It said it was working as "quickly and safely as possible" to investigate the issue with the remainder of the fleets. But on strike days taxi prices are higher. But the Aslef union has claimed that CrossCountry does not employ enough train drivers to allow for services to run as normal when staff are off sick. It had planned to take strike action at five train firms including Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Trains. Author and rail historian Christian Wolmar says despite a stronger "general feeling of rail malaise" in the north of England, with trains statistically worse performing, often the impact of disruption in the capital was greater. Rail services between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton have been hit by major disruption. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. Usage has steadily crept up since the pandemic - but station performance is slowly slipping. What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? "Only twice has the train run normally. It added that while it was true that the Department for Transport now pays train operators a fee to run train services, that payment was performance-related. 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. 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. It said staff were also taking time off after receiving booster jabs. We recommend customers to CHECK BEFORE THEY TRAVEL.Full information https://t.co/v4rnt7NLU8 pic.twitter.com/t2DXXX7QGz. Mr Montgomery's explanation was that Covid directly caused a backlog of driver training, which can take up to 18 months, and staff sickness levels are high. Railway speed restrictions were brought in across most of England and Wales, with reports of buckled tracks and overheard wire systems failing on Monday. The cancellations were due to the heat affecting the safety of steel railway tracks, which can buckle when too hot. The government said it must "drastically improve". 2023 BBC. Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association, said passengers should not be charged extra in future to pay for repairs. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? During the Covid crisis, the government moved train companies onto emergency contracts. It'll pay a quarter of your train ticket so it doesn't cover anything.". Read about our approach to external linking. At Birmingham New Street, the busiest station outside London, less than half arrived on time with 52% of services disrupted. This year I've had to spend 160 one day just to get here because it was a busy day for taxis so it was 160 here and back. You can also get in touch in the following ways: If you are reading this page and can't see the form you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. In Scotland, ScotRail reported more than a hundred cancellations on Monday. When trains are running, Ms Blackburn said they are often crowded and strikes have added extra stress and expense. 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. 2023 BBC. He said there were some areas in which there could be "commonality" between the two parties on workforce reform. Similar disruption was seen at London Euston, where trains to and from Scotland have been cancelled. Another transport union, the TSSA, had already called off November action at Network Rail so that discussions could continue, and on Friday suspended planned rail strikes on Saturday, Monday and Wednesday at different firms. But he said no president, no matter how labour friendly, would be willing to risk an economically damaging strike over sick pay. Meanwhile, the future of how the railway is run is now uncertain, after the creation of a new umbrella body called "Great British Railways", was delayed. It comes after Tuesday's record-breaking temperatures above 40C, which caused damage to overhead electric lines and railway tracks. 2023 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Proportionately, stations in north-west London saw the most trains cancelled in the capital. Read about our approach to external linking. In 2022, 40% of scheduled rail and Underground services in London were either cancelled or delayed, analysis has revealed. "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. CrossCountry is also warning of train crew shortages and disruption. Rail passengers are being warned of fresh disruption to services due to a planned strike by train drivers at nine companies. Like roughly 30 million other Americans, the 45-year-old railroad worker doesn't have any paid sick leave and he didn't want to get punished for taking time off. "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.". He doesn't have a ticket to go back to Bournemouth now as his return ticket's not valid for a few weeks. Services to parts of Shropshire and Staffordshire also face problems problems due to the damage. On some days, numerous trains in a row have been cancelled. LNER is one of the train companies forced to cancel services, When dogs in Alaska wait for the bus Video, ScotRail reported more than a hundred cancellations, 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. "We have strict performance targets that incentivise the operator, Arriva Rail London, to run punctual services with minimal cancellations and to work closely with Network Rail to ensure any track, signalling and infrastructure problems are rectified promptly to minimise delays for our customers.". "Emotionally it's exhausting, to constantly have to look at the train times every single day. "Strikes are a nightmare because Chester station essentially just shuts down. By Tom Espiner, Katy Austin and Noor Nanji, Mick Lynch (pictured left) said the threat of industrial action had "made the rail employers see sense", When dogs in Alaska wait for the bus Video, ScotRail will only run a skeleton service on Saturday. ': ' , 2002 Rob Taylor, who lives in Nottingham, said the cancellations had been a "nightmare" for him. But it says more drivers are, steadily, qualifying. 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. Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Chess gets a risqu makeover. 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. TfL said that major works were taking place on a 20-mile stretch between Euston and Watford Junction. Ms Blackburn said a taxi home from Warrington to Chester usually costs between 30 and 40, depending on the time. Angie Doll, chief operating officer of GTR, said performance over the past year had been affected by the impact of Covid, short-term sickness, severe weather and increasing trespass incidents. "Nobody out here will tell you that they don't want to work - we're all out here to make money. In October, Avanti's contract was extended for only six months. The persistent disruption in recent months has prompted outcry from commuters, leisure travellers, politicians and business groups, particularly in the North of England. Hitachi said: "Safety is our number one priority and as a precaution, the decision was taken to halt the entry into service of our intercity fleets pending inspection. 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 BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. Flooding on the road to Nether Heyford from Upper Heyford Northamptonshire in April. 09:49, 17 JAN 2023 BBC Breakfast star Nina Warhurst announces new 'official title' after change BBC Breakfast star Nina Warhurst has announced her new "official title" after a name change. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. James Dean, Network Rail's West Coast South route director, apologised to passengers impacted by the disruption. Another passenger described the Nottingham to Cardiff service as "shocking". Two of every five London trains disrupted in 2022. Read about our approach to external linking. The US is one of only two countries in the 38-member Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development without a national law guaranteeing paid sick leave for its workers. It offered a pay rise, an additional personal day and a few other benefits - but no paid sick leave. Damage to overhead wires means trains are being cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or. He added there were about 1,000 carriages to deal with, so it would be "quite a considerable job". Katy Austin, the BBC's Transport Correspondent, at King's Cross station on Wednesday morning, said a notice up on departure boards stated there would be no trains from there until midday. 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