A train operator is expanding its services after cutting its schedules last month.
Avanti West Coast reduced services between London and Manchester by a third on August 14 and halted ticket sales due to “severe staff shortages”.
The company said it will run additional trains on its key London-Manchester and London-Birmingham routes from Tuesday.
Services would be boosted again in December once nearly 100 new drivers have completed training, she added.
Avanti West Coast chief executive Phil Whittingham resigned amid backlash over the timetable cuts.
The reduced services were aimed at reducing last-minute cancellations after a sharp drop in the number of drivers who volunteered to work rest days for a surcharge.
The operator is one of many railway operators involved in a labor dispute involving their employees.
Avanti West Coast said it had conducted an “intense analysis” of the number of additional trains it could run “in a reliable and sustainable manner” without relying on overtime.
Almost 100 new drivers are expected to take control of passenger transport between April and December.
Initially there will be 10 additional daily trains between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and a further 6 trains on Wednesdays.
An additional four daily services operate between London Euston and Birmingham New Street on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.
Schedules on the remaining days will be increased “as soon as possible” and there will be a further increase in services in December, the company said.
Avanti West Coast director Barry Milsom apologized “for the tremendous frustration and inconvenience” of the cut schedules.
He said the firm has been “working hard to redesign our timetable in a resilient and sustainable way…which will allow us to gradually increase services without relying on train crew overtime.”
Avanti West Coast’s contract extension is due in October and a transport minister previously told MPs all options remained on the table, including withdrawing from the contract.
Avanti’s drastic reduction in schedule over the past month was an extraordinary development.
The operator says the services have become more reliable. But it has come under fire from MPs, regional political leaders, passengers and businesses over the implications of the decision.
It was under pressure to come up with a plan to restore services.
This is a gradual ramp-up of service over several months, not a sudden return to a “normal” timetable.
The idea is that the current total of 170 daily services will rise to 184 before rising to 260 in December – up from May this year.
Avanti initially does not increase services every day of the week. It says it has been worked out when there is the greatest demand and when they can provide the staff to deal with it.
The situation has led to some reflections on the use of overtime in the industry.
There were also initial requests to speak with Aslef, the train drivers’ union. She firmly rejected the allegations of an “unofficial strike action”. The managing director of Avanti has since left.
Avanti’s contract ends in less than a month. Although it is not very likely that this will happen, not renewing this contract is among the options being considered.
But passengers will simply know when train services will be available and bookable again.
And they want them to run on time.
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