Tickets on sale.... for cancelled trains

CHAOS was brewing last night as tickets remained on sale for cancelled trains despite the promise emergency timetables would be finalised by yesterday morning.

A search of popular intercity routes yesterday revealed tickets were still on sale for trains that will not run because of next week’s strikes, opening up the prospect of passengers arriving at stations to find they cannot travel.

TransPennine Express was offering a train from Manchester Piccadilly to York at 11.55pm on Tuesday for £32. 0 – despite the company advising that the last train on the route leaves at .27pm.

Several trains from Birmingham New Street to

Crewe on Thursday evening were available on the East Midlands Trains website. A spokesman said journey planners were still being finalised.

Tickets for trains that will not go ahead were also for sale on booking websites such as Trainline and National Rail.

Tory MP Greg Smith, a member of the Commons transport committee, said: ‘It is beyond parody that tickets are still being sold for the rail strike days next week.

‘We’re all hopeful the unions will see sense and stop their crusade against schoolchildren, workers and the wider British public, but rail operators really should be better prepared.’