CrossCountry has cited staff sickness, but a union says the company does not employ enough drivers
Industrial action is currently due to take place across four 48-hour periods: 13 to 14 December, 16 to 17 December, 3 to 4 January and 6 to 7 January.for reduced services and cancellations, saying more than one in 10 staff were absent.A spokesperson for Aslef said in relation to CrossCountry: "I'm afraid they don't really employ enough drivers to deliver the services they promise passengers they will run.
"A lot of train companies tend to not employ enough train drivers. That's always been their attitude. "However, lockdowns and the Covid-19 crisis made training very difficult, if not impossible. Chickens come home to roost and you do tend to get caught out if you don't have enough people."Image source,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.
"This is particularly affecting Nottingham-Cardiff services, and has compounded cancellations experienced in previous weeks which were the result of needing to release drivers for training in advance of Birmingham New Street's re-signalling scheme. "We're working hard to be able to operate as many services as possible, but advise customers to check National Rail Enquiries prior to travel for the latest information on their service."
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The best time to book Christmas train travel and when to avoid strike daysWhen it comes to booking train travel, the earlier the better. Many train firms have had their Christmas travel tickets available for a while, so the sooner you book the cheaper it will be.
Read more »
Skint shelf-stacker who couldn't afford train now earns six figures with starsSkint shelf-stacker who couldn't afford train ticket now earns six-figures with makeup empire that A-listers love
Read more »
Preston teen missing after last seen getting on a train to the airportDaniel Sunday hasn't been seen since Thursday December 1
Read more »
Boy, 15, not seen since boarding a train for Manchester AirportPolice appeal to find missing boy, 15, last seen getting on a train to Manchester Airport
Read more »
Train strikes: Firms make first offer in bid to stop Christmas strikesThe Rail Delivery Group makes an offer to the RMT union in the ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.
Read more »