Rail bosses can’t say when Lakes trains will run again

TRAINS in the Lake District will remain suspended until further notice, it emerged last night.

The Northern rail company cancelled all services on its Lakes line for at least two weeks when it introduced an emergency timetable on Monday.

This marked a desperate attempt to reduce the number of last-minute cancellations after a new timetable introduced across the railways on May 20 quickly unravelled.

Passengers, including commuters, tourists and schoolchildren, have to use a bus replacement service on the route between Windermere and Oxenholme stations.

Local MPs, including Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, have complained the move has been devastating for residents and businesses, which rely heavily on the tourism industry.

They have urged to both Northern and Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to ensure the line is brought back as soon as the two weeks is up.

But yesterday Transport for the North, which represents local authorities and business, said it has been told by Northern that this will not be possible. The rail operator said reinstating the service so quickly would only lead to further delays and cancellations in the Lake District and beyond.

Transport for the North said it accepted this ‘reluctantly’ but insisted services should be restored as soon as possible, and not later than the beginning of July. Chairman John Cridland said: ‘Northern must do everything they can to get a train service running again as soon as possible.’

Elsewhere, rail operator Govia Thameslink is laying on taxis and buses to help pupils get to their A-level and GCSE exams on time after cancelling hundreds of trains on its Thameslink and Great Northern lines.

In a letter leaked to the BBC, the operator – which also runs Southern – said the taxi service will run until the end of June and serve ‘key locations’ including Letchworth and Hitchin in Hertfordshire, Cambridge and South Croydon.