Transport Secretary has announced that, from
March 1, the Government will take over running services on the
Northern network.
The Government recognises that the rail network in the North has
fallen far short of delivering the service passengers need and
deserve.
This comes after the Transport Secretary announced on January 9
that the Northern franchise was no longer financially sustainable
and would only be able to continue for a small number of months.
Transport Secretary said:
“This is a new beginning for Northern,
but it is only a beginning.
“Northern's network is huge and complex and some of the things
which are wrong are not going to be quick or easy to put right.
But I am determined that Northern passengers see real and
tangible improvements across the network as soon as possible.
“The railways were invented in the North. Last year the Prime
Minister promised that we would give the railway back to the
places it was born, giving more power over services, fares, and
stations to local leaders.
“Today marks the first small step towards the North taking back
control of its railways and its people taking back control of
their travelling lives.
“There will be no more leaving behind. This Government is
committed to levelling-up.”
The Government is committed to delivering real and tangible
improvements across the network as quickly as possible, and will
introduce a series of measures including;
- Introduce a number of electric trains from elsewhere on the
network, boosting capacity for commuters into Manchester and
Leeds.
- Lengthening platforms at 30 stations by the spring, in
addition to the 30 already completed, to allow longer trains to
run.
- All existing trains will be deep-cleaned and the approach to
cleaning reviewed to ensure passengers experience the service
they deserve from the first train to the last.
- We will build on the recent agreement with ASLEF and improve
the reliability of Sunday services.
The Government also recognises the scale of the challenge ahead.
The Northern network is huge and complex – serving over 108
million passenger journeys a year on 2800 daily services, calling
at 528 stations.
To ensure a new vision for the railway is put in place the
Transport Secretary has asked Robin Gisby and Richard George, who
lead the public-sector operator, to prepare a plan in their first
100 days.
This will be a top to bottom review of everything from
operational management, to rostering patterns and, most
critically, customer experience, to make sure we leave no stone
unturned in improving this franchise for passengers.
It will also include setting up a cross-industry Task Force to
deliver recommendations for improving capacity and performance.
Many of Northern’s problems are infrastructure-related. The
Transport Secretary has instructed the leadership of the
public-sector operator to sit down with Network Rail and build a
comprehensive new masterplan to review congestion around
Manchester.
Continuing to assess the Castlefield Corridor, as well as key
junctions and interactions across the wider network to develop a
series of interventions which will actually deliver the
improvements required. Further interventions around Leeds will
also be considered.
The Government is also reiterating that today’s decision in no
way reflects on the staff of Northern. They are dedicated,
hard-working and committed to their customers. The Government
wants to provide reassurance that this decision will not affect
jobs or introduce changes to fares or tickets for passengers.
The Prime Minister has been clear that this government is
committed to providing the North with a greater say in the
running of its railway, with local leaders having more power over
local services, timetables, fares and stations.
Today’s decision represents a step towards that and delivering a
railway focused on the needs of its passengers.
