Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when direct rail services between London and Chester will be reinstated.
The Department has been working closely with rail operators as they mitigate the impact of COVID-19 related staff absences on rail services. The current temporary train timetables are providing passengers with certainty so they can plan their journeys confidently.
The Operator has protected the train path to enable the service to be reintroduced from the May timetable change. The provision of the direct train remains under review in consideration of both demand and operator staff availability. As staffing pressures ease and passenger demand increases, operators will increase rail services accordingly to meet demand.