NORTHERN Rail will be pushed to restore the services it plans to cut in May by December.

Yesterday, the Telegraph & Argus reported that in its next timetable change, Northern Rail plans to cut the number of off peak services running between Bradford and Skipton and Ilkley.

It would mean that from May the number of trains on each line between 9.30am and 3pm will fall from one every half hour to one an hour.

It will vastly reduce the number of daytime services stopping in towns including Bingley, Keighley and Baildon.

Northern has said the cuts were needed due to staff shortages, which have required last minute cancellations in recent months.

The next timetable change, when the services would be restored, will not be until December.

At a meeting of West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Transport Committee yesterday, Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe said the Authority was pushing for Northern to restore the services as soon as possible.

The May timetable will also see the withdrawal of the limited train service between Huddersfield – Wakefield – Castleford. It will be replaced by a bus service until December.

Northern cut the number of services on the Bradford to Skipton/Ilkley lines last May, only to restore them in December.

At the Transport Committee, Cllr Hinchcliffe, who is also chair of the Committee said she hoped the half hourly service was restored as soon as possible. She said: “The Bradford to Skipton and Ilkley services are being reduced in the daytime. We’re really pushing Northern to think about improving this issue in December.

“These are services we rely on very much in our District to serve people living in the Aire Valley Corridor.”

She pointed out that after pressure from the Combined Authority, Northern had agreed to keep the current service levels at peak times.

The committee called the withdrawal of the Huddersfield to Castleford service “disappointing.”

The Committee also discussed the issues that have plagued passengers on Transpennine Express services between West Yorkshire and Manchester in recent months.

Figures shown to the committee revealed that between December 11 and January 7, 11.9 per cent of Transpennine Express Services were cancelled.

And this did not include cancelled trains if the cancellation was made before 10pm the previous day.

In the same time period just 62 per cent of Transpennine Express trains were on time.

Cllr Hinchcliffe said: “Transpennine Express services are not what they should be. We’ve spoken with the Rail North Partnership about how this can be improved, and we need all parties to come together and find a solution.

“As a result of these cancellations people are stuck waiting on platforms and not able to get to their jobs.”