East Midlands Railway services cut due to 'Covid pressures'

The main rail operator in the East Midlands has said it will cut some services due to Covid pressures.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) said the reductions were a result of high Covid-related staff absences and a fall in customer demand.

Some routes axed last June, which were due to be reinstated on 3 January, have also been cancelled.

EMR said the new timetable, reduced by about 4%, would come into effect from Monday.

It said the "most popular" services would be unaffected, but others "removed or amended until further notice".

The routes cut include weekday services from Derby and Nottingham to London St Pancras, as well as some from Nottingham to Worksop, and Nottingham to Mansfield Woodhouse.

Some services on lines due to be reinstated last week, including Nottingham to Norwich and Nottingham to Liverpool, have been cancelled.

A number of services on the route between Crewe and Newark Castle will not run beyond Derby.

Paul Barnfield, operations director at EMR said: "Like most other industries, we are facing particularly high Covid-related absences among our colleagues at the moment and this can impact our ability to provide train services.

"At the same time, government advice for people to work from home means passenger demand is very low.

"As such, this small reduction is intended to provide a reliable service as well as ensuring there is still enough capacity for those who are still travelling."

He added that the changes would be reviewed daily and altered if needed, and advised customers to check their journeys.

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