LNER, which runs services on the East Coast main line, is operating an amended timetable in the week before Christmas because of the number of absent drivers and train managers. Rail passengers are being warned of fresh disruption to services due to a planned strike by train drivers at nine companies. By Hugh Schofield. "I found that devastating," she said, adding that a national law now looks "impossible". However it urged customers to check for late-notice changes, saying as cases continue to rise, some short notice alterations may be required throughout the festive period. They are handing out water and offering guidance to those whose plans have gone up in smoke. The walkout was averted only after President Joe Biden and Congress intervened, forcing rail workers to accept the terms of a new contract. But he said no president, no matter how labour friendly, would be willing to risk an economically damaging strike over sick pay. Read about our approach to external linking. She said the operator had a plan in place to make improvements, and was working with Network Rail to improve reliability. #LNERUpdate Our line is now reopened.Services are beginning to operate, however due to disruption there will be a reduced service to and from #LondonKingsCross today. VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, How Mafia boss was caught at a clinic after 30 years. Read More. Avanti West Coast is another operator experiencing staff shortages and warning of short-notice cancellations. Harlesden resident Jamal Elliot said: "The Bakerloo line was barely working at all over Christmas which made it very difficult to get around for me. The government said it must "drastically improve". CrossCountry is also warning of train crew shortages and disruption. There is expected to be a major impact across the network, with only a fifth of services due to run between 07:30 and 18:30 GMT on Saturday. 22:28, 9 JAN 2023 Dr Nikki Alexander and the team are back BBC Silent Witness fans have announced they have 'given up' on the show after being left confused by the storyline. What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. It acknowledged that the national dispute involving three rail unions had caused severe disruption and on cancellations it said "the industry is working hard to cope with an unprecedented convergence of issues". "People are just deflated because this has happened so many times.". There will be fewer trains before the game, and none leaving Cardiff after it has finished. "We understand the frustration caused and we would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused to passengers and operators.". Transpennine hasn't had a rest day working agreement in place with Aslef for nearly a year. Ms Blackburn said a taxi home from Warrington to Chester usually costs between 30 and 40, depending on the time. Avanti said on Friday it would not reinstate services on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. Monday 16 January 2023. But that expired at the end of the year and firms quickly trimmed the benefits. Infrastructure problems play a role too. ", She added: "Over this year I've had to have hotels because I've not been able to get home on the last train because it's been cancelled and lots of taxis. "It's a scandal really that whole days' worth of trains are being cancelled, which is so disruptive to people's lives and livelihoods - not to mention pushing more people into cars with all the issues that then brings," he said. London Underground strike still on as rail strikes postponed, ScotRail services to be slashed despite RMT strike cancellation, Wales v New Zealand: Rail strike suspension too late, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged, Santos denies taking money from dying dog GoFundMe, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, Mafia boss's second hideout found behind wardrobe, Maximum two drinks a week, Canada guidance advises, US town with no water using rain to flush toilets, Celebrities who say their children will get no inheritance, Heathrow beefs up security over cannabis arrests. At the capital's 15 busiest stations, just under a third of all services were either delayed or cancelled. We know that it's all hours and we're on call, but you used to have the ability take time off," he said. James Dean, Network Rail's West Coast South route director, apologised to passengers impacted by the disruption. Hull Trains said its services would resume as normal following "thorough checks by Hitachi" on its fleet of Class 800 series trains. He said trains would be returned to service as "quickly as possible", but warned that Great Western Railway services in particular were likely to face continued disruption. "We need to remember that we're really not good at running businesses from Congress," Senator Richard Burr, a Republican from North Carolina, said in May 2021, the last major public hearing on the issue. The 52-year-old documentary-maker shared pictures showing how his stubble has changed. He added that there had been "the promise of an offer" on pay from the rail operating companies. The RDG said the pandemic has had a long-term impact on services by reducing the number of drivers and other staff who could be trained as well as increasing staff absences. These were on services departing from London's some 300 stations - nine million of which were delayed or cancelled altogether, according to figures released by the Office for Road and Rail. The RMT union, which represents transport workers, said that with infections rising, absences would have severe consequences for services, but the safety of staff and the public must come first. Proportionately, stations in north-west London saw the most trains cancelled in the capital. BBC Summary A rail strike by 40,000 RMT union members has caused four in five trains to be cancelled today as many people return to work after the Christmas break The 48-hour strike is the. "It's important to point out that the affected trains are relatively new, in which case the manufacturers should foot the bill for any repairs, not passengers or taxpayers.". The cancellation of the strikes has come "too late" for thousands of rugby fans travelling to Cardiff for the Wales v New Zealand autumn international, Network Rail Wales said. CrossCountry has apologised for its cancellations over. Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, LNER, Scotrail and West Midlands Railway have all reported cancellations. VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote. Damage to overhead wires means trains are being cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised. TransPennine Express said on Saturday afternoon that it would be able to reintroduce some trains into service following safety checks. He said: "London is the most rail-dependent city in the country and, while it has seen the most rail improvements in last 10 years, residents suffer disproportionately when things go wrong.". She said she took taxis to and from work which cost her more than 160. It is offering customers refunds or fee-free re-booking. West Midlands Railway, London Northwestern Railway, Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry and Transport for Wales are affected. Network Rail said it's repairing the line after a fire on the route between Peterborough and London King's Cross. When she didn't have paid sick leave, she ended up with no vacation and had to take unpaid days to care for her daughter, straining her finances. Two of every five London trains disrupted in 2022. Network Rail, which owns and runs most of the train lines in Britain, warned passengers that journeys will take "much longer than normal" and could involve taking rail replacement buses, as work continues to repair the railway. The BBC approached Network Rail for comment. Avanti West Coast between London Euston and Manchester for customers with an open ticket, TransPennine Express between Manchester, Leeds and York, East Midlands Railway between London St Pancras International and Sheffield, Northern services between Sheffield, Leeds and York and via any other "reasonable" route, Thameslink services between London, Stevenage and Peterborough, Avanti West Coast trains between Birmingham New Street and London Euston, London Northwestern Railway trains between Birmingham New Street and London Euston, West Midlands Railway trains between Hereford/Worcester and Birmingham New Street, The Class 800 is electric - but almost half have a diesel engine enabling them to operate on lines that have not been electrified, Formal orders for the trains were made in 2012 and 2013 at a cost of around 5.7bn for a 27.5 year programme, including maintenance, The Class 800 began regular service for Great Western Railway in October 2017 - but an embarrassing start saw air conditioning units, In May 2019, they began service on the East Coast Main Line, with operator LNER branding the train Azuma - or "east" in Japanese, They were hailed by operators as helping to increase capacity and reduce journey times, The trains were assembled at Hitachi's plant in Newton Aycliffe in County Durham. Please include your name, age and location with any submission. Passengers at King's Cross station faced further disruption on Wednesday. Last month, six of the trains were taken out of service by GWR after hairline cracks were found in the suspension system during routine maintenance. She hopes to catch a ScotRail train but fears it could now take "up to four changes" before she gets to Gatwick. Rail services between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton have been hit by major disruption. What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? Avanti West Coast is another operator experiencing staff shortages and warning of short-notice cancellations. South Western Railway said it had only seen a small number of alterations this week, but was closely monitoring the impact of the new Omicron variant on staff availability. Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, LNER, Scotrail and West Midlands Railway have all reported cancellations. Great Western Railway, Hull Trains, London North Eastern Railway and TransPennine Express trains of the Hitachi 800 model were taken out of service for safety inspections. A spokesperson for Aslef said in relation to CrossCountry: "I'm afraid they don't really employ enough drivers to deliver the services they promise passengers they will run. VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, How Mafia boss was caught at a clinic after 30 years. VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, How Mafia boss was caught at a clinic after 30 years. Queens Park, Kensal Green, Stonebridge Park and Harlesden stations had the highest number of cancellations in the whole of London, with 12%. Added to this, reliance on drivers agreeing to work on days off - which has been common in the industry for decades - has left some operators exposed during a period of strained industrial relations. A spokesman added that the issue is affecting long-distance journeys between cities, which are being refunded, but that suburban and rural GWR services are still running as normal. When dogs in Alaska wait for the bus Video, six of the trains were taken out of service by GWR, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, Germany: We are no longer reliant on Russian energy, Mafia boss's second hideout found behind wardrobe, City asks Madonna if it can borrow her painting, Jeremy Renner TV show poster edited after accident, Santos denies taking money from dying dog GoFundMe, Keep cake away from office, says food adviser. Though the increase may sound small, train operators only have limited contingencies for absences before they have to start cancelling services. It is offering customers refunds or fee-free re-booking. 'One by one they have all been testing positive', ScotRail cancels 118 services as Covid spikes, Zelensky says fatal crash was consequence of war, New Zealand PM Ardern to step down next month, Arizona town with no water using rain to flush toilets. She doesn't drive and on strike days there were no trains running. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? More than 90,000 tested positive for Covid in the UK on Monday, but the true number is. ORR recently said Network Rail, which oversees tracks, power lines and signals, needed to do more to deliver better performance. More than two dozen services leaving from London King's Cross and Euston stations were axed or delayed on Wednesday morning. CrossCountry said its services between Nottingham (pictured) and Cardiff had been particularly affected, Several trains in a row have been cancelled on a number of days, Aslef said a lot of train companies did not employ enough drivers. It has removed all peak restrictions over Christmas, to try to spread out demand. Chickens come home to roost and you do tend to get caught out if you don't have enough people.". But on strike days taxi prices are higher. 2023 BBC. Flooding on the road to Nether Heyford from Upper Heyford Northamptonshire in April. Northern, which runs services across the North of England, is also warning that passenger services are being affected by the impacts of Covid and unavailability of train crew. Passengers warned over Christmas rail disruption, UN's top women meet Taliban over female aid worker ban, New Zealand PM Ardern to step down next month, Zelensky says fatal crash was consequence of war, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Power shift in Vietnam as president quits. Only 11 of its routes will remain open. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. On the Tube alone, there are up to five million passenger journeys a day - at peak times, TfL said there were more than 543 Underground trains whizzing around the capital. When dogs in Alaska wait for the bus Video, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, Germany: We are no longer reliant on Russian energy, Mafia boss's second hideout found behind wardrobe, City asks Madonna if it can borrow her painting, Jeremy Renner TV show poster edited after accident, Santos denies taking money from dying dog GoFundMe, Keep cake away from office, says food adviser. When taken with on-the-day cancellations, this has seen total. Newly released data from the Office of Road and Rail shows 3.8% of trains in Great Britain have been cancelled in the year up to 12 November - or one in every 26. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. "He's trying to keep away from people and so is a bit loathe to seek help from staff in person. The RMT union, which represents transport workers, said that with infections rising, absences would have severe consequences for services, but the safety of staff and the public must come first. The 48-hour strike is the first of two . What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk, Busiest and quietest railway stations revealed, Transport faces new reality as strikes dominate, Nursing strike enters second day as health leaders prepare for biggest walkout, Rise in vape sales to children alarms Trading Standards officers, Renewed appeal to find missing family last sighted in London, Double Whammy for Hounslow Council Tenants, 'Not necessary': Driver slams decision to ticket broken-down car, Zelensky says fatal crash was consequence of war, New Zealand PM Ardern to step down next month, Arizona town with no water using rain to flush toilets. BBC News A train drivers' union has blamed an operating company for repeated rail cancellations, saying it does not employ enough staff. Rail workers are disappointed after their push for paid sick leave failed, Gabe says it was a "slap in the face" that President Biden and Congress didn't resolve worker concerns on sick pay, Erica quit her job in 2020 for one that offered paid sick leave, Some unions have rejected a deal the Biden administration brokered in September, When dogs in Alaska wait for the bus Video, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged, Santos denies taking money from dying dog GoFundMe, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, Mafia boss's second hideout found behind wardrobe, Maximum two drinks a week, Canada guidance advises, US town with no water using rain to flush toilets, Celebrities who say their children will get no inheritance, Heathrow beefs up security over cannabis arrests. Rail strike is cancelled - at the cost of paid sick leave 3 December 2022 Getty Images Rail workers are disappointed after their push for paid sick leave failed By Natalie Sherman Business. Dozens of Class 800s are stacked up waiting to be checked at Hitachi's Swansea depot, Hitachi 800 trains entered service in 2017. Train companies are preparing to introduce a new timetable on 11 December - although RMT strikes are planned in its first week. West Midlands Railway has also said fewer trains are running. Sherry Leiwant, co-founder of A Better Balance, who has been working on paid sick leave campaigns since the early 2000s, called the decision not to extend the benefit in 2020 "the most disheartening thing that has happened in my work on this issue". "People are scared for their jobs .We need protection.". A rail strike by 40,000 RMT union members has caused four in five trains to be cancelled today as many people return to work after the Christmas break. If caught early, it could have been treated with medication, but as it was, Gabe learned he would have to have some of his tissues removed. It is advising passengers to travel as early as possible. He added that calling off the latest ones has given negotiations between unions and employers a "better chance of success". These aren't the only operators with staff problems. That's always been their attitude. (The other, South Korea, is now trialling a paid sick leave programme.). Great Western Railway said it was seeing increasing absence rates, and some disruption of its services. He told BBC business correspondent Katy Austin that while body shell cracking would not "cause the trains to crash or disintegrate or anything like that", he said it is a "serious point" that requires action because if metal fatiguing is allowed to continue, the "cracks will spread, and the body shell strength will be weakened". The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators across the UK, said its members had reported that 8.7% of their staff were off sick due to all causes including Covid. A spokesperson for LNER said services were being reduced as a result of an increase in the number of our staff self-isolating due to Covid. Just when you thought the trains in London couldn't get any worse, an astonishing 40 percent of scheduled rail and Underground services in the capital were cancelled or . Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? "We're working hard to be able to operate as many services as possible, but advise customers to check National Rail Enquiries prior to travel for the latest information on their service.". Read about our approach to external linking. "It's a slap in the face," said Gabe, a registered Democrat who voted for Mr Biden in 2020 and is part of Railroad Workers United, an informal group that raised concerns over the issue. "And that opinion comes not just from me as a railway watcher but from a lot of the senior railway people I talk to.". The affected routes are between London Kings Cross and Leeds, and London Kings Cross and Lincoln. VideoChess gets a risqu makeover, The Nigerian influencers paid to manipulate your vote, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, How Mafia boss was caught at a clinic after 30 years. "At least four times this year. The station will be undergoing repairs to the train shed roof, meaning all trains are cancelled. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. Gabe, who has worked for the railroad since 2004, said the companies could afford the benefit, noting that they have earned record profits in recent years. Speaking on Thursday, chairman Steve Montgomery said the RDG was "working up to" making an offer once it had made an agreement with unions on workplace reforms. 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