| 1:57:40 PM - Sat, Feb 19th 2022 |
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Train services down by a fifth after Covid slump
More than a fifth of train services that were running before the Covid pandemic have not returned, new data provided to the BBC shows.
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One month after work-from-home guidance was lifted, some commuters say they are struggling to get to work amid a lack of trains and sudden cancellations.
Train operating companies said they are starting to bring back more services.
But rail minister Wendy Morton could not guarantee that services would return to pre-pandemic levels.
The government says it has spent more than £14bn propping up the railways after passenger numbers, and ticket revenue, collapsed during the Covid pandemic.
Omicron dealt passenger numbers a fresh setback at the end of 2021, as people were again asked to work from home if they could.
Timetables across the country were cut back again over the winter which train companies blamed on high levels of staff isolation.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents operators, says 19,500 trains are now running per day, which is equivalent to 79% of overall pre-Covid services. It says that is expected to rise to 85% by the end of the month.
The shape of the timetable beyond that is still uncertain. As commuters slowly return, deciding how many services to are needed at which times is a challenge.
The industry group points out that current passenger demand is still below the capacity available.
The latest figures from the Department for Transport show that on Monday this week, passenger usage was about 64% of pre-pandemic levels.
Leisure travel has recovered better than weekdays.
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