‘Check before you travel, don’t just chance it,’ warn train operators amid Omicron staff shortages

Travellers planning train journeys home for Christmas have been warned “don’t just chance it” after rail operators were plunged into chaos by the surge in Covid cases.

Seb Gordon, External Communications Director with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), the body which represents Britain’s train operating companies, urged people to plan ahead and check before heading to stations in the busy run-up to the Christmas weekend.

“Our advice would be please check before you travel, don’t just chance it, don’t just turn up at the station and hope for the best,” Mr Gordon told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “Look for the train you are looking to catch on the journey planners...do check and please be a bit more patient if you are experiencing that disruption. But the vast majority of trains are running as planned and we will get people where they are going.”

Mr Gordon’s warning came as a number of railway companies reported cancellations as they struggle with staffing shortages caused by workers being sick or having to self isolate with Covid.

In the past week over five per cent of trains were cancelled, compared to an average of almost three per cent, according to the RDG.

Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, LNER, Scotrail and West Midlands Railway have all reported cancellations

LNER, which runs trains on the east coast mainline, said it is operating an amended timetable in the week before Christmas because of the number of absent drivers and train managers with routes between King’s Cross and Leeds, and King’s Cross and Lincoln hit.

Govia Thameslink, which operates the Thameslink, Great Northern and Southern franchises, said it may also have to cancel services at short notice due to high numbers of staff off sick with Covid and other seasonal illnesses.

The RDG said its members had reported that 8.7 per cent of their staff were off sick due to all causes including Covid.

Mr Gordon said he welcomed the Government’s announcement on Tuesday night to reduce the self isolation period from 10 to seven days subject to negative tests on days six and seven.

“The reduced isolation period will really help,” he said. “It’s hard to say how much of a difference but getting our staff back into circulation can only help if it’s a little bit quicker.”

He added that if Covid caused further staff shortages then rail operators may have to look at cutting timetables.

The RDG says 19 out of 20 trains have been running as planned but Mr Gordon acknowledged that last minute cancellations were frustrating for passengers.

Mr Gordon said: “It’s a really important week for people, Christmas last year was not great for lots of people, we want people to get to where they are going, to spend a great Christmas with their loved ones and we will get people where they are going to do that.”