Passengers travelling from Basingstoke face disruption this evening, 20 April 2026, as CrossCountry Trains has cancelled two evening services due to a shortage of train drivers.
The affected services are the 16:45 from Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly and the 19:25 from Manchester Piccadilly to Southampton Central. Both trains were set to call at Basingstoke railway station, but the operator has confirmed these journeys will no longer serve the town. The 16:45 service will now start its journey from Birmingham New Street, while the 19:25 train will terminate at Birmingham New Street, leaving stops across the south, including Winchester and Southampton, unserved by these specific trains.
According to the train operator, travellers holding tickets for these cancelled routes may use them on alternative services at no additional cost. For those impacted by the cancellation of the Manchester to Southampton route, a free replacement coach service is available, departing from Oxford at 23:25 and calling at all scheduled stations excluding Reading.
The ongoing difficulties with driver availability follow a period of persistent service issues for the operator. These problems have been attributed to a backlog in essential driver training, which was significantly hampered by the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent industrial action.
CrossCountry, which operates under a contract with the Department for Transport, has faced previous government scrutiny regarding its performance. In August 2024, the then-Transport Secretary Louise Haigh raised serious concerns regarding the company’s service quality, subsequently requiring the firm to implement a remedial plan to address the issues.
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