Transpennine train services will be cut back this autumn

Metro, the West Yorkshire passenger transport executive, says it was told by train operator First Keolis that the cuts were due solely to leaf fall.

But First now admits the cuts also relate to a dispute with train drivers.

A Metro spokesman said it was "annoyed" that First did not mention the dispute when it announced the cuts on Friday.

Metro issued a statement on Friday saying the service reductions had been introduced "in order to maintain reliability during the autumn leaf fall period".

"That was a message given to us by First which we put out in good faith," a Metro spokesman told BBC Online on Tuesday.

They have obviously not got enough drivers or they would not be asking them to work rest days Aslef spokesman

"Subsequently, Aslef [the train drivers' union] told us it was because rest day working had ceased.

"I am feeling pretty annoyed with Transpennine Express because we have got caught in the middle of all this."

In a further statement, the passenger group said: "Metro is unhappy with this situation as a whole and with the very short notice that the travelling public has been given over these timetable changes and would urge all parties to resolve the issue and resume full services for the travelling public."

A First spokesman said the company would contact Metro in an attempt to explain Friday's announcement.

He admitted that the drivers' dispute had exacerbated scheduling problems but continued to blame "poor seasonal rail conditions and leaf fall".

"It is a combination of things," he said.

Working patterns

Aslef says that Transpennine drivers are no longer working on rest days in a dispute over the company's attempt to introduce new working patterns.

"They have obviously not got enough drivers or they would not be asking them to work rest days," a union spokesman claimed.

However, the company denied allegations that it had too few drivers.

"We have recruited 40 drivers in recent weeks," a spokesman said, "as we knew when we took over the franchise that we would have to replace those who were retiring or moving on.

"We have plenty of drivers."

Union and company representatives are meeting in Manchester on Tuesday in an attempt to settle the dispute.

The timetable changes which came into effect on Monday have seen trains cut to three an hour between Leeds and Manchester Piccadilly instead of the usual four.

Services between York and Middlesbrough and York and Newcastle are also reduced as are services between Sheffield, Doncaster and Cleethorpes.