More than 9 in 10 trains cancelled on one Oldham service

One of the borough's only railway stations has seen scores of services cancelled the night before they are due to operate.

One timetabled service from Greenfield has run just one time since regular service resumed at the station earlier this month following weeks of disruption for engineering works.

Figures released earlier this month showed TransPennine Express, which operates services at Greenfield station, had cancelled one in six services across most of March.

TransPennine criticised for controversial system

The company has been criticised for using a controversial system known as "p-coding" when cancelling trains.

The system is designed to introduce emergency timetables for issue such as poor weather or infrastructure damage.

It means cancellations can be confirmed as late as 10pm the evening before the service is due to run, and means services are not included in the timetable that conventional railway performance statistics are measured against.

However, TransPennine Express has been using the system for cancelling services due to staff shortages, and it means services passengers could have expected to catch the night before may have disappeared from the timetable when they arrive at the station.

Greenfield station (Image: Jack Fifield, Newsquest)

Rail operators ordered to stop ‘inappropriate approach’

The industry regulator, the Office of Rail and Road, told operators to stop using the "inappropriate approach" to cancellations back in January.

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However, according to analysis of weekday train times by The Oldham Times, the operator is still using the system as of April.

The system has been used to cancel services at the station nearly every day since regular Monday to Friday services resumed on Thursday, April 6, following the completion of engineering works.

Passengers on some services have been affected more than others.

More than 9 in 10 cancelled for one service

The worst affected service was the 06:53 service from Greenfield to Newcastle via Huddersfield and York.

The service has run just one time between April 6 and April 27, equal to an astonishing 94 per cent cancellation rate.

Arriving on time at the station on Monday, April 10, the 06:53 to Newcastle has been cancelled every other day, either part-cancelled, running only from York to Newcastle, or cancelled entirely using p-coding.

The Oldham Times confirmed that tickets for this service were available to buy up until the previous evening, before being removed from the timetable after 10pm.

Trains to Piccadilly also affected

Trains to Manchester Piccadilly were also affected, with a more than 30 per cent cancellation rate for the 06:12 service and a 40 per cent cancellation rate for the 22:48 service, all due to p-coding.

Commuters looking to travel back from Manchester to Greenfield in the afternoon have also had little luck.

The 17:30 service from Manchester Piccadilly to Greenfield was cancelled seven times since trains came back to the station, or a cancellation rate of 44 per cent.

Overall, 90 per cent of Greenfield towards Manchester Piccadilly services and 88 per cent of Greenfield towards Huddersfield services were recorded as running over the period.

By comparison, services at Oldham’s other railway station, Mills Hill, were cancelled much less often.

The station, which sees services from train operator Northern, recorded 97 per cent of services running towards Manchester Victoria, and 98 per cent of services running towards Rochdale.

TransPennine Express responds

A spokesperson for TransPennine Express said: “We introduced our recovery plan at the beginning of February to reduce cancellations and provide greater reliability and stability for our customers.

“As a direct result of this plan, we have seen a 40 per cent reduction in cancellations, and continue to work to bring these numbers down in the coming weeks and months.”