July 26, 2022 10.39 am This story is over 20 months old

Passengers react to train cancellation mayhem in Northern Lincolnshire

The local MP described the service as “absolutely appalling”

Passengers using the TransPennine Express service in Northern Lincolnshire are becoming increasingly frustrated by the frequency of train cancellations with the wait sometimes being as long as six hours.

Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers has called for the “absolutely appalling” Cleethorpes to Manchester train service to be withdrawn from TransPennine Express after complaints of delays.

He said staff at Grimsby Town Station told him of one recent occasion of six hours without a train, which he described as “quite simply not good enough”.

One couple told BBC Look North: “It is our one access out of this town and yet all these trains keep getting cancelled,”. “(After) what was originally an 8.30am start from Grimsby, we arrived in Doncaster at 10.50am. It should be an hour,” they added.

Many regular travellers from Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Scunthorpe, and all the stations in between are wondering when services will improve.

In a statement to BBC Look North, TransPennine Express said: “Sadly, we continue to see high levels of staff sickness across our network which is impacting our ability to run trains on several routes. This, coupled with industrial relations issues, means that we have needed to pre-plan some cancellations and also cancel a small number of services at short notice.

“We are continuing to recommend that customers check carefully before travelling and allow extra time when making journeys.”