THE leader of St Helens Council has welcomed the borough's greater rail connectivity after a direct service from St Helens Central to Glasgow was introduced.

From December, TransPennine Express brought in timetable changes which see some extra trains travelling through St Helens Central station.

The changes mean there is now one train per day which can be caught at the station on Shaw Street which travels directly to Glasgow Central.

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The route, which departs from Liverpool Lime Street, also takes in the Lake District, with stops including Penrith (North Lakes) and Carlisle.

The journey also includes stops at Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster and Lockerbie.

During weekdays there is a service which departs St Helens Central at 12.32pm, which is scheduled to take shortly more than three hours to reach Glasgow.

The service departs at 12.30pm on Saturdays and there is a Glasgow train at 2.28pm on the Sunday service.

In 2018 it was reported when Lea Green and Newton-le-Willows stations in the borough were given link to routes to cities in Yorkshire and the North East, including Huddersfield, Leeds, York, Scarborough, Durham and Newcastle.

St Helens Star:

Cllr David Baines

Welcoming the further increase in the borough's rail connectivity, council leader David Baines said: “St Helens borough has a vital role in the history of the railway, and given that fact and also our prime location it’s only right that we’re connected to major cities across the whole of the UK.

"The fact that commuters can now travel to places like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle and North Wales from St Helens without changing is fantastic for the borough as it is opening up opportunities for local residents to travel, but it also makes it easier for people from outside St Helens to come here for events and work.

"This good news is a great way to start the new year.”