Bring Sunday Trains Back to Congleton

Congleton Town Council is calling for urgent action after the town has been without a Sunday train service for over a year.

The absence of Sunday trains makes weekend travel from Congleton virtually impossible, a situation deemed unacceptable for a growing town with a population of around 30,000.

Congleton station has around 300,000 passengers per year and averages 25.5 passengers per train call, making it one of the busiest Northern-only stations in the area. Other stations with similar passenger figures have at least hourly Sunday services, highlighting the inequity of Congleton’s current situation.

Currently, only six rail replacement buses each way run between Stoke and Manchester on Sundays, stopping at Congleton. These buses take at least twice as long as the train, frequently run late, and occasionally do not run at all, leaving residents without a reliable alternative.

Northern Trains, owned by the Department for Transport and operating this line since 2020, has not included Sundays in its local timetable, partly due to failure to reach ‘rest day working’ agreements with the RMT Union. However, this does not explain why other routes using the same rolling stock and crew enjoy a better Sunday service, despite carrying fewer passengers than Congleton.

The Town Council is supporting the campaign group, which was set up by resident Richard Eadie with Councillors Suzy Firkin, Robert Douglas and Kay Wesley, Chairs of the Council’s Environment, Finance & Policy and Community Committees, respectively.

The group has launched a petition calling for action, and residents can sign online or in person at Congleton Information Centre. Congleton MP Sarah Russell has supported the campaign and agreed to take the petition to Parliament.

The group is demanding that the Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road require Northern Trains to:

1. Restore a basic Sunday service of at least six trains each way between Stoke and Manchester by allocating a more equitable share of Northern’s crew resources.
2. Introduce interim Sunday stops for certain CrossCountry trains to increase service availability with minimal disruption to passengers.
3. Set a confirmed date for the resumption of a robust seven-day timetable at Congleton station.

Congleton Town Mayor, Cllr Robert Brittain said:

"The people of Congleton deserve a reliable Sunday train service. This is not just about convenience — it affects access to work, education, shopping, and leisure for thousands of residents. We are supporting the campaign to put pressure on Northern Trains to act immediately and commit to a full seven-day timetable.”

Residents are encouraged to add their support to the campaign and make a real difference by signing the petition today.

Sign online via the QR code or link:

https://bit.ly/CongletonSundayTrains or in person at Congleton Information Centre.