PROFITEERING rail operators are facing a wave of anger over the severe disruption hitting services during the seasonal break.

Rail users’ travel plans have been thrown into chaos by a combination of staff shortages, line closures caused by engineering works, and industrial action by workers angered at bosses’ continual refusal to respond to their concerns, including over safety.

TransPennine Express, ScotRail, Avanti West Coast, Northern Rail, LNER and Greater Anglia have all reported an impact on services caused by a lack of available staff due partly to absences caused by increasing numbers of Covid-19 infections.

Services affected by engineering works include Southern’s Gatwick airport trains where disruption will continue until January 3. 

In the north, Leeds will have a reduced service between December 27 and January 3, including a “very limited” service on January 2.

And CrossCountry trains in the west of England will not call at Bristol Parkway between December 27 and December 31. Some Great Western Railway services to and from Bristol Temple Meads will also be affected.

A total of 370 engineering projects are being carried out over the festive period.

Services in London hit by planned closures include the Piccadilly line between Heathrow airport and Acton Town until December 30, Jubilee line between Willesden Green and Wembley Park, and the Metropolitan line between Wembley Park and Aldgate, and the closure of the Waterloo and City line until “early January.”

Members of the largest rail union, RMT, are involved in industrial action at East Midlands Railway, where train managers and senior conductors are involved in long-running strike action over safety, pay and conditions.

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: “Travel disruption over the break could have been avoided if the rail companies we are involved in disputes with valued their staff and took their genuine grievances seriously.

“Any impact on services is down to private greed overriding the workforce concerns.

“The added problem of Covid absences proves that the railway runs at its limits on staffing levels and should mean an immediate halt to threatened staff cuts in the new year.”

The union is campaigning against a continuing programme of reduced and permanent closures of station services imposed by operators.