Passengers 'let down' by train cuts

Arriva currently runs 1,600 trains a day

A passenger train company has confirmed it will be cutting about 160 trains a day.

Arriva Trains Northern, which runs services in north-east England, first announced the reductions in its service in September because of problems recruiting and keeping drivers.

Arriva said its "service revisions" would reduce the number of ad-hoc cancellations and that it had inherited the driver shortage when it took over the franchise.

The company's managing director Euan Cameron said: "Despite the excellent co-operation from our staff, the national shortage of drivers has created more acute problems in our business compared with others.

'Devastating news'

"By taking these short-term measures, we can address the issue of driver shortages while at the same time deliver certainty for our customers."

Arriva is training 120 new drivers

Rail campaign group Railfuture has described the cutbacks as "devastating news for passengers".

The group's chairman Peter Lawrence said he understood 1,117 trains a week would be cut.

He added: "There is no question that rail passengers have been badly let down by Arriva.

"It is time for Arriva to hand back the keys to the Strategic Rail Authority and for the SRA to appoint another company to operate rail services in north-east England."

Arriva has been fined £2m for by the Strategic Rail Authority for the poor running of the service.

The company has said that from 29 October selected services would be cancelled and some routes would be replaced by buses.

Routes affected by the reductions include the Transpennine Express, and routes from Newcastle to Chathill, Saltburn, and Hartlepool.

The Calder Valley services, and routes from Sheffield to York and Leeds to Ilkley will also be cut.