New direct rail service between Hull and Liverpool hit by…

A long-awaited new direct rail service between Hull and Liverpool has been hit by a wave of cancellations on its first weekday run. No fewer than 14 services between the two cities due to run today were cancelled yesterday by TransPennine Express. They were scheduled to form part of a new-look timetable introduced by the operator on Sunday. Only one service – this morning’s 07.54 from Liverpool – is running fully, although it is expected to arrive 16 minutes late in Hull because of a delay at Manchester Victoria station. Two further TPE Hull-Liverpool services – the 14.03 from Hull and the 15.54 from Liverpool – are terminating at Manchester. Read more: Incredible pics of shoppers packing into Hull city centre in days before Amazon took over Christmas The chaos also means the 14.03 is the only TPE train from Hull to Leeds or Manchester today. The later scheduled 19.03 service from Hull to Manchester Piccadilly has also been cancelled. Passengers are being advised to use Northern services to Leeds and Manchester as alternatives. Today’s cancellations by TPE come 24 hours before two days of further expected disruption caused the latest strikes in a series of industrial action by rail unions. TransPennine Express services will be disrupted (Image: Danny Lawson/PA Wire) Having been axed some years ago, the proposed restoration of the direct Hull-Liverpool service via Leeds and Manchester was first announced by TPE 12 months ago. At the time, company bosses said the move would boost east-west connectivity and reduce journey times between Hull and Liverpool by 25 minutes. Announcing the move last December, TPE’s managing director Matthew Goulton said: “We have listened to and worked closely with stakeholders from across the communities we serve to create these plans, which would boost
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