Another 70 train services have either been cancelled or amended by TransPennine Express today.
The train operator confirmed last night that a total of 49 services would be fully axed today (December 5). A further 21 services will be amended, with further short-notice cancellations and amendments to services likely throughout the day.
Services have been cancelled today between Liverpool and Newcastle, Manchester and Hull, Scarborough and York, Manchester Airport and York, Huddersfield and Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester, Manchester and Cleethorpes, Manchester and Redcar and Edinburgh and Manchester. Services have been amended between Scarborough and Liverpool/Manchester, Manchester Airport and Saltburn/Redcar, Manchester and Cleethorpes, Edinburgh and York, Manchester and Glasgow and Liverpool and Glasgow.
READ MORE: Greater Manchester's day by day Met Office weather forecast as snow set to hit UK
The full list of cancelled or amended trains can be found here. TransPennine Express said that 'short notice timetable amendments' are being made due to 'a range of issues' including staff sickness, Covid and infrastructure issues.
A spokesperson for the operator said: "Prior to December 2021 TransPennine Express (TPE) had posted its best ever performance results, and was subsequently recognised as “Train Operator of the Year” at the Rail Business Awards. Since then, prolonged disruption affecting our services has been caused by a range of issues including ongoing high levels of train crew sickness, a persisting training backlog as a direct result of Covid, and infrastructure issues outside of TPE’s control.
"Combined, these factors have seen a number of on-the-day or ‘evening before’ cancellations being made. In normal circumstances, we have enough people to fully operate our scheduled timetable – and have more drivers now than ever before – however the combination of factors has put unprecedented pressure on our ability to effectively operate our services.
"Our customers want, and deserve, reliable and punctual train services, and we are sorry have not been able to consistently provide that due to the ongoing issues. TPE’s team continues to work flat-out to deliver higher levels of service delivery and to tackle the issues that are being experienced by customers."
Read more of today's top stories here
READ NEXT:
- Holidaymakers who couldn't handle their drinks and paid for it
- How Curtis 'Cocky' Warren tried to flood a sleepy island with £1m of drugs
- Greater Manchester weather forecast as temperatures set to plunge amid Met Office UK snow warning
- 'I thought Michael was the one - until the night out I thought he'd kill me'
- First look at Ewe: Restaurant and bar 'brings city centre to the suburbs' with £1m makeover
