A TRAIN company has offered a new date for the reintroduction of a long-awaited hourly service between Chester and Liverpool.

The route, operated by Transport for Wales (TfW), also serves Cheshire villages Helsby and Frodsham, but has still not returned to its pre-pandemic timetable.

Instead, passengers face a two hourly direct service during the day and a three hourly direct service in the evening.

In December, TfW broke its promise to restore the hourly service for a fourth time, infuriating Weaver Vale Labour MP Mike Amesbury who has been calling for its reinstatement over many months.

Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury.

Weaver Vale MP Mike Amesbury.

In response to his latest enquiry, Mr Amesbury is being told the operator is “now looking to resume services from February 2024”.

Mr Amesbury said: “I asked for an update from Transport for Wales after being contacted by frustrated constituents on social media. I’d like to say this response is good news but experience suggests we shouldn’t get too excited.

“People in villages like Frodsham and Helsby feel like they are an after-thought. It is my constituents who are constantly losing out due to a shortage of trains, with various reasons given. It’s not good enough.”

Transport for Wales had intended to reinstate the hourly service when its December timetable was introduced.

But this commitment was again put on hold with the reasons given that several trains had suffered wheel damage in the November storms and there had been delays in the delivery of sufficient brand-new Class 197 trains.

In latest correspondence with the MP, a TfW spokesman said: “Engineers have been working tirelessly to get as many trains repaired and back into customer service as quickly as possible.

“However, we have experienced a setback during recent storms Isha and Jocelyn, where further trains have been damaged by trees and debris on the line limiting our fleet availability to run a reliable scheduled service.

“We are now looking to resume services from February 2024.”

He added: “Whilst we recognise this news will be disappointing to your constituents, may I take this opportunity to thank them for their continued patience and understanding as our teams work hard to introduce these additional services.”