Passengers could face further disruptions when new train timetables are introduced on Sunday.
A number of routes which suffered cuts earlier this year will get more trains scheduled. But there is concern that the failure to resolve staffing issues means the cancellation of thousands of trains in recent months will continue.
The shortages are occurring because many rail workers are refusing to volunteer for shifts on their rest days, due to long-running industrial relations disputes. There is also a backlog with training new staff due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Timetable changes by TransPennine Express (TPE) – one of the companies affected by staffing problems – include reintroducing services between Manchester and Scotland via the West Coast Main Line and extending the route between Cleethorpes in Lincolnshire and Manchester to serve Liverpool.
Henri Murison, chief executive of business group Northern Powerhouse Partnership, expressed concern that the changes will not lead to improved performance. He told the PA news agency: “We needed a rest day working agreement by the end of last week in order to speed up the training process for new drivers, which is the root cause of this chaos on our railways.
“Having missed that deadline, TransPennine Express will not have enough fully trained drivers ready when the timetable change comes into effect this Sunday, meaning we’re likely to see continued disruption for the foreseeable. Instead of cancelling trains the night before, TPE should avoid putting in the timetable the services they know they won’t be able to run.”
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TPE customer service and operations director Kathryn O’Brien said its new timetable is “designed to give our customers improved connectivity”. She added: “The changes mean we have had to make some adjustments to existing services and we need all customers to make themselves familiar with the timetables and to check carefully before travelling.”
Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said she has been “pushing operators and Government to reinstate rail services that provide a lifeline to so many people in our region” as post-pandemic demand for train travel has “recovered more quickly in the North” than elsewhere. She went on: “The revised timetable must deliver a more reliable service for passengers because our communities need a network that they can rely on to get to work, school or college."
Avanti West Coast is planning a 40% increase in services from around 190 daily trains to 264, after cutting its schedules in August to limit short-notice cancellations. There will be more direct services between the capital and North Wales via Chester.
However, the new timetable will be restricted by planned strikes by members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union on December 13, 14, 16 and 17.
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