RAIL company c2c has made further reductions to some services for key workers as bosses revealed more than 100 people are currently unavailable for work.

Sickness levels mean the rail company's previous service was "unsustainable" and bosses say without reducing the number of people needed each day in key roles, like drivers or platform staff, they risk being unable to run some services

From today (Monday, March 30), the company is reducing the train service for key workers as follows:  

  • Services between Shoeburyness and Fenchurch Street via Basildon will remain at two trains per hour
  • Services between Shoeburyness and Fenchurch Street via Ockendon will reduce to one train per hour, plus three additional early morning services at the busiest times. More  information here
  • Services between Grays and Fenchurch Street via Rainham will reduce to one train per hour, plus one additional early morning service at the busiest times. More information here

A spokesman said the company understands that key workers need to maintain social distancing in the best way possible while using public transport.

The spokesman added: "So as well as adjusting our service levels we will also continue to adjust the number of carriages we run to try to make sure key workers have enough space to maintain that separation.

"We will keep reviewing passenger numbers very closely and will make additional changes where necessary if we can.

"We have to make these changes because increasing levels of staff sickness mean our previous service was not sustainable.

"More than 100 people are currently unavailable for work at c2c. Without reducing the number of people needed each day in key roles, like drivers or platform staff to dispatch our trains, we risk being unable to run some services.

"We know it is important that we offer a service level that both meets the needs of key workers and is also one that we are able to resource."