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Transport for Wales is introducing an emergency rail timetable from Wednesday, December 22.

The operator, together with Network Rail, has said it is expecting staff shortages due to the Omicron variant of Covid-19. Staff absences, it said, have been increasing since the start of the month and it expects this to continue over the coming weeks.

It has said the first, last and busiest services will continue to operate wherever possible with no change to the Sunday timetable.

The new timetable will be reviewed regularly.

All customers are urged to check www.tfw.wales before travelling.

Colin Lea, TfW Planning and Performance Director said: “It’s fundamental we continue to run as reliable a service as possible for our customers and therefore we are introducing a new timetable from Wednesday 22 December, reducing the risk of late notice cancellations.

“Wherever we can, we’ll use any additional carriages made available due to the reduced timetable to run longer trains than normal, to aid with social distancing and provide supplementary road transport, when possible.

“We appreciate this will be frustrating for some customers, and we have not taken this decision lightly. We ask that all customers check online before they travel and follow all advice from Welsh Government.”