More West Coast woe as TPE issues emergency timetable
TransPennine Express introduced an emergency timetable from Monday September 12 “until further notice”, in an attempt to stabilise its performance by reducing the number of daily short-notice cancellations.
TPE blames “the ongoing impact of higher-than-normal sickness levels and a number of other issues, including a training backlog as a direct result of COVID”.
It adds to the woes of passengers travelling over the West Coast Main Line, where there is already a heavily reduced service by Avanti West Coast (see separate story).
Both operators are run by FirstGroup (with Italian government-owned Trenitalia a 30% stakeholder in AWC).
TPE, which is one of 20 rail companies currently in dispute with unions and subject to strikes, is cutting almost a quarter of its weekday Anglo-Scottish services from 40 to 31 per day.
It will run 15 northbound and 16 southbound trains per day. In addition, a further three northbound and five southbound trains will only run for part of their route.
Saturday changes are similar to weekdays, while Sundays will “reflect recent service patterns”, says the operator, which is publishing new timetables for each Sunday a few days in advance. It is also warning of further weekend disruption due to engineering, plus on strike days.
“Our customers want reliable and punctual train services, and we are sorry that we have not been able to provide that due to the ongoing issues,” said TPE Service Planning & Performance Director Jerry Farquharson.
“In normal circumstances, we have enough people to fully operate our scheduled timetable. However, the combination of factors has put unprecedented pressure on our ability to operate a consistent service.
“We believe that this timetable will help customers have more confidence and certainty in the delivery of our services.”
Although the timetable cuts are intended to reduce the number of short-notice changes, TPE says its services “may still face ‘on-the-day’ challenges”, resulting in shortnotice cancellations or service amendments. It urges passengers to “allow additional time for travel and to check carefully - up to the last minute - for any changes to train times”.
As this issue of RAIL closed for press, TPE said it was finalising arrangements to put in rail replacement buses at certain times of the day, to connect stations between Motherwell-Carlisle, Penrith-Lockerbie, EdinburghCarlisle and Carlisle-Lockerbie to supplement rail services “where possible” for those whose regular rail journey is affected. Journey-specific tickets are being accepted on the previous or next TPE service.
Until September 19, AWC is accepting TPE tickets for travel between Wigan and Glasgow Central/ Edinburgh, and East Midlands Railway for travel between Liverpool Lime Street and Sheffield.