Hull Trains: Timetable reduced because of Covid ‘uncertainty’
‘DAILY REVIEW’: David Gibson, managing director of Hull Trains
Hull Trains will introduce a reduced timetable from December 27 as customer demand changes because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The operator said it would continue to run the majority of its services to support customers with travel plans over the festive period, but uncertainty because of the spread of the Omicron variant meant there would be some temporary reductions to services.
The temporary timetable will be reviewed daily, and services will resume should passenger demand increase, the company said.
Managing director David Gibson said: “Uncertainty in the market is leading to reduced ticket sales after Christmas and we can already see that demand is falling.
“As an open access operator that depends on revenue generated by ticket sales, we must respond quickly to these changing conditions.
“After carefully considering every option, we believe that by reducing some of our lightly loaded services, we can minimise overall disruption for passengers.
“For passengers who do wish to travel, our staff will continue to undertake enhanced cleaning on board while trains will be ventilated by our modern air conditioning systems which bring in fresh air from the outside.
“We are encouraging everyone to follow Government guidelines on wearing face coverings.”
Passengers are advise to check with the Hull Trains website and Twitter feed before travelling.
Changes so far include:
Monday December 27 until Saturday February 12
Removal of 1908 Hull - London Kings Cross (from Wednesday December 29); and 0727 London Kings Cross – Hull (from Tuesday December 28), Monday to Friday only
Removal of 0727 London Kings Cross – Hull, Saturday only
Monday January 3 until Friday February 11
Removal of 1708 Hull – London Kings Cross, and 2030 London Kings Cross – Hull, Monday to Friday only
Saturday January 8 until Sunday January 23
Removal of 0738 London Kings Cross – Hull, Saturday only
Removal of 1000 London Kings Cross – Hull, Sunday only.
In separate rail news, Hull and East Riding councils today received reassurances from Northern Rail and Transport for the North that the Hull to Bridlington service will return next year.
Announced in the Rail North committee meeting, the service, which has been reduced during the pandemic, will be full reinstated from May 2022, meaning a twice hourly service from Hull to Beverley to Bridlington.
Councillor Daren Hale, leader of Hull City Council, said: “This service is heavily used by residents and visitors to the region so I am very happy the full service will be back for the summer as trips to the coast ramp up.”
East Riding Council leader, Councillor Jonathan Owen, said: “This is very welcome news to our residents, visitors and businesses alike.
“The return of this service will restore a vital link between key destinations and enable visitors from near and far to make their journeys by rail.
“Not only will this support the local economy, but it will also support our shared ambitions to protect the environment.”
Rob Warnes, strategic development director at Northern Rail, said: “We recognise the importance of local rail connections for the communities and customers we serve.
“Due to the impact of the pandemic we have had to amend a number of timetables on the network.
“Our teams and industry partners continue to work hard to provide as many services as possible and we are planning to reinstate the full Hull to Bridlington service from May 2022.”