Grand Central suspends train services during lockdown

Grand Central operates daily services between Sunderland and Bradford and London King's Cross

A rail operator will temporarily suspend its services during the coronavirus lockdown in England.

Grand Central, which runs trains from the North East and West Yorkshire to London, will cease operations from 7 November until on 2 December.

It receives no government subsidy but relies on income from ticket sales, which it says will be hit by an "inevitable fall" in passengers.

Some crew and staff will be furloughed until the service resumes.

It is the second time the Yorkshire-based operator has been forced to suspend its services during the pandemic.

It operates daily services between Sunderland and Bradford and London King's Cross.

The company said customers with tickets to travel between 7 November and 2 December can claim a full refund or change their ticket to a later date. Tickets remain on sale for trains departing from 3 December onwards.

Managing director Richard McClean said: "After careful weighing-up of our options and following discussions with the Department for Transport and trade union representatives, it's clear that the difficult but necessary measure of taking a short period of hibernation is our only course of action.

"We enjoyed tremendous support from our customers after resuming services following the first national lockdown, and we thank them for their patience once again."