Trains axed in TransPennine Express timetable changes as Avanti anger continues

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