Crossrail, c2c, East Midlands Railway and South Western Railway have all said they are changing their timetables in response to the current COVID-19 situation.
The highly-contagious Omicron variant of the illness has seen most, if not all, rail providers start to bring in altered timetables — a process which started for some before the Christmas and New Year break. The reasons cited include staff absence and reduced demand following government work-from-home guidance.
CrossCountry
From 17 January, CrossCountry will bring in altered timetables for services running between Birmingham and Stanstead Airport.
Richard Morris, regional director for the East Midlands and East Anglia, said: “We have amended the timetable to match the number of trains running with the number of passengers travelling. These changes will help us provide a more reliable service between Birmingham and Cambridge, where we know there is greater passenger demand. We advise that customers check online before travelling or sign up for automatic alerts from National Rail Alert Me.”
Check the CrossCountry site for more details.
c2c
Rail operator c2c will also introduce a new timetable on 17 January.
Meanwhile, peak-time services via Basildon have seen their 12-carriage trains reduced to 8.
The full timetable is available here.
East Midlands Railway (EMR)
EMR will make a small reduction to its timetable from 17 January, a reduction of about 4%. It said the most popular services would not be affected.
Paul Barnfield, operations director at East Midlands Railway, said: “Like most other industries, we are facing particularly high COVID-related absences among our colleagues at the moment, and this can impact our ability to provide train services. At the same time, Government advice for people to work from home means passenger demand is very low.
“As such, this small reduction is intended to provide a reliable service as well as ensuring there is still enough capacity for those who are still travelling.
“These changes will be kept under daily review, and we will make alterations if and when needed. In the meantime, I would ask our customers to check their journey before travelling by visiting our website, www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk.”
To check journeys, click here.
South Western Railway
South Western Railway (SWR) will also make changes from 17 January, with the alterations being kept under review.
SWR’s managing director Claire Mann said: “The spread of the Omicron variant has had a significant impact on our railway, with fewer people using the train and staff shortages impacting on our ability to consistently deliver the current timetable.
“Having assessed demand and spoken to our industry colleagues, we believe this new timetable is the most effective means of ensuring our customers receive a reliable service, with short-notice cancellations minimised.
“Journey planners will be updated on a week-by-week basis, with updates taking place towards the end of each week. Customers should check their journey as close to their time of travel as possible.”
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