Train operator CrossCountry is introducing temporary reductions to its timetable to "address performance and reliability issues"meaning on-the-day cancellations. 

It says prolonged industrial action across the rail industry has meant it has not been possible to deal with the backlog of critical training days required by train drivers. 

They say these accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic - when social distancing restricted training taking place. 

And it says to accommodate the training temporary changes start from next Saturday (August 10) until November 9th. 

"Reducing services on some routes over a 13-week period - while bolstering services with extra carriages wherever possible - will retain maximum passenger capacity on the CrossCountry network while working through as much of the necessary driver training as possible," said a spokesperson.  

"The temporary timetable will reduce numbers of on-the-day cancellations, which cause the most inconvenience to passengers.  

"A similar approach was trialled over Easter which led to a 94% decrease in on-the-day cancellations." 

By the end of the temporary timetable, CrossCountry says it will have more fully-trained drivers able to work across the network and will have reduced its training backlog – providing a more reliable service for customers, with fewer cancellations.     

"Additional trains will call at Wilnecote and Willington to balance the impact of the temporary timetable on customers using these stations," it added. 

"There will be minimal alterations to services from Manchester Piccadilly towards Birmingham New Street, although some services may terminate at different stations beyond Birmingham while the temporary timetable is in operation." 

Georgia Ehrmann, CrossCountry's Regional Director for the West Midlands and North West, said: "Removing services from our timetable is always a last resort. I'm sorry for the inconvenience this will cause for our customers and I want to thank them for their patience while these changes are in place. 

"This is a difficult decision, but by taking proactive action now we are investing in building a more resilient and dependable service for CrossCountry customers for the future." 

Customers who have tickets for travel on impacted services can travel on an alternative service or request a full refund. Further information can be found here  

Passengers are advised to check their journey before travelling using the CrossCountry website or app or with National Rail enquiries. 

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