MP Bill Esterson has said constituents who commute to Manchester from Southport had been badly served by recent timetable changes and the failure to implement them
successfully.
Rail services from Southport to Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport were slashed earlier this year, despite more people than ever travelling to and from the Sefton coast.
In the wake of the rail chaos since the timetable changes, pressure has mounted on Northern Rail, which owns the franchise, to reinstate services.
Mr Esterson joined with Cllr Gordon Friel, who is lead member for rail on the Transport Committee of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, and Merseytravel chair Cllr Liam Robinson, in calling for more investment in the Manchester link.
The MP said: “The links to Manchester from Southport were not the greatest even before these changes. Now they are even worse.
How can Southport compete with the likes of Blackpool without decent rail links from the West Coast Main Line? How can Sefton residents who work in Manchester commute to work without a reliable service?”