,

GWR cancels Christmas rail services after COVID-19 outbreak among crew

by

GWR service cancelled

A train operator has announced it will cancel “a small number” of services over Christmas due to a coronavirus outbreak among staff.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said it will run an amended timetable from December 21 to 27 to give passengers “greater clarity”. This will include providing “road transport at key locations”.

Related articles:

Around 50 GWR workers are having to self-isolate after several train crew tested positive for Covid-19.

Article continues below…
Advert

Monthly Subscription: Enjoy more Railway Magazine reading each month with free delivery to you door, and access to over 100 years in the archive, all for just £5.35 per month.
Click here to subscribe & save

Services have been affected in recent days, with 1.25% of GWR trains cancelled on Wednesday.

The operator said in a statement it expects to “cancel and change a small number of services during the festive travel window”.

It was already predicting trains would be “close to capacity” due to the five-day Christmas bubble window and social distancing guidelines.

Article continues below…
Advert

GWR managing director Matthew Golton said: “Due to the impact of Covid at some of our locations in the South West, we have taken these steps now to help make sure everyone who has already bought a ticket will still be able to travel, as we take stock of our ability to accommodate additional customers.

“We’re sorry for any inconvenience this will bring to anyone travelling over this period who has not currently booked a ticket, but we are doing all we can to ensure that we provide a robust service for those that are already booked to travel with us.”


Advert
Subscribe to The Railway Magazine
Enjoy more of The Railway Magazine reading every month. Click here to subscribe.

Railway Reads

From the history of steam through to 21st century rail transport news, we have titles that cater for all rail enthusiasts. Covering diesels, modelling, steam and modern railways, check out our range of magazines and fantastic subscription offers.


About the Author