Trains


were
cancelled
on
many
routes
yesterday
as
drivers
and
other
train
crew
chose
not
to
work
Sunday
shifts,
which
are
often
not
part
of
duty
rosters.

Great
Western
Railway
warned
that
there
would
be
fewer
main
line
trains
between
London,
South
Wales
and
Plymouth,
and
that
branch
line
trains
were
also
at
risk
of
being
cancelled.

The
operator
said:
‘Scheduled
engineering
work
in
Oxfordshire
and
the
Severn
Tunnel
means
more
train
crew
than
normal
are
required
to
run
train
services,
while
sickness
and
England
reaching
the
final
of
the
Euros
likely
to
reduce
the
number
of
colleagues
available
for
overtime
shifts.‘

Similar
problems
affected
West
Midlands
Trains,
Island
Line
and
Northern,
where
passengers
were
warned
that
there
would
be
no
service
on
some
lines
in
north
west
England
and
Cumbria.

Northern
has
also
warned
of
more
problems
on
the
coming
Sunday,
although
it
has
not
given
a
reason.

Northern
said:
‘Short
notice
cancellations
are
expected
in
the
North
West
on
Sunday
21
July
2024
–
please
check
before
travelling.

‘Services
on
some
routes
in
and
around
the
North
West
may
be
subject
to
disruption
and
very
short
notice
cancellations.

‘We
encourage
everyone
to
plan
ahead
and
check
journeys
before
travelling,
particularly
last
trains
of
the
day
which
may
be
earlier
than
usual
and
may
be
cancelled
at
short
notice.’

There
have
been
efforts
in
recent
years
to
modernise
the
contracts
of
railway
employees,
so
that
they
cover
a
seven
day
week
and
no
longer
give
Sundays
a
different
status.