Hopefully if Northern reduce services again they can first consult with those needing to make essential journeys, rather than just axing services at random and then using the "Shortage of drivers due to COVID" as their generic response to everyone saying a service they need for essential reasons isn't running.
On our Tyne Valley line, our users Group are consulting as below and some travellers are replying:
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Please can you help?
As a result of the latest lockdown, passengers numbers are again expected to fall to very low levels. Railway companies are experiencing staff shortages as people isolate or shield. Train operators are being asked to reduce services to a level more commensurate with the numbers of passengers needing to travel, bearing in mind the current public travel advice.
All of this means that the timetable recently introduced in December, will in turn be amended in the near future.
In order to best serve passengers making essential journeys, Northern is keen to establish the travel patterns that it needs to support.
Given that the changes are likely to be removing services from the existing timetable, the question is really "which trains would people *least like* to lose"?
If you have to travel by train during the period of lockdown, please let us know *between which stations, and at what times you travel* by leaving us a COMMENT below this post. We'll then collate this information and pass it on to Northern.
PLEASE RESPOND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
We would also like to know where vaccination centres are being established, so that Northern can factor this into its planning.
The ones we know about so far are at Newcastle Centre for Life and two other city sites, and also at Blaydon, Ponteland, Hexham and Brampton. If you know of others, especially in the west side of the Tyne Valley and Carlisle, again please let us know, and we'll tell Northern.
It's not great to be reducing services, but we want to ensure that the trains that do run meet the needs of the people who need to travel.
So again, please comment below with any *times of trains and which stations you still need to travel between* - or if you know of any Covid Vaccination locations we are unaware of - especially in the western side of the route.
Source: Facebook