Train operator CrossCountry will introduce temporary resource-led reductions to its timetable from Saturday 10 August until Saturday 9 November to address performance and reliability issues that have inconvenienced passengers with on-the-day cancellations.
Prolonged industrial action across the rail industry has meant it has not been possible to deal with the backlog of critical training days required by train drivers accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic - when social distancing restricted training taking place.
Reducing services on some routes over a 13-week period - while bolstering services with extra carriages wherever possible - will retain maximum passenger capacity on the CrossCountry network while working through as much of the necessary driver training as possible.
The temporary timetable will reduce numbers of on-the-day cancellations, which cause the most inconvenience to passengers. A similar approach was trialled over Easter which led to a 94% decrease in on-the-day cancellations.
By the end of the temporary timetable, CrossCountry will have more fully-trained drivers able to work across the network and will have reduced its training backlog – providing a more reliable service for customers, with fewer cancellations.
There are no service alterations on the core CrossCountry route between Birmingham and Newcastle via Leeds. However, some services that operate via Doncaster will not run.
No CrossCountry services will operate beyond Edinburgh to Aberdeen or Glasgow while the timetable is in operation. Meanwhile, A trial which saw some station calls removed at Wakefield Westgate and Chesterfield will end as planned in September.
Ben Simkin, CrossCountry’s Regional Director for the North East and Scotland, said: “Removing services from our timetable is always a last resort. I’m sorry for the inconvenience this will cause for our customers and I want to thank them for their patience while these changes are in place.
“This is a difficult decision, but by taking proactive action now we are investing in building a more resilient and dependable service for CrossCountry customers for the future.”
Customers who have tickets for travel on impacted services can travel on an alternative service or request a full refund. Further information can be found at www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/travel-updates-information/temporary-timetable .
Passengers are advised to check their journey before travelling using the CrossCountry website or app or with National Rail Enquiries.
Contact Information
CrossCountry Press Office
[email protected]About CrossCountry
CrossCountry is a long-distance passenger train operator, with a network stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted to Cardiff and calling at over 100 stations. Based in Birmingham, CrossCountry connects seven of Britain’s 10 largest cities and delivers 240 services every weekday, equating to over 42 million passenger journeys each year.
For further information on CrossCountry services, visit crosscountrytrains.co.uk or visit one of our social media platforms via X @crosscountryuk or Facebook at facebook.com/crosscountrytrains
Long-distance train operator CrossCountry has announced adjustments to its timetable from 14 December, as part of the rail industry’s twice-yearly timetable review.
- Giant city centre artwork unveiled on Aire Street in Leeds
- 14-metre-high mural, created by Leeds based artist Elle Koziupa and Global Street Art, celebrates the journeys that have helped shape Leeds
- Photorealism, painterly illustration and graphics combine to depict the textile carts that powered Leeds’ rise to a northern powerhouse, to CrossCountry trains linking the city’s people and culture to the rest of UK today
- CrossCountry will operate a reduced timetable over the Bank Holiday weekend – with no services on Saturday 23 August - due to industrial action by the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT)
- Services on Sunday 24 August are also likely to be subject to cancellations across all CrossCountry routes
- Passengers are advised not to travel on Saturday 23 August and to travel on either side of the Bank Holiday weekend, or claim a full refund
