TransPennine Express apologises over string of train cancellations

TransPennine Express (TPE) has apologised after a string of train cancellations left customers without key services across northern England.

On Tuesday, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said rail services were in "meltdown", while Tracy Brabin, West Yorkshire Mayor, said she was "fed up".

The problems continued on Thursday, with reports of a six-hour wait for a direct Manchester to Hull service.

TPE said high sickness levels and a training backlog were to blame.

Passenger Bobbi Hadgraft, who lives in Manchester and regularly travels to Hull to see relatives, said a direct Hull train left Manchester Piccadilly at 07:28 BST on Thursday, with the next Hull service not until 13:35 BST.

"Even if the train doesn't get cancelled, maybe the two or three before have and you can't sit down because you've got three trains' worth of people on one train," she said.

"They don't add carriages on to accommodate the extra passengers, sometimes they're shorter than they're supposed to be, and you can be stood up for an hour and a half."

Ms Hadgraft, who works in Old Trafford, added: "Not only are you affected by the disruption by time, but it's also the standard of the journey - you're crammed like sardines in the train carriage."

Elsa Devienne, who travels from Manchester to Newcastle once or twice a week via train to teach at Northumbria University, said all passengers on her crowded TPE train had suffered cancellations on Thursday.

"Over half of my trains are either cancelled or delayed by an hour and TPE currently owes me close to £200 in delay compensation since the term started in late September," she said.

"Travelling on TPE these days is basically a lottery, I can count on one hand the number of times I've had a train arrive on time since September."

Tracy Brabin, West Yorkshire's Labour Mayor, said: "We're fed up of being badly let down by a failing rail network that isn't meeting our needs.

"This is especially unacceptable when our economy needs all the support it can get."

A TPE spokesperson said: "Today's disruption affecting services in and out of Hull has been caused by a range of issues including sustained high levels of sickness and a training backlog as a direct result of Covid.

"Combined, these factors have seen a number of on-the-day or 'evening before' cancellations being made."

They added: "Our customers want reliable and punctual train services, and we are sorry we have not been able to provide that due to the ongoing issues."

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