Trains of the future consigned to past?

Rail firm will remove Nova 3 fleet from service in 'temporary move' because of lack of drivers-and to improve reliability and confidence'

- JOSEPH TIMAN

TRAINS described as 'futuristic' and 'ultramodern' when they arrived four years ago are being pulled from service already.

After delays in training drivers and, more recently, reports of cracks in carriages, TransPennine (TPE) is taking the 13 trains off the tracks.

The Nova 3 fleet will be taken out of service from December in a 'temporary' move.

The train operator, which has been state-run since May, said removing this fleet one of the four types of train it uses - would simplify the business.

It comes after TPE's new boss blamed disruption on driver training backlogs.

Interim managing director Chris Jackson told Northern leaders in June that just half of TPE's drivers could use all types of train and that it would take 5,000 training days to address this. The comments came as one in three TPE trains across the country were being cancelled - partly because of industrial action. Since then, cancellations have dropped dramatically and 63 per cent of drivers have now been trained on all routes. But a backlog of 3,500 training days remains.