EXTRA trains are running on the Penistone line to tempt Christmas shoppers.
The new services go to and from Huddersfield on the line dubbed "Britain's number one fun railway" by a national newspaper recently.
The extra service, known as the Penistone Northern Star, offers shoppers and day-trippers the chance to avoid traffic queues.
It means two extra journeys in each direction on Sundays, boosting the afternoon service from two-hourly to hourly.
Kirklees Council is a member of the Penistone Line Partnership and has been working with the group to enable the extra trains to run with funding from the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.
Clr John Smithson, who takes responsibility for transportation on the cabinet of Kirklees Council, said: "We are very pleased with these extra trains and we feel sure that they will encourage people to come and shop in Huddersfield and nearby towns and villages without having to worry about driving, traffic queues and parking."
The extra trains run on Sundays until December 18. They leave Huddersfield at 10.14 and 14.14, calling at stations to Barnsley, then at Meadowhall and Sheffield. Extra return trains leave Sheffield at 12.34 and 16.34.
David Brown, passenger services director at the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive, said he hoped the extra services would tempt people to take the train to the shops or simply get away from the crowds by exploring the Pennine hills.
He said: "Taking the train is the ideal way to avoid the queues in towns and shopping centres. Sunday is one of the busiest days of the week and finding a parking space can be a real problem."
* For more information and details of the full timetable, visit www.penline.demon.co.uk or www.sypte.co.uk
