TransPennine cuts major rail services to cope with Covid shortages

The rail operator is bringing in a reduced timetable from Monday

TPE is blaming the Omicron variant for coronavirus staffing issues
Author: Liam ArrowsmithPublished 7th Jan 2022
Last updated 7th Jan 2022

Rail services are being reduced across the north of England and Scotland from Monday, as operator TransPennine Express tries to deal with the impact of Covid on staffing.

The operator says the "ongoing impact" of the Omicron variant and some industrial action has forced it to introduce an emergency timetable.

Managing director Matthew Golton has apologised for disruption, but says the firms priority is to "keep people moving".

Major changes to services

From Monday, TransPennine will operate the following services:

Anglo-Scottish services

Edinburgh Waverley – Manchester Airport, a service every two hours in each direction

Glasgow Central – Manchester Airport, three services per day in each direction

Liverpool Lime Street/Oxenholme – Glasgow Central, two services per day in each direction

Edinburgh Waverley – Newcastle, five services per day in each direction

North TransPennine route

Newcastle – Liverpool Lime Street, a service every hour in each direction

Redcar Central – Manchester Airport, a service every hour in each direction

Hull – Manchester Piccadilly, a service every hour in each direction

Scarborough – Manchester Victoria/Liverpool Lime Street hourly services will be replaced with a Scarborough – York hourly service, with additional peak time extensions to/from Leeds

Leeds – Huddersfield and Huddersfield - Manchester stopper services will continue to operate hourly

South TransPennine route

Cleethorpes/Sheffield – Manchester Piccadilly/Airport will operate hourly in the AM and PM peaks and every two hours in the off-peak period

To enable rolling stock maintenance and stabling, the last service of the day between Sheffield – Cleethorpes will operate as a rail replacement bus service

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