TransPennine Express have introduced a brand-new walking and cycling guide to encourage people to explore the beautiful North this Spring. It has been produced in partnership with Marsden Walkers Are Welcome amongst others. Available free of charge from selected TPE stations or downloadable, the guide features a variety of walks and bike rides.
It features three walks from Marsden station.
A press release and downloadable walks can be found at https://bit.ly/TPEWalkingGuide
It’s an excellent idea, and SMART and others are keen to encourage visitors to the Colne Valley to arrive by public transport.
What diminishes it somewhat, at least at present (April 2022) is the current unreliable and unpredictable train service provided by TPE. Cancellations at Marsden are currently averaging 47 per week, which is substantially higher even than during the infamous May 2018 timetable.
Furthermore, the Department for Transport need to agree to implement the half-hourly daytime service which was proposed in the first Manchester Recovery Taskforce (MRTF) consultation last year and which received such strong local support. We know it can be done, and the reasons given why MRTF deleted it from the proposals are thin bordering on non-existent.