A new hourly rail service linking the two halves of Workington, Cumbria, will start running on Monday 30 November, thanks to Government funding for the lease of an extra train.

In a further boost for residents, all train services between Workington, the new temporary Workington North station, Flimby and Maryport will be free of charge until the end of the year.

From Monday 30 November, Northern Rail will operate its normal weekday timetable with some trains having additional carriages and, in addition, there will be an hourly shuttle service between Maryport, Flimby, Workington North and Workington. The shuttle service, which will have three carriages, will be operated by Cumbrian rail operator DRS on behalf of Northern Rail.

Transport Minister Sadiq Khan said:

“As I witnessed this week, the recent floods in Cumbria have dealt a devastating blow to this community. This additional funding will provide more train services and allow people to use this lifeline service for free. I hope this will make a difference and help the people of Workington.”

The shuttle service will run hourly from Monday to Friday from today, Monday 30 November, until the end of the year. Full details are available on the Northern Rail website at www.northernrail.org or by calling National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50.