Current Services
Monday to Friday
Manchester to Chester: 18 trains per day
Stockport to Chester: 2 additional trains per day
Chester to Manchester: 17 trains per day
Chester to Stockport: 2 additional trains per day
Saturday
Manchester to Chester: 18 trains per day
Chester to Manchester: 17 trains per day
Sunday
Chester to Manchester & Wigan Wallgate/Southport: 7 trains
Southport/Wigan Wallgate & Manchester to Chester: 7 trains
The above shows a cutback in the number of peak services to and from Manchester, which started on December 15, 2008 and has prompted an online petition. It also includes the loss of a daily direct service to Blackpool from Northwich and the loss of a limited stop afternoon train from Chester to Manchester. As well as improvements made to the Sunday service, which was previously a 3 hourly Chester to Altrincham service.
As of 17 July 2009, GMPTE (who have since become TfGM) are considering restoration of axed services and/or re-timing of peak services to better fit demand. Consultation with Northern Rail regarding such improvement is "ongoing".
Passenger numbers for the Mid-Cheshire line show that the station on the line with the highest number of people boarding and alighting Manchester to Chester via Altrincham services is Manchester Piccadilly. Surprisingly the second highest is Knutsford, ahead of Stockport in third place, Chester in fourth and Altrincham in fifth. Ashley is the station which contributes the fewest passengers to the service.
Passenger services in the off-peak period are better utilised than passenger services on similar lines, with Altrincham being in the top 10 busiest Greater Manchester stations (excluding Central Manchester stations) for the morning off-peak period; Hale and Altrincham also both perform well in the morning peak period.
Read more about this topic: Mid-Cheshire Line
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