TransPennine Express calls on customers to check before they travel on the run up to Christmas
Rail operator TransPennine Express (TPE) is advising customers across the North and into Scotland to be prepared and check their journeys and allow extra time to travel on the run up to Christmas Day.
Customers planning on making journeys using TPE services on 23rd and 24th December are being asked to plan ahead due to a lack of available staff caused by industrial relations issues as well as the impact of Covid.
Due to this, services across the TPE network may be subject to delays and short-notice cancellations over the coming days.
Customers are urged to allow extra time and check before they travel at tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/current-major-service-disruption or via National Rail Enquiries.
During what is the season of goodwill, the train company is reminding people to be kind and show patience and respect towards railway staff and other customers so that everyone can travel with confidence.
Kathryn O’Brien, Customer Experience Director for TransPennine Express said: “We are doing all we can to keep people moving on the run up to Christmas Day, however a lack of available staff caused by industrial relations issues as well as sickness due to Covid is causing disruption to some of our services.
“Anyone planning on using TransPennine Express services on 23rd and 24th December is advised to allow additional time for travel and to check carefully – up to the last minute – for any changes to train times.”
Customers are also reminded that unless exempt, a face covering must be worn on-board train services and at stations.
As usual, train services will shut down earlier on Christmas Eve with no trains operating on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Services will then start running again on the 27th December, with a slightly later start compared to normal and on some routes, engineering work will mean changes for some customers.
Notes to editors
Alternative journey options for customers
If a service you had planned to travel on does not operate, your ticket will be valid on the next available TransPennine Express service.
For journeys up to and including the dates mentioned below, ticket acceptance arrangements are in place in the event of TransPennine Express service cancellations with the following operators in-between the following locations:
Avanti West Coast
Up to and including Monday 10th January
- Wigan/Preston and Glasgow Central/Edinburgh
There may be some services where acceptance is not granted but these exceptions will be detailed once confirmed
Northern
Up to and including Monday 10th January
- Network wide
London North Eastern Railway
On the following dates: Tuesday 21st December, Friday 31st December and from Monday 03rd January to Monday 10th January inclusive
- York and Edinburgh
Excludes services to/from Aberdeen and Inverness due to increased passenger loadings
East Midlands Railway
Up to and including Monday 10th January
- Liverpool Lime Street and Sheffield
CrossCountry
Up to and including Tuesday 04th January
- York and Edinburgh
Customers should travel as close to their original booked time as possible when using other operators’ services.
Rail replacement buses will be in place, where possible, for those customers who will not have a regular journey option via train.
TransPennine Express
TransPennine Express is an intercity rail provider with a vision to Take the North Further. We are delivering an investment of over £500m that will transform travel and customer experience across the North and into Scotland.
We are proud to be a FirstGroup plc company which provides easy and convenient mobility, improving quality of life by connecting people and communities.
Our network is:
- North TransPennine - including Newcastle to Manchester Airport, Redcar/Middlesbrough to Manchester Airport, Scarborough to Liverpool, Edinburgh to Liverpool, Newcastle to Edinburgh and Hull to Manchester Piccadilly
- South TransPennine from Cleethorpes via Doncaster and Sheffield to Manchester
- North West and Scotland – from Liverpool and Manchester Airport to Preston, Oxenholme, Carlisle, Penrith, Edinburgh and Glasgow,
- Destinations served by TransPennine Express include Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Northallerton, Thirsk, York, Malton, Scarborough, Hull, Selby, Leeds, Huddersfield, Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, Meadowhall, Doncaster, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Carlisle, Lancaster, Preston, Redcar, Morpeth, Manchester, Manchester Airport, Liverpool, Dunbar, Reston (once opened), Berwick-upon-Tweed, Alnmouth, Morpeth and Cramlington
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