The operator of services at Liverpool’s major rail station is recording passenger numbers “well below” pre-pandemic numbers.
Northern Trains, which runs services out of Liverpool Lime Street, is still facing a “big revenue blackhole” as commuters slowly return to the railways as the impact of Covid-19 was still being felt.
Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, told members of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority transport committee that passenger numbers stood at around 74% compared to before the pandemic.
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He said the operator had experienced a “phenomenal” amount of change over the last two years and was bouncing back better than other companies from a “big revenue blackhole” felt by the whole rail industry.
Mr Jackson told authority members that the operator’s Liverpool depot was also experiencing a higher level of absence than average, with symptoms of so-called long Covid displayed among staff.
On passenger habits, Mr Jackson said traditional peaks were disappearing and more people choosing travel at weekends, which represented a “big challenge” for the industry around things such as when it stages engineering works.
The director said that Northern was working “really hard” to win customers back, with £10m invested in cleaning and a further £1.5m injected into station improvements.
There are 101 new trains on the network, with the operator’s existing legacy stock upgraded to meet demand.
However, a “large number” of diesel trains are still in operation which are more than 30 years old, Mr Jackson said.
He added that Northern would have to think “long and hard” about increasing the electrification of its lines if it is to hit net zero targets.
Currently only 30% of lines are electrified while eight bi-mode trains - running on electric and diesel - are in service and maintained in Allerton.
Mr Jackson said the operator’s existing timetable will run until May with a new schedule to be developed which would provide a golden opportunity to provide a service based on “good capacity, reliability and resilience.”
He added that Northern had reported ticketless travel decreasing from 8% to 6% in the last 12 months while maintaining an average fare of £3.60.
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