Where this is a will, there’s a rail!

News Release

Contact: Adam Fowler

Telephone; (01482) 324223/07985297577

Email: info@hullenvironmentforum.org.uk

 Where this is a will, there’s a rail!

Passenger transport charity The City of Hull & Humber Environment Forum (CHEF) has praised First Hull Trains for the way it responded to major travel disruption at Hull this weekend.

Planned engineering work meant London trains could not take the usual route via Selby.  Instead take the usual diversionary route via Goole to get to Doncaster.  However, a major landslip at Hatfield meant no trains were running between Goole and Doncaster.  Train passengers could have experienced a lengthy bus replacement service between Hull and Doncaster with onward train connection at Doncaster. Adding considerable time and inconvenience to thousands of rail passengers. 

However, Hull based train company pulled out all the stops and used a little known line between Goole and Wakefield.  This meant that trains could operate right through between Hull and London with no change and only a relatively minor additional journey time.  First Hull Trains was the only train company operating beyond Goole this weekend.  Passengers using Northern Rail services to Doncaster could only travel as far as Goole and then faced a bus replacement to Doncaster following the landslip at Hatfield, near Doncaster.  On Monday, the main Hull to Doncaster line was closed when thousands of tonnes of spoil from the nearby colliery tipped on to the track.  It is likely that the line will be closed for at least 8 weeks.  Northern Rail and First Transpennine Express trains to York, Leeds and Manchester also involved bus replacement between Hull and Selby this weekend because of engineering works.   

CHEF, which operates regular public travel surgeries throughout the region and helps thousands of rail passengers praised the train company:

‘First Hull Trains has shown considerable innovation at finding a way of getting the trains through between Hull and Doncaster at a time of major disruption.  This has saved inconvenience, time and disruption to thousands of rail passengers.’ Adam Fowler, Community Environment Officer.

Editors note

First Hull Trains operates daily direct train services between Hull, Brough, Selby, Doncaster and London.  There are five return train services each day on a Saturday and Sunday.  The train company, which employees about 100 people in the city is an open access operator and receives no public subsidy.