"What will heap on frustration for passengers, as well as the operator, is that the exact same train service will continue to run between the stations from 7am each weekday: crewed, fast and empty. The train and staff still need to travel from Manchester as they are rostered to operate subsequent services out of Euston on the new December timetable, under rail's complex planning."
"Revenue collectors even more so: current single fares on the peak-time service are priced at 193, rising to 290 for first class. The industry expert and rail writer Tony Miles said: It will be on the platform people will be able to see it, touch it, watch it leave. But they won't be able to get on. The taxpayer will be paying five days a week for empty trains."
The Office of Rail and Road has removed the 7am Avanti West Coast service from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston for passenger bookings as part of a mid-December timetable change. The same train will continue to run each weekday at 7am crewed but empty because it is rostered to operate later services out of Euston under existing planning. The situation is expected to persist until the next timetable change in May, meaning the train could run empty more than 100 times. Business travellers lose a non-stop service that arrived before 9am; fares on the peak service reach £193 single and £290 first class. The service originally began in 2008 and was suspended during the coronavirus pandemic.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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