It'll pay a quarter of your train ticket so it doesn't cover anything.". The project budget increased to 3.25m, partly because more ambitious plans were drawn up, but also because of a delay over materials blamed on Brexit. Chris Heaton-Harris said the issue had been found on part of the chassis - the base frame - of some trains on Saturday morning following routine inspections. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? It is still rebuilding services as more drivers are trained up, and says it's focused on restoring a full timetable in December. "We have always wanted to secure a negotiated settlement and that is what we will continue to push for in this next phase of intensive talks. She said plenty of people were waiting around on the concourse, as they tried to work out how and when they would be able to make their journeys. More than 90,000 tested positive for Covid in the UK on Monday, but the true number is thought to be much higher. What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? "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.". But she regularly gets stuck in Warrington when trains are delayed or cancelled and has to get a taxi home. 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. A spokesperson for LNER said services were being reduced as a result of an increase in the number of our staff self-isolating due to Covid. Rail services between Birmingham New Street and Wolverhampton have been hit by major disruption. Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Chess gets a risqu makeover. The Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents train companies, said: "We totally reject any suggestion that the replacement of franchises with contracts during the pandemic is adversely affecting performance.". 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. 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. "People are just deflated because this has happened so many times.". "At least four times this year I've spent more on getting here and back than I have actually earnt that day," Ms Blackburn said. "Paid sick leave at the national level is not even part of the conversation at this point," he said, adding that the rail contract otherwise is "very good for workers". 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. 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. Passenger numbers are currently only around 80% of pre-Covid levels - although they have been higher at some points recently. GWR passengers can use their tickets on the following services: Roger Ford, industry and technology editor at the magazine Modern Railways, said the problem is "with the weld cracking underneath [the train's] body shell" which he explained led to about 180 trains being taken out of service on Saturday morning for inspection. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators across the UK, said its members had reported that 8.7% of their staff were off sick due to all causes including Covid. It has warned the problem could affect services on Sunday too. Train drivers at nine rail companies have announced a new strike in August as a dispute causing travel chaos across the country deepens. Read about our approach to external linking. Network Rail urged passengers to check before they started their journeys and only to travel if absolutely necessary. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? "I won't be fully relaxed until we're in the stadium," said Mr Ellis. CrossCountry has apologised for its cancellations over recent weeks, saying they are due to "short-term sickness". Read about our approach to external linking. Disruption on East Coast Main Line continues, but trains are now running again between London and Scotland. ScotRail will only run a skeleton service on Saturday, with the rail operator warning of significant disruption to its services. Avanti West Coast is another operator experiencing staff shortages and warning of short-notice cancellations. At the UK busiest station, Waterloo, 76% of trains arrived on time; Victoria had 72% arrive on time, London Bridge had 62%, Liverpool Street had 86% and Clapham Junction 60%. In October, Avanti's contract was extended for only six months. Your device may not support this visualisation. When dogs in Alaska wait for the bus Video, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, Germany: We are no longer reliant on Russian energy, Mafia boss's second hideout found behind wardrobe, City asks Madonna if it can borrow her painting, Jeremy Renner TV show poster edited after accident, Santos denies taking money from dying dog GoFundMe, Keep cake away from office, says food adviser. Another passenger described the Nottingham to Cardiff service as "shocking". "Delay repay is about 6. Judging by reservations, it expects Thursday to be the busiest day of the week. Avanti is aiming to restore a full timetable in mid December - without relying on overtime. 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. 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. Rail Minister Huw Merriman said he did not want to "rule anything in or out" when asked if the government would put more money on the table to help resolve the dispute. It said staff were also taking time off after receiving booster jabs. Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, LNER, Scotrail and West Midlands Railway have all reported cancellations. London Underground strike still on as rail strikes postponed, ScotRail services to be slashed despite RMT strike cancellation, Wales v New Zealand: Rail strike suspension too late, 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. Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Chess gets a risqu makeover. In total, 520,853 services were scheduled across Great Britain between 16 October and 12 November, 15% lower than the same time in 2019. The 52-year-old documentary-maker shared pictures showing how his stubble has changed. "Our priority is our members, and we are working towards securing a deal on job security, a decent pay rise and good working conditions.". How has your train journey been affected? Great Western Railway said it was seeing increasing absence rates, and some disruption of its services. BBC star Louis shared a snap of the beard loss on Instagram. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? When dogs in Alaska wait for the bus Video, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged, Jeremy Renner TV show poster edited after accident, Keep cake away from office, says food adviser, Santos denies taking money from dying dog GoFundMe, City asks Madonna if it can borrow her painting, Germany: We are no longer reliant on Russian energy, Mafia boss's second hideout found behind wardrobe. It is offering customers refunds or fee-free re-booking. Earlier this month I spoke to Steve Montgomery, the boss of First Rail; parent of both TransPennine Express and Avanti. Passengers await further information at St Pancras station. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators across the UK, said its members had reported that 8.7% of their staff were off sick due to all causes including Covid. West Midlands Trains said a reduced timetable will remain in place for at least Saturday and Monday. Nina. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. She hopes to catch a ScotRail train but fears it could now take "up to four changes" before she gets to Gatwick. 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. Monday 16 January 2023. The 48-hour strike is the first of two . It has removed all peak restrictions over Christmas, to try to spread out demand. Trains are being cancelled and rail services disrupted after the UK recorded its hottest day on record. Erik Loomis, a professor of labour history at the University of Rhode Island, said the Biden administration made a mistake not to take the issue more seriously as it worked to broker a deal between unions and railroads earlier this year. More than 90,000 tested positive for Covid in the UK on Monday, but the true number is. The 2012 Great Britain and Ireland floods were a series of weather events that affected parts of Great Britain and Ireland periodically during the course of 2012 and on through the winter into 2013. Train speed limits over heatwave track safety fears, Train passengers warned not to travel in heatwave, UN's top women meet Taliban over female aid worker ban, New Zealand PM Ardern to step down next month, Zelensky says fatal crash was consequence of war, How a baffling census delay is hurting Indians, Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Power shift in Vietnam as president quits. But he said no president, no matter how labour friendly, would be willing to risk an economically damaging strike over sick pay. Great Western Railway, Hull Trains,. When dogs in Alaska wait for the bus Video, Fires blaze after UK passes 40C for first time, Iran man who beheaded wife jailed for eight years, German police deny Greta's detainment was staged, Jeremy Renner TV show poster edited after accident, Keep cake away from office, says food adviser, Santos denies taking money from dying dog GoFundMe, City asks Madonna if it can borrow her painting, Germany: We are no longer reliant on Russian energy, Mafia boss's second hideout found behind wardrobe. The affected routes are between London Kings Cross and Leeds, and London Kings Cross and Lincoln. Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. These figures reflect on-the-day cancellations. South Western Railway said it had only seen a small number of alterations this week, but was closely monitoring the impact of the new Omicron variant on staff availability. What happened in the Ukraine helicopter crash? It is advising passengers to travel as early as possible. "Some of it is actually downright poor management," he said. When Gabe Christenson started feeling run down a few years ago, he didn't go to the doctor. Read about our approach to external linking. He added: "Specialist teams worked all night but have been unable to fix the cables in time for the start of service this morning. Avanti has come in for particular criticism for severe disruption in July, and then slashing its timetable in August. LNER, which runs services on the East Coast main line, is operating an amended timetable in the week before Christmas because of the number of absent drivers and train managers. BBC News Passengers are being warned of extensive disruption to train services on Saturday despite a series of strikes by railway workers being called off. In a statement Tricia Williams, chief operating officer of Northern, apologised for disruption, putting it down to factors "including fully-trained driver availability and the on-going industrial relations issues with the trade unions". It had planned to take strike action at five train firms including Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Trains. She said the operator had a plan in place to make improvements, and was working with Network Rail to improve reliability. At Birmingham New Street, the busiest station outside London, less than half arrived on time with 52% of services disrupted. Now, most train operators are paid on a performance-related fixed fee basis, and it is the government, that bears the financial risk - and holds the purse strings. Zelensky says fatal crash was consequence of war, New Zealand PM Ardern to step down next month, Arizona town with no water using rain to flush toilets. BBC Summary A rail strike by 40,000 RMT union members has caused four in five trains to be cancelled today as many people return to work after the Christmas break The 48-hour strike is the. Two of every five London trains disrupted in 2022. At the capital's 15 busiest stations, just under a third of all services were either delayed or cancelled. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk, Government needs proper pay strategy to end healthcare strikes, says ex-NHS CEO, Crowds gather to see rapper Clavish at Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre, 'Violent disorder' at Sutton Coldfield College sees four teen arrests, Police increase patrols after schoolboy, 13, hurt in knife attack near Grand Central, Dudley issues renewed call for sites for development, WATCH: Motorists drive wrong way on Bassano Road, Blackheath, Zelensky says fatal crash was consequence of war, New Zealand PM Ardern to step down next month, Mass strikes in France bid to halt pension age rise. But that expired at the end of the year and firms quickly trimmed the benefits. She says the situation is "being handled in the worst way" and that she "got less than 30 minutes' notice by email" of the cancellations, by which time she was already at the train station. 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. Sense of injustice lingers after Seoul Halloween crush, Chess gets a risqu makeover. In 2020, Congress passed a temporary law requiring most companies to offer two weeks of paid sick leave to staff forced to quarantine due to Covid-19. A train drivers' union has blamed an operating company for repeated rail cancellations, saying it does not employ enough staff. Mr Shoveller said on Monday there will be "limited ability" to change the strike timetable. When he finally scheduled an appointment, the doctor told him he had a gut infection. He told BBC business correspondent Katy Austin that while body shell cracking would not "cause the trains to crash or disintegrate or anything like that", he said it is a "serious point" that requires action because if metal fatiguing is allowed to continue, the "cracks will spread, and the body shell strength will be weakened". Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? The railway minister warned disruption was likely for a "prolonged period". Read about our approach to external linking. We're doing everything we can to get things back up and running. He said: "If you get a welding torch up against the [electronics] it can fry [them] so the first thing you have to do is take all the electronics out, disconnect all the electrical equipment, that takes a day or two, then you do the repair, then you have to put it all back again.". There will be fewer trains before the game, and none leaving Cardiff after it has finished. In the past week 5.2% of trains were cancelled, versus an average of 2.9%, according to the Rail Delivery Group. Who was Ukrainian minister Denys Monastyrsky? GTR also noted issues at other train companies could have a knock-on effect. Read about our approach to external linking. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk, Busiest and quietest railway stations revealed, Transport faces new reality as strikes dominate, Nursing strike enters second day as health leaders prepare for biggest walkout, Rise in vape sales to children alarms Trading Standards officers, Renewed appeal to find missing family last sighted in London, Double Whammy for Hounslow Council Tenants, 'Not necessary': Driver slams decision to ticket broken-down car, Zelensky says fatal crash was consequence of war, New Zealand PM Ardern to step down next month, Arizona town with no water using rain to flush toilets. Train companies are preparing to introduce a new timetable on 11 December - although RMT strikes are planned in its first week. 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. He said: "London is the most rail-dependent city in the country and, while it has seen the most rail improvements in last 10 years, residents suffer disproportionately when things go wrong.". Rob, who lives in John O' Groats, says: "My dad is at King's Cross and doesn't know what to do. 2023 BBC. Read about our approach to external linking. Read about our approach to external linking. Mr Ford added that repairing aluminium trains is a "very difficult process" because of the electronic equipment inside them. Dozens of Class 800s are stacked up waiting to be checked at Hitachi's Swansea depot, Hitachi 800 trains entered service in 2017. "However, lockdowns and the Covid-19 crisis made training very difficult, if not impossible. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. "I started doing some work in Cardiff a few months ago, so have been trying to get the direct train on at least eight occasions," he said. The affected routes are between London Kings Cross and Leeds, and London Kings Cross and Lincoln. "Now they're just squeezing us so hard, like blood out of a turnip. High-speed trains withdrawn over crack fears, High-speed train delayed on first journey, Zelensky says fatal crash was consequence of war, New Zealand PM Ardern to step down next month, Mass strikes in France bid to halt pension age rise. "Here Biden is supposed to be this super pro-labour president and Amtrak Joe and everything like that," he said, referring to a nickname given to the president for his fondness of riding the national passenger rail. Same in the opposite direction. "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.". Overall, passenger numbers are now back up to 80% of the observed usage three years ago but, as rail users return, performance has slipped at many stations. Added to this, reliance on drivers agreeing to work on days off - which has been common in the industry for decades - has left some operators exposed during a period of strained industrial relations. This is mainly affecting our Nottingham - Cardiff route but some other services are also affected.Please check your journey via https://t.co/RQG2pY1l0U. President Macron's reform programme faces a make-or-break moment, as French unions stage a day of mass strikes and protests on Thursday against his plans to push back the age of . "Only twice has the train run normally. Northern, which runs services across the North of England, is also warning that passenger services are being affected by the impacts of Covid and unavailability of train crew. 16 January 2023, 06:06 GMT. Neil may be late for his job interview, students Savannah and Angela are struggling to return to Exeter to resume their university studies, while another man is set to miss his vaccine appointment as a result of the disruption to services. A CrossCountry spokesperson said: "Over the past week we have suffered a spike in short-term sickness, resulting in a number of late-notice cancellations for which we apologise. 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