A second major train operator, TransPennine Express, has announced temporary timetable changes which will lead to reduced services following ongoing anger over rail cuts made by Avanti West Coast. TPE blamed 'higher-than-normal sickness levels and ongoing industrial relations issues' for the move, together with a 'training backlog as a direct result of Covid'.
The operator, which is owned by FirstGroup, said it would reduce the number of planned trains between north-west England and Scotland by 23 per cent from next Monday in a further blow for passengers who use the West Coast Main Line. Avanti West Coast, which also operates on the West Coast route, has run fewer than half of its normal services since August 14.
Avanti announced earlier this month that it was cutting the number of trains between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly from one every 20 minutes to one an hour 'until further notice'. The operator said it had cut trains in the wake of industrial action 'to ensure a reliable service is delivered so customers can travel with greater certainty'.
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The mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who has previously warned he would call for Avanti's contract to be cancelled unless its full timetable is restored, has said the under-fire operator is now in 'the last chance saloon' following criticism from passengers and politicians, calling for an urgent meeting with new Prime Minister Liz Truss and the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps.
Dozens of TPE trains are currently being cancelled at short notice each day, with at least 31 services not running on Tuesday. The emergency timetables will affect routes connecting Manchester and Liverpool with Edinburgh and Glasgow, via Preston and Carlisle. Nine of the 40 scheduled daily services will be axed, with a further eight only serving part of its planned route.
TPE expects the number of late notice and 'evening before' cancellations to be 'significantly reduced' under the measure. Rail replacement buses will be used at certain times of the day.
The company's service planning and performance director Jerry Farquharson said: “Our customers want reliable and punctual train services, and we are sorry that we have not been able to provide that due to the ongoing issues.
"In normal circumstances, we have enough people to fully operate our scheduled timetable, however the combination of factors has put unprecedented pressure on our ability to operate a consistent service.
"This temporary amended timetable for our services between the north-west of England and Scotland will help us provide more stability and certainty for customers travelling on this route. We have put in place measures to communicate this revised timetable to any affected customers and believe that by bringing this timetable in, we will help customers have more confidence and certainty in the delivery of our services."
TPE said on its website: "Due to the ongoing impact of higher-than-normal sickness levels and ongoing industrial relations issues, it is necessary to make amendments to some services in advance to ensure the majority of the timetable operates efficiently. Usually we will make these changes the day before to give customers as much notice as possible. In some cases we will try to do this several days before if there is a significant change to the normal timetable.
"Some TPE services may still face 'on-the-day' challenges, resulting in short-notice cancellations or service amendments made on a day-to-day basis. We are sorry for any disruption that this may cause to journeys in the coming days and ask you to allow additional time for travel and to check carefully – up to the last minute – for any changes to train times.
The operator's conductors who are members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union have been involved in a long-running dispute over pay.
The company's train drivers who are in the Aslef union will join those from 11 other operators in striking on September 15, also in a row about pay.
Avanti West Coast blamed the need for its reduction in services on 'unofficial strike action' by drivers. The operator said it normally ran around 400 trains per week with drivers voluntarily working on their rest days – for extra pay – but that 'dropped suddenly to fewer than 50'. It was also announced on Friday that managing director Phil Whittingham will leave his role on September 15.
Avanti West Coast - the brand name for a partnership between transport company FirstGroup and Italian firm Trenitalia - have run services on the West Coast Main Line route from December 2019 after the demise of Virgin Trains. The 400-mile train network links London with towns and cities across England, north Wales and Scotland.
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