TransPennine Express have responded to criticism over the sudden axing of train services without notice, warning or consultation.

Commuters were left standing on the platform last week as trains they regularly caught failed to turn up.

New timetables were introduced and some services disappeared overnight without warning.

That happened to peak tea-time services between Huddersfield and Dewsbury – impacting many students at Greenhead College – and also a busy 17.30 commuter train from Manchester Piccadilly to Scarborough which stops at Mossley, Greenfield, Marsden and Slaithwaite.

Kirklees Council protested to TransPennine Express over the loss of the two Huddersfield-Dewsbury trains while commuters using the Marsden and Slaithwaite connection flooded Transport for Greater Manchester with complaints.

A rail user group said the Marsden and Slaithwaite train had “simply vanished” from the timetable with “no notice to the 300+ passengers who travelled on it every day.”

While the Manchester Piccadilly to Scarborough train was reinstated on Monday – a week after it “disappeared” – the Huddersfield-Dewsbury services weren’t.

Anger after TransPennine Express axes vital student rail links between Huddersfield and Dewsbury

Kirklees Council’s Cabinet member for transport Clr Eric Firth has demanded an explanation from TransPennine Express as to why local authorities had “not been given the opportunity to oppose the changes before they happened.”

Greenhead College principal Simon Lett said he was “extremely concerned” to hear of the timetable changes affecting his students.

In a statement a spokesperson for TransPennine Express said: “The rail industry makes amendments to its timetables twice a year, in May and December, to try to deliver the best possible travel options for customers.

“The process is extremely complex, particularly in areas with several operators, and, sadly, it is sometimes necessary to remove some services to enable others to run.

“We run regular consultations regarding potential changes and seek to gather feedback from stakeholders.

“It’s regrettable that the services between Dewsbury and Huddersfield have been such a cause for concern and we welcome the opportunity to discuss these with stakeholders in the local area and to try to identify potential solutions.”