Rail passengers across the UK are facing widespread cancellations and reduced timetables as train companies grapple with high levels of staff absences due to Covid. The Rail Delivery Group reported that almost one in ten rail workers are currently off sick or isolating.
ScotRail, CrossCountry, and LNER are among the operators announcing revised schedules. ScotRail boss Alex Hynes said the company had 'hundreds' of staff absent and would cut services by 8% from Tuesday. CrossCountry described its staff absences as 'worsening each day', with more than one in ten staff now unavailable.
South Western Railway warned of short-notice cancellations ahead of a consolidated timetable from 17 January, while LNER has cancelled 16 trains this week with potential further changes. The Rail Delivery Group advised passengers to check online before travelling and sign up for automatic alerts.
The Confederation of Passenger Transport reported that up to 8% of bus and coach staff are off work, about double the usual level, leading to reduced services on high-frequency routes and prioritisation of school and vaccination centre services.
Rail Minister Wendy Morton said she would continue to monitor the situation closely. The government has warned that rising cases could see up to a quarter of staff off work and has asked public sector leaders to prepare for 'worst case scenarios' of 10%, 20%, and 25% absence rates.
