Major rail provider Transpennine Express has announced it will be cutting some of its major services, including from Manchester, due to staff shortages in yet another blow to the rail industry. It comes as passengers up and down the country have faced last minute cancellations and slashed timetables in recent months, following the biggest strikes in a generation.
Passengers relying on Transpennine (TPE) services on routes between Manchester and Liverpool, Preston, Lancaster, Edinburgh and Glasgow will be hit by the temporary timetable changes from next Monday, which the rail provider said had to be made to offer a more 'reliable service' following 'a range of issues' including' 'sustained high levels of sickness' and 'a training backlog' as a direct result of Covid-19.
Transpennine Express, which runs regional services in the north west of England and Scotland, announced it would be cutting almost one in four of its services from September 12 in order to significantly reduce the 'on the day' or ‘evening before’ cancellations that travellers have faced recently.
READ MORE Boss of under-fire train operator Avanti West Coast steps down ahead of strikes after timetable fury
The news pushes yet more pressure on the struggling rail industry, particularly here in Manchester, with major operator Avanti West Coast also facing fierce criticism from passengers and politicians for a major shake up of its timetabled services last month.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham even warned of 'dangerous stampedes' for Manchester-bound trains at London Euston as trains between the two cities were slashed from every 20 minutes to one an hour after fewer drivers signed up to work on their rest days. City-region mayor, Andy Burnham, leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, and London mayor, Sadiq Khan, penned a letter to the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, asking for an urgent meeting to restore the full timetable.
The Manchester Evening News reported fresh complaints from passengers who hit out at the new timetables, which came in the light of under-fire operator Avanti West Coast boss Phil Whittingham stepping down. Passengers scoffed at 'disruption every single week' on the country's rail network following months of strikes over pay and conditions.
TPE's newer reduced timetable, set to come in from next Monday (September 12) will see nine of its 40 daily services cut on the Anglo-Scottish route, with 15 Northbound and 16 Southbound services still running per day. These include services between Manchester Airport and Glasgow, Liverpool and Preston and Manchester Airport and Lancaster.
"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.” Jerry Farquharson, service planning and performance director at TPE, said in a statement.
“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.
“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."
TPE said customers with booked tickets would be contacted directly and be able to access a full refund, and urged all travellers to check their website for the latest timetables.
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