Southern Rail, Great Northern and Thameslink cut January train services due to Covid

Staff shortages have forced three train companies to slash schedules for the next fortnight, including direct services to London Victoria.

Southern, Great Northern and Thameslink will cut their timetables until January 10 at the earliest due to coronavirus-related absences.

The moves effectively extend the reduced timetables put in place for part of the festive period.

It means there will be no Gatwick Express, which runs from Victoria to the airport and Brighton, and no Southern services to Battersea Park, Clapham Junction and Wandsworth Common.

Those services and trains from Horsham, Hastings, Eastbourne, Littlehampton, Portsmouth and Southampton will run via East Croydon to London Bridge.

A slew of other services will run less frequently or along slightly altered routes, a spokesman said.

Govia Thameslink Railway, which owns the three operators, said: “The changes are being made in response to the ongoing impact of Covid-19, which has led to significantly increased staff sickness in recent weeks, as seen right across the rail industry.

“A reduced timetable will help ensure a more reliable service and less last-minute cancellations.

“While less people are travelling on the railways overall and people continue to work from home, it is important for those who do need to travel in the new year to check their journeys in advance and allow additional time.”

Angie Doll, the interim boss of Govia Thameslink, added: “We’re really sorry if this does affect your journey.”

It is the latest rail company to warn of disruption due to coronavirus over the festive period.

TransPennine Express, Avanti West Coast, LNER, Northern Rail, Greater Anglia and Scotrail have also reported problems, with some services reduced or cancelled.

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents the industry, said nearly one in ten workers at train companies were absent in the week to Wednesday.

A spokesman added: "Our staff are working in difficult circumstances and like everyone else, they are susceptible to the virus. 

"We may not be able to run every train we had planned and there might be changes to some services. We would advise anyone travelling to check online before they set out on their journey or to sign up for automatic alerts from National Rail Alert Me.”

The timetable changes are likely to play havoc with the travel plans of people travelling for New Year celebrations, as well as people returning from extended Christmas breaks. 

A full list of disruptions is available here for Southern and Great Northern, and by checking National Rail Enquiries.