Third day of disruption on trains in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Rail services on London North Eastern Railway (LNER) are being disrupted in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire for a third day due to cracks in trains.

LNER is running a reduced service on the East Coast Main Line, which runs between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh via Peterborough, York and Newcastle.

The operators’ Hitachi Class 800 trains were withdrawn from service on Saturday for safety checks after cracks were discovered in part of the chassis of some trains.

LNER have asked people to check before they travel with cancellations between Leeds and London expected throughout the day.

A full amended timetable for the week can be found on LNER's website, passengers can also use tickets on Avanti West Coast trains between Manchester and London and East Midland trains between Sheffield and St Pancras.

LNER have said that it is likely the disruption will last "a number of weeks".

A statement from the company said: "A temporary, amended timetable will remain in place until Friday 14 May across the LNER route. This is due to a number of Hitachi Class 800 trains from several train companies being taken out of service for ongoing checks as a precautionary measure.

"The issue with the Class 800 trains continues to be investigated.  Once trains have been checked, they are being reintroduced back into service as soon as possible.   

"In addition, LNER is due to introduce an InterCity 225 train back into service tomorrow ahead of the original reintroduction date planned for June."

Robert Nisbet, director of nations and regions at industry body the Rail Delivery Group, said if inspected trains are found to have “tiny cracks” then replacement trains may be deployed while repairs are carried out.

Asked if he knows how long the disruption is likely to last, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "No, I can’t put an exact time on it and that is purely because we are going through the process and taking it extremely seriously."

Mr Nisbet described the disruption as “disappointing” because more passengers are returning to using the train network following the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

The Government called on the rail industry to “urgently set out a comprehensive plan” to resolve the disruption.

Hitachi apologised to passengers and train companies, adding that some trains have returned to service after being checked.