Northern has cancelled about 80 rail services on Sunday for a second time

GB news 24 desk//

Northern has cancelled about 80 rail services on Sunday for a second time, which been branded “outrageous”.

Services across north-west England have been affected as engineering projects caused “difficulties” with train crew scheduling.

The RMT union said the firm was passing the “blame” while Greater Manchester’s deputy mayor Beverley Hughes described it as a “weekly shambles”.

Northern apologised and added about 5% of its Sunday services were affected.

The cancellations, which affect Liverpool, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, follows similar disruption on 5 August and across the country on the day of the World Cup final.

RMT regional organiser Darren Ireland said it was “ludicrous” to blame engineering works.

“If anything, that would mean they need fewer crews because of the [resulting] cancellations.

“They are blaming everyone apart from the mismanagement of the company.”

Northern rail’s summer of disruption

• More than 165 daily train services were cancelled following a chaotic timetable introduction in May
• Services partially resumed at the end of July
• Earlier this month, the operator apologised after a passenger who is disabled was told she could not travel with her mobility scooter despite being sold a ticket face-to-face
• Three new strikes are also planned by Northern rail workers in a dispute about the role of guards, including one over the August Bank Holiday weekend

Ms Hughes said: “It is outrageous that Northern think it is acceptable to keep cancelling scores of services on Sundays.

“It is no way to run a railway and people in the North deserve better than this.”

She said the firm’s announcement of the cancellations late on Friday afternoon showed “scant regard” for rail passengers.

“Enough is enough. We need real answers and an end to this weekly shambles.”

Services were amended between:

• Liverpool to Manchester Airport
• Wigan North Western – Liverpool
• Blackpool South – Colne and Blackpool – Carlisle
• Lancaster – Morecambe
• Manchester Piccadilly – Hazel Grove
• Southport – Wigan – Manchester – Blackburn

Northern said: “Ongoing engineering projects have caused severe difficulties around the short-notice scheduling of our train crews.

“This is the root cause of what has required us to make these planned cancellations to our main Sunday timetable.

“We are sorry that our customers continue to experience some disruption to their weekend services.”