NORTHERN – which runs trains on the Airedale line – was a major force as the north of England led the nation's "return to rail" in the second half of last year.

Latest figures show that on some occasions, the company saw weekend leisure sector demand match – or even exceed – pre-pandemic levels. And revenue reached 95 per cent of previous totals.

Rail-use data for the period between April 4 and December 11 last year was presented to Transport for the North by both Northern and the region's other main operator, TransPennine Express.

Transport for the North's rail north committee heard that despite infrastructure constraints and reduced levels of service, the region led the way in attracting passengers back onto trains.

Although business and commuter figures were described as comparatively "sluggish", the north bucked the national trend in terms of leisure travel.

During the summer, both operators began to overtake the countrywide average and there was a sustained recovery into the autumn.

Figures released by the Department for Transport just before Christmas showed national rail use at around 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, significantly below that in this region.

Councillor Liam Robinson, chair of the rail north committee, says the figures demonstrate that the region is setting the pace and he's calling for more investment.

He said: "The figures show we are leading the charge on the return to rail – and the Government needs to recognise now is the time to invest.

"With a bounce-back that is around ten per cent stronger than other parts of the country, we shouldn’t now be facing the kind of resource cuts that the Government is intimating. Now is the time to support the rail sector in the north.

"We need more funding, not less. If you want to level-up or tackle the climate emergency, it is only made harder if you are cutting investment in the rail network.

"There is also a real concern that the December 21 reduced timetable for the north may be seen, by the Government, as the new baseline for timetable planning going forward. But this timetable is a compromise needed to run a railway during a pandemic. It should not be a new normal.

"We want Transport for the North to have influence over what new timetables will look like and to be equal partners in determining what services will look like in the future."