NORTHERN has announced a shakeup of its services which will come into force in May.

The railway operator has said that the changes will be implemented on Sunday, May 21.

Northern has stressed that despite some major changes to services, the majority of its routes will remain 'as is.'

One of the changes includes a new hourly service between Leeds and Chester via Manchester Victoria on a Sunday.

Chester and District Standard: Northern will change some of its timetables on May 21Northern will change some of its timetables on May 21

However, the largest change in the north west is the cancellation of the service from Blackpool North to Carlisle - 'the Dales Rail' - but Northern is hoping to reintroduce this service in 2024.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer of Northern, said: “The new timetable coming into effect next month is part of a national timetable change process that takes place twice a year for all train operators in England.

"The train network is a complex system of inter-dependent parts and it is vital that changes are co-ordinated in this way.

“For the vast majority of our customers there is no change, but some will notice a slight re-timing of service – as such, I would advise all customers to check the timetable for any travel plans after 21 May.

“There are a very small number of services that have been removed from the timetable which reflects customer demand and we have already communicated that information to those communities.”

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the north of England.