DO NOT TRAVEL warning as trains from Sheffield are cancelled due to crews self-isolating

Trains to and from Sheffield have been cancelled, with people urged not to travel on certain routes, due to the number of staff self-isolating.
Train operator Northern has warned people not to travel on some routes in and out of Sheffield due to the number of drivers and conductors self-isolatingTrain operator Northern has warned people not to travel on some routes in and out of Sheffield due to the number of drivers and conductors self-isolating
Train operator Northern has warned people not to travel on some routes in and out of Sheffield due to the number of drivers and conductors self-isolating

Northern said this morning that it was asking customers not to travel between Sheffield and Leeds via Moorthorpe and between Sheffield and York via Moorthorpe because of a shortage of employees to serve those routes.

It said all services between Sheffield and Lincoln, via Worksop, Retford and Gainsborough, had been cancelled, with no rail replacement transport until 10am.

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Last night, the operator had asked customers in South Yorkshire to plan their travel carefully this weekend and not to travel on a small number of routes because so many of its staff had tested positive for Covid-19 or been pinged by the NHS app and told to isolate.

The operator said that earlier on Friday it had to announce a number of cancellations on routes in and out of Sheffield after many of its conductors and drivers were forced to isolate.

It said the situation had worsened that evening as bus operators, who would normally provide replacement transport, were facing similar problems.

Chris Jackson, Northern’s regional director, said: “We were already expecting this weekend to be difficult because of the impact of coronavirus, but the number of staff affected in South Yorkshire has risen significantly and, with bus companies also impacted, we’ve had to take the difficult decision to cancel all services on some routes in South Yorkshire on Saturday.

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“This is not a decision we have taken lightly and, in doing so, we’ve had to balance the demand for services with our realistic ability to provide a reliable and punctual service for our customers.

“At the moment, we are still planning for Sunday and hope to run more services, albeit with a risk of short notice cancellations, but our message for Saturday on the affected routes is ‘do not travel’.”

Official figures show that nearly 7,000 people were pinged by the Test and Trace app during the first week of July, and that number is believed to have risen significantly since then.

For the latest updates, see Northern’s journey planner at northernrailway.co.uk/journey-planner or visit National Rail Enquires at nationalrail.co.uk.