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One of England’s major railway companies is taking advantage of an “outrageous” legal loophole that allows it to massively under-report cancellations, it has emerged.
Figures obtained by the Guardian show that during the October half-term holiday, TransPennine Express (TPE) canceled 30% of all trains and at least 20% in each subsequent week until November 20. Most of those services were canceled entirely, but some started or ended at different stations from those advertised in the current May 2022 timetable.
TPE did not dispute these figures and apologized, blaming staff illness, an intensive crew training program and infrastructure issues beyond its control.
Yet when it submits its performance figures to the Office of Road and Rail (ORR), the government body that compiles data on train reliability, TPE is down 5.6% and 11.8% for the same period (October 23 to November 20). In between will inform the cancellation. .
This is because the ORR allows companies to effectively ignore trains that are canceled in advance up to 10 pm the night before. Such cancellations are referred to as “P-Coded Services”. These trains then do not appear in industry systems, are not counted in official statistics or allow automatic delay repayment claims.
The lower rate of cancellations reported to ORR will relate to day cancellations only. It does not take into account the disruption of passengers who have booked in advance – for example, someone who has booked a train to Manchester Airport to catch a flight, or who gets off a plane late at night and finds himself stranded.
According to airport management, around 25% of all TPE trains to and from the airport have been canceled since September 7. Rail travel at the terminal had already nosedived in the summer as cancellations became more regular, with people arriving by public transport falling by 25% between May and August.
“Despite measures to improve the reliability of services at Manchester Airport, dozens of trains are still being canceled at short notice every day or terminating before the airport. This causes significant cost and inconvenience to passengers, when they need it least,” said Chris Woodroffe, managing director of Manchester Airport.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said the P-Code loophole “puts vested interests ahead of the public interest. It is disgraceful, there is no other word for it.”
He added: “People have lost faith in trains. If you’re going to a flight, match or gig, you can’t be sure you’ll get there or back, and so is a car insurance policy. It is really damaging for us as a city region.”
On Friday, the Greater Manchester joint authority agreed that if TPE and Avanti had not significantly reduced cancellations by its next meeting on December 16, it would ask the government to strip both companies of their franchises.
A total of 294 transPennine services were canceled in whole or in part the night before the journey in the seven days to 25 November, according to the Guardian’s count. A total of 77 of these were on the Manchester to Cleethorpes line, leaving seaside resorts particularly badly isolated.
A spokesman for TransPennine Express said: “While our service delivery is not where we would like it to be, we have reduced the number of cancellations in recent weeks and have provided the most reliable service possible for customers. remains our highest priority.
“We apologize to anyone affected by this ongoing disruption. This is due to high levels of train crew sickness, an intensive crew training program (which includes a training backlog as a direct result of Covid), and structural issues beyond our control, which have combined to see a number of ‘on-the-spots’. -day’ cancellation or cancellation is made the night before.
“We ensure these cancellations are shown in industry systems and any pre-planned cancellations are shared through our website each evening to keep customers informed. Anyone who is affected by the cancellation of their train can apply for a refund.
An ORR spokesperson said: “Services validly canceled before 22:00 the night before the day of service are not part of the rail cancellation data. Such changes occur for various reasons; This definition remains consistent with historical data.
“We are currently working through a project to measure relevant changes in service provision, to add context to our future statistical releases.”
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