Train operator First TransPennine Express has apologised for repeated delays on its Huddersfield to Leeds early morning service.

Commuters have complained about trains arriving late and some have expressed anger about being unable to board the train because there are too few carriages.

Commuter Satvinder Saggi, from Birkby, said on seven occasions between November 3 and 13 the 07.46am service was delayed or so full he couldn’t get on it.

Mr Saggi added that other services he had caught in the same period were also delayed.

He said: “Out of 10 days commuting, eight of these journeys have been delayed or disrupted.

“This is affecting those who need to travel to work and are being made late due to the poor TransPennine service.

“I had decided to keep a note of these times in November due to suffering the same problems continuously in October despite paying for a monthly ticket worth £125.20.”

Matthew Hay, a spokesman for First TransPennine Express, apologised to commuters and said: “Recently we have not delivered the service that we would have hoped to and Mr Saggi and others travelling between Huddersfield and Leeds may have been subject to minor delays.

“This is never ideal and we appreciate the frustration and inconvenience this causes but journey times can be affected by a whole range of issues, most of which are outside of our control. Ninety per cent of our services arrive within nought to nine minutes of the published timetable.

“Trains across our network are crowded at peak times and we have every available carriage in service throughout the busiest parts of the day.

“In May this year we increased train frequency to five trains an hour between Huddersfield and Leeds and introduced an additional 50,000 seats a week.

“We always welcome and respond to customer queries and concerns and it is productive and constructive for customers to contact us directly either through their local station team or our customer relations colleagues.”

Earlier this month the Examiner reported commuters’ complaints over a lack of carriages on Northern Rail’s early morning trains between Huddersfield and Leeds.

Trains were booked to run with four carriages but due to rolling stock shortages only had two. Northern Rail also apologised.