Macclesfield's MP has called for 'urgent improvements' to local rail services.

Tim Roca met with the Minister for Rail, Lord Peter Hendy, earlier this week.

He raised his concerns with the recent performance of both Northern Rail and Avanti West Coast.

Mr Roca said: "Macclesfield, Poynton, Disley, and the surrounding areas deserve a rail service that is reliable, efficient, and fit for the future.

"For too long, Northern Rail passengers have endured delays, unreliable rolling stock, and poor Sunday services.

"I made clear that we need serious investment in new trains and infrastructure, as well as stronger accountability measures to ensure Northern delivers for commuters."

In January, Northern invited major train manufacturers to begin negotiations for supplying new trains to operate across the North of England, with a view to adding 450 new trains to their fleet.

A spokesperson for Northern said: "We are sorry for our recent performance, accept it has not been good enough and understand the impact this has on our customers.

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"We are working hard to address issues with traincrew availability so we can improve reliability for our customers."

They added that an offer that put to conductors in the North West to secure a commitment to work on Sundays was rejected.

"If it had been accepted, we believe that deal would have improved reliability in the short-term while we worked with the RMT to secure a longer-term agreement," the spokesperson continued.

"Despite this setback, we will continue to work with colleagues and the RMT union to find a new way forward. We realise there is more to be done to address issues with performance and are now focused on delivering our improvement plan."

Northern has set its sights on up to 450 new trains (Credit: Northern)

When it comes to Avanti, Mr Roca said their performance was 'unacceptable' with nearly nine per cent of services cancelled over the Christmas period (December 8 to January 4) and only half arriving on time.

"I asked the Minister when the Government will step in to address these failures," Mr Roca added.

"I also pressed for firm commitments on the future of Crewe Station and Cheshire's rail investment, ensuring that our area is treated as an equal partner in North-South and East-West rail discussions.

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"Reliable transport links are essential for our local economy, businesses, and rural communities. I won't stop fighting for the improvements we need."

An Avanti West Coast spokesperson responded to Mr Roca's comment, saying: "Between December 8 and January 4, we were responsible for 20 percent of our trains not arriving within one minute at stations – also known as the "On Time" punctuality measure in the rail industry. 

"The remaining 80 percent of trains that did not arrive "On Time" were due to third party and external causes, such as infrastructure failures and severe weather.

"We continue to work with Network Rail and our industry partners to improve punctuality and reliability across all our routes to make sure our customers get the service they deserve."

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