Northern actually has Hull-Halifax going back to hourly, Lincoln-Sheffield being extended to Leeds again, return of the hourly Liverpool-Warrington Bank Quay and a half hourly Leeds-York via Harrogate which is an improvement even on the pre pandemic timetable. But as the previous poster says this could still change.
It will be good to have the Lincoln to Sheffield extended to Leeds again. Firstly to improve the service between Sheffield and Leeds and also to restore through journeys from Worksop with connections to/from the Robin Hood Line.
Last week I did a return journey from Hucknall (south of Mansfield) to Bradford and it took approx 3 and half hours in each direction. Hucknall to Leeds used to be an easy journey with just one change at Worksop but this time it was quicker to travel via Nottingham. Via Worksop and splitting tickets at Sheffield is normally quicker and less expensive. I really should have got the bus from my home to Alfreton and got the train from there instead
Currently the Lincoln train departs from Sheffield at xx54.
Trains from Leeds arrive in Sheffield at xx01, xx04, xx51 and xx56 which means a wait of up to 1 hour for a train towards Worksop.
I used the Leeds to Nottingham train and on my return journey on Saturday morning the 2 car 195 was overcrowded between Barnsley and Meadowhall and even worse from Alfreton, Langley Mill and Ilkeston into Nottingham. The additional train between Sheffield and Leeds will help between Barnsley and Meadowhall although leaving it until December is not going to help on busy Saturdays before then if the Leeds to Nottingham remains just 2 carriages.
Sheffield to Gainsborough Central is not returning in December. I wonder if there is any chance of that returning next May? It does allow the Lincoln trains to run fast between Sheffield and Worksop in addition to providing better connections at Worksop