, there has been little to cheer from the town’s direct public transport link to Manchester.

Despite being taken under government control in 2020, problems have persisted on the network and the likes of the Ormskirk, Preston and Southport Travellers Association (OPSTA) have consistently lobbied for improvements.

A succession of politicians and business leaders have lobbied for improved services to the UK’s second most populous city and, with that, the chance to unlock job and tourism opportunities. Southport MP Patrick Hurley this week wrote to Northern’s managing director to highlight a raft of concerns about the service, something he says he receives frequent emails about from constituents.