There is set to be more travel chaos on the rail network today (Thursday, December 8) as more than 45 services have been axed or amended by TransPennine Express. A total of 47 services are hit - with 32 cancelled and a further 15 amended.
Further short-notice cancellations and amendments to services likely throughout the day too. 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 number of services between Liverpool and Newcastle, Manchester and Hull, Manchester Airport and York, Manchester and Saltburn, Manchester and Cleethorpes and Manchester and Edinburgh are among those that have been slashed.
And more services, including trains between Manchester and other major cities, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, York and Hull have been amended, terminating or leaving from different stations than planned.
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."
The full list of cancelled or amended trains can be found here.
Today's cancellations and amendments
Liverpool – Newcastle
0539 Newcastle – Liverpool
0952 Liverpool – Newcastle
2201 Newcastle – York
Manchester – Hull
0535 Leeds – Hull
0604 Hull – Manchester Piccadilly
0705 Hull – Manchester Piccadilly
0830 Manchester Piccadilly – Hull
0935 Manchester Piccadilly – Hull
1008 Hull – Manchester Piccadilly
1030 Manchester Piccadilly – Hull
1206 Hull – Manchester Piccadilly
1235 Manchester Piccadilly – Hull
1308 Hull – Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester Airport – York
0138 York – Manchester Airport
0316 Manchester Piccadilly – York
Manchester – Saltburn
1640 Manchester Airport – Saltburn
2008 Saltburn – York
Manchester – Cleethorpes
0325 Sheffield – Manchester Airport
1224 Cleethorpes- Manchester Piccadilly
1524 Cleethorpes – Manchester Piccadilly
1818 Manchester Piccadilly – Cleethorpes Cancelled
2124 Cleethorpes – Sheffield Cancelled
2220 Manchester Piccadilly – Doncaster
Edinburgh – Manchester
0810 Manchester Airport – Edinburgh
Edinburgh – Newcastle
0529 Edinburgh – Newcastle
0919 Newcastle – Edinburgh
1137 Edinburgh – Berwick
1405 Berwick – Edinburgh
1514 Edinburgh – Berwick
1616 Berwick – Edinburgh
1206 Newcastle – Edinburgh
1410 Edinburgh – Newcastle
In addition, the following services will be amended:
Liverpool – Newcastle
1954 Liverpool – Newcastle - Terminates York
Manchester - Scarborough
0419 Manchester Airport – Scarborough Starts York
Manchester – Saltburn
1307 Redcar – Manchester Airport - Terminates York
Manchester Airport – York
0038 Manchester Airport – York - Terminates Manchester Piccadilly
Manchester – Cleethorpes
0504 Cleethorpes- Manchester Piccadilly - Terminates Sheffield
0521 Sheffield – Cleethorpes - Starts Sheffield
0536 Doncaster – Manchester Piccadilly - Starts Sheffield
0556 Manchester Airport – Cleethorpes - Starts Sheffield
0818 Manchester Piccadilly – Cleethorpes - Starts Sheffield
1518 Manchester Piccadilly – Cleethorpes - Starts Sheffield
1718 Manchester Piccadilly – Cleethorpes - Terminates Sheffield
1924 Cleethorpes – Manchester Piccadilly - Terminates Sheffield
Manchester – Glasgow
0457 Manchester Piccadilly – Glasgow - Terminates Preston
0906 Glasgow – Manchester Airport - Starts Preston
Edinburgh – Manchester
1212 Edinburgh – Manchester Airport - Starts Preston
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