Yahoo Finance Holiday plans hit as Hitachi train crisis lasts for weeks
Chaos on the railways sparked by cracks found on Hitachi trains will continue for weeks, potentially disrupting travel plans for thousands of passengers.
Great Western Railway, which serves Cornwall, Devon and Wales from London, will be forced to run a reduced “core” service for several weeks while each train is tested.
Services north on the LNER east coast mainline are also expected to be disrupted for a prolonged period, though not as badly as GWR.
Rail bosses have agreed a recovery plan to get faulty trains inspected and back in service.
Hitachi’s fleet of 800 series trains was withdrawn from service on Saturday after cracks were identified on some trains.
The trains, part of the Government’s InterCity Express Programme which has endured a chequered history, run on some of Britain’s busiest lines.
GWR and LNER - fast lines that carry large numbers of leisure travellers - were forced into mass cancellations.
Andrew Barr, chief executive of Hitachi Rail, said: “Safety remains our number one priority, and we and our partners have worked round the clock to agree an approach that allows the return of trains to service where they have been deemed safe.
“The operators will begin reintroduction of trains as they are individually approved and deemed safe.”
Chris Heaton-Harris, the rail minister, said: “The next step on the route back to normal service levels will be for Hitachi to present their long-term repair plan for the fleet. We expect to see this shortly.
“Whilst this long-term fix can partly be incorporated into the regular service pattern for these trains, we do expect disruption to services for some time to come.”
From Monday groups of up to six people and two households will be allowed to meet indoors, while pubs and restaurants can serve customers indoors. Hugging will also be allowed between close family and friends.
Boris Johnson is believed to be particularly concerned that Britons will take to their cars instead of public transport as lockdown measures are relaxed, threatening his climate change commitments.
The prospect of reduced train services, which have a far lower carbon footprint than car journeys, will add to these concerns.
Mark Hopwood, GWR's managing director, said: “The industry has come together to help support those travelling – with other operators allowing each other’s tickets to be used on their networks; adding in extra shuttle services to help move people; and in sharing rolling stock to provide it to those who need it most.”
David Horne, the LNER managing director, said: “We are continuing to work together to begin the return of Azuma trains into service from next week. Customers should continue to check before they travel with LNER and I apologise for the disruption caused.”
