TransPennine Express cuts services to cope with impact of Covid

Rail services are being reduced across northern England due to the impact of Covid on staffing.

TransPennine Express said it would be introducing an amended timetable from Monday "due to disruption being caused by increased levels of sickness".

The firm said the changes would provide "a greater level of certainty for our customers".

Passengers are advised to check the firm's website for the latest information.

Services between Scarborough and Manchester will be replaced with an hourly service to York, and extending to Leeds at peak times.

Routes, including between Newcastle and Liverpool, Cleethorpes, Sheffield, Hull and Manchester, are also affected.

The firm's managing director Matthew Golton said the timetable changes would affect all routes and was due to "the ongoing impact of Covid and the Omicron variant, as well as some industrial relations issues".

"While we are disappointed to be making these changes and reducing services, our priority is keeping people moving," he said.

He added: "We will continue to regularly review these changes in line with the current situation."

On Thursday, 22 TransPennine trains were cancelled and another 15 terminated before their planned destination.