Mayors across the North of England have come together to warn the government of the decline of rail service standards from operator Northern.
A letter from the mayors, addressed to Transport Secretary Louise Haigh and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, called for government support in tackling the issues. This came after an emergency meeting of the Rail North Committee that saw leaders ask for immediate assurance from Northern after the operator has been responsible for a period of cancellations, overcrowding and Do Not Travel warnings.
Concerns were raised around how the situation could get worse without intervention, with this inhibiting shoppers, travellers and businesses at a vital time of year for the retail sector and the town/city centres that rely on them.
Last night, there were widespread cancellations of @northernassist services causing chaos at stations.
— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) October 31, 2024
It can’t go on.
Following a special Rail North Committee, I have written to the Chancellor to ask that a pending agreement on rest day working is approved as soon as possible.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said:
“Efficient and reliable public transport is a critical enabler of economic growth, a key ambition we share with the new government. What we heard from Northern at the meeting of the Rail North Committee was not good enough for residents and businesses across the north.
“That is why, on behalf of the Rail North Committee, I have written to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State to urge them to support us to bring the service back to an acceptable level. Significant modernisation is needed by Northern if they are to match our ambitions for growth.
“The Committee will be closely scrutinising Northern’s plan and seeking assurance that they are addressing the points raised at the meeting, when the Committee meets again on 20 November. We would welcome the Government’s full support in implementing the necessary actions, especially in the urgent areas of Rest Day Working and resolving Sunday arrangements.”
At the meeting, leaders looked into the operator’s plan to get services back to an acceptable level as quickly as possible. This found that there were outdated working practices, including the use of fax machines to communicate with staff, leading to a reduction in general public support for the service. Alongside outdate working practices, Northern did outlined how high numbers of staff sickness, infrastructure issues, and a reliance on staff working on rest days are causing issues that eventually lead to last minute cancellations.
Image credit: iStock
