Linesmoan Fury as 100s of trains cancelled after rail staff book a day off to watch big match

PASSENGERS were left fuming as hundreds of trains were cancelled yesterday after rail workers booked the day off for the World Cup final.

It affected people across the country. Northern Rail alone axed more than 170 services in Cheshire, Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire.

A spokesman said: “Unfortunately many staff have made themselves unavailable for work.”

Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said: “Of all the excuses given by Northern in the past few months, this has to be the winner.

“It is outrageous... a lack of foresight in seeing an obvious problem coming. It’s like they have given up trying to provide a decent service.”

South West England and South Wales were also hit. Train firm Crosscountry said: “The weather and World Cup are conspiring to give us some troubles in the Midlands.”

Great Western Railway, which runs services to and from London, said: “Due to... engineering work, the World Cup final, good weather and the start of the school holidays in some regions, there’s a significantly reduced number of available staff.”

Many of the staff do not have to work Sundays if they give a week’s notice. Requests to take the day off rose when England got to the semifinal. They lost on Wednesday, meaning they did not make yesterday’s final.

The rail misery yesterday comes after Northern and Govia Thameslink Railway bosses axed hundreds of trains since May because of the chaos caused by new timetables.

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