Transpennine Express to cut services from Manchester due to staff shortages in yet another blow to rail industry

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.

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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,