KNUTSFORD Mayor Cllr Andrew Malloy has raised concerns over the impact of the two-hourly rail service serving the town on schoolchildren preparing to return in September.

Cllr Malloy was speaking at last week’s town council meeting, at which councillors agreed to make representations to Northern on the current reduced rail services on the Mid Cheshire line.

The Government is expecting all children to return to school from September after schools closed in March for most students to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Concerns about the two-hourly service were raised at a recent meeting of the Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership, which Cllr Malloy attended.

“There was considerable concern about the reduced service we are currently experiencing and the delay to the 30-minute service,” he said.

“At present trains during the week are currently two-hourly. This was a reduction due to the Covid-19 situation.

“It was mentioned at the meeting that there are very few lines in the country which have their services cut so dramatically, and as people are now beginning to go back to work it is felt that should be readdressed as soon as possible.

“There was considerable concern about September, when children will be going back to school.

“Many come to Knutsford by train and many travel out of Knutsford by train. There is considerable concern with the trains remaining two-hourly.

“At the moment Network Rail and Northern are only considering reimplementing an hourly service from September, which cuts things very fine indeed.”

Cllr Stewart Gardiner said: “We certainly need to make significant representations to Northern Rail regarding their slashing of the service that serves our town.”

Cllr Matthew Robertson said: “It’s unbelievable for a town the size of Knutsford to have such a terrible train line into Manchester.”

Richard Bragg, a committee member of the Mid Cheshire Rail Users Association, spoke at the town council meeting.

He said: “We currently have a two-hour service, which is not well used by people, and we are trying to get the one-hour service back. We would be extremely pleased with anything the town council can do to represent to Northern that we get a better service.”

The meeting agreed to make representations to Northern on the current reduced railway services, encourage Cheshire East to appoint a representative to lead on supporting railway services and appoint Cllr Malloy as the council’s representative on the Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership CIC Board