Cuts to services to take place beginning on 17 January
Omicron virus has meant staff need to self-isolate
South Western Railway (SWR) is to introduce a new temporary timetable from 17 January due to the spread of Omicron.
This will involve a reduction in service levels across the network. The company says the changes will remain under review. Journey planners will be updated on a week-by-week basis due to more engineering work being scheduled.
Staff shortages across SWR have led to numerous short-notice cancellation and the company believes that the changes will increase reliability while providing a service sufficient to meet demand due to current guidance to work from home
Core timetables are available through the SWR website, with journey planners set to be updated on a week-by-week basis. Updates will take place towards the end of each week, so customers are advised to check before they travel via www.southwesternrailway.com.
SWR’s Managing Director Claire Mann said, “The spread of the Omicron variant has had a significant impact on our railway, with fewer people using the train and staff shortages impacting on our ability to consistently deliver the current timetable.
“Having assessed demand and spoken to our industry colleagues, we believe this new timetable is the most effective means of ensuring our customers receive a reliable service, with short-notice cancellations minimised.
“Journey planners will be updated on a week-by-week basis, with updates taking place towards the end of each week. Customers should check their journey as close to their time of travel as possible.”
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January 14, 2022
