Fresh rail misery as Northern announces 170 services axed on Sunday
Rail passengers face further disruption after Northern announced more than 170 services will be cancelled on Sunday.
The train operator said it is "likely" more services will be scrapped, with Cheshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester fairing the worst, and Yorkshire also affected.
A spokesman said "many Northern staff have made themselves unavailable for work" on Sunday.
The World Cup final takes place on Sunday afternoon, though England will not feature after they lost their semi-final to Croatia earlier in the week.
If your Northern train is delayed or cancelled, valid tickets are now being accepted by other operators. Find out more here: https://t.co/PwKga2Clh6pic.twitter.com/eOnI8w48PU
-- Northern (@northernassist) July 14, 2018
Staff contracts mean they do not have to work Sundays if they provide seven days' notice, the spokesman added.
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and his Liverpool counterpart Steve Rotheram recently criticised Northern for causing "extreme chaos" on networks for "far too long".
Hundreds of services were cancelled by the operator and Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) since departure schedules were modified in May.
After months of controversy over delays and cancellations, GTR chief executive Charles Horton said he would resign.
The Northern spokesman apologised and said: "Unfortunately we have so far had to cancel more than 170 services across our network and it is likely more will be cancelled as we continue to plan our services."
