I am deeply concerned to read in the Evening Mail (on Friday December 30) that travellers faced long delays to their journeys as two Northern Rail trains were cancelled.

The 20.15 from Barrow to Preston and the 21.47 from Preston to Barrow were apparently cancelled again just days after they were cancelled on December 27. We are told by Northern Rail that these cancellations are "due to a member of train crew being unavailable".

From time to time staff are sick due to being unwell, after seven days these instances of sickness need to be certified by a doctor. Most sensible employers have contingency arrangements for these eventualities to ensure their business still operates. After all anyone can fall ill occasionally and it is not really sensible for front line staff to be breathing germs all over their customers – equally, it doesn't seem sensible for safety critical operational staff to struggle to work if they are not fit to do their jobs.

However, with regard to the recent train cancellations from and to Barrow, can we ask privateer train company Arriva (the German state rail operator that currently operates the Northern Rail franchise in Britain) for a little more transparency and openness over these train cancellations?

For example, how many of these "unavailable" staff are long term sick? Are any staff on maternity leave – and what contingency arrangements do they have to cover these temporary staffing issues?

Could they also let us know how many vacancies they have for drivers and conductors (guards) in the train crew links at Barrow – how long have these positions been vacant and when will they be filled – providing a more robust, reliable service as well as providing employment opportunities for those who will fill the positions?

I know train crew members of the RMT Union – drivers and conductors – are already working excessive overtime and frequently work on their scheduled days off to keep the wheels turning and the trains running – maybe Northern Rail could show a similar commitment to resolving this issue by making sure they have proper staffing levels at Barrow – and fill the vacancies in the train crew links.

Craig Johnston

Relief regional organiser (north)

RMT transport union