Stops at Manea and Whittlesea stations reinstated in CrossCountry U-turn
In a surprise U-turn following a meeting with Mayor James Palmer, train operator CrossCountry has announced it is reinstating the stops at Manea and Whittlesea stations which it axed last week. - Credit: Archant
In a surprise U-turn following a meeting with Mayor James Palmer, train operator CrossCountry has announced it is reinstating the stops at Manea and Whittlesea stations which it axed last week.
The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough met company bosses on Friday to denounce the cuts CrossCountry had made on the Peterborough to Cambridge line.
Mayor Palmer contacted rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris to seek help in overturning CrossCountry’s decision to axe stops, with support from local MPs Steve Barclay and Paul Bristow.
He said: “I am thankful that Cross Country has stepped up and corrected this dreadful decision. These are lifeline services for Fenland people.
“They need more, not less of them, and we’ll hold CrossCountry firmly to account that this restitution is genuine and permanent and passengers can rely on them.
“Their backtracking is welcome but there must be no backsliding. We have long pressed Cross Country to stop at these stations.
“I think it is time we start asking the more fundamental question: ‘can Fenland trust this operator to work with the Combined Authority for the good of the community, work with us to improve services, to help link people to opportunities, and to help them benefit from levelling up?’
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“The jury’s out, and I’ll be liaising closely with the Department for Transport to ensure CrossCountry starts increasing services as the economy recovers, rather than decreasing them.
“The Mayoral Combined Authority is pouring money into Fenland stations to upgrade them and CrossCountry must be relied on to match our investment by upgrading services, with more frequent trains and more frequent stops.
“But I also urge people to do their own bit to help keep the services running. Show CrossCountry you need and value these stops.
“Every company is vulnerable post-Covid and public transport must prove its worth if it is to keep going.
“So please use the trains – wear your mask, keep spaced out, but use it or lose it.”
Cross Country has informed Mayor Palmer that the following calls are to be re-started at Manea and Whittlesea from September 21.
Manea station
•6.23am departure towards Peterborough
•7.39am departure towards Cambridge
•5.45pm departure towards Cambridge
•6.26pm departure towards Peterborough
Whittlesea station
•5.58am departure towards Peterborough
•6.42am departure towards Peterborough
•7.21am departure towards Cambridge
•7.40am departure towards Peterborough
•5.24pm departure towards Cambridge
