Northern have issued an update on the return of Sunday train services to Congleton.

It comes ahead of a planned protest, with campaigners set to gather at the station to demand Northern resolves the long-running dispute over pay and working conditions.

This dispute has effectively seen the town go without a Sunday service for two years now.

"Our current Sunday timetable in the North West reflects the level of service we can reliably deliver while some conductors are contractually entitled not to work on Sundays," said a spokesperson for Northern.

"We know this is frustrating for customers, and we are working towards a resolution with our conductors and the RMT union.

"Once a solution has been reached, we will keep the timetable under close review and look to reinstate as many services as possible, as quickly as we can."

READ MORE: Protest planned as Congleton marks two years without Sunday trains

The protest, which takes place this Sunday, September 20, will feature members of the Congleton Train Users campaign group, including rail industry expert, Richard Eadie.

He said: "It is now two years since a Sunday train stopped at Congleton. Last year we gathered at the station to highlight what was already an unacceptable situation, and another whole year has passed without it being resolved.

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"It's interesting that significant investment is going on down the line at Kidsgrove, but Congleton - a busier station, with at least 50,000 more passengers per year, still doesn't have a Sunday service.

"We understand that there are issues between Northern and its drivers over Sunday working and pay. But that dispute isn't the passengers' fault. It is Northern's responsibility to resolve it. Congleton has waited long enough."