Government help needed over rail 'chaos' - northern mayors

The government should treat "chaos" in rail services as an emergency, mayors in the north of England have said.

The Labour mayors of West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Manchester, Liverpool and North of Tyne made the call after meeting to discuss weeks of disruption.

They called on the prime minister and transport secretary to "haul operators to the table to sort out this mess".

The Department for Transport said it had written to the mayors to arrange a meeting with the transport secretary.

In a statement, the five mayors said: "As thousands of last-minute cancellations continue to make life miserable for people in the North and cause serious damage to the economy, the government remains in a state of paralysis, having just appointed its third transport secretary in seven weeks.

"If this level of disruption was being experienced in other parts of the country, we believe action would already have been taken to improve matters.

"We do not accept that passengers in the North should be treated in this way and are just expected to put up with it. We won't."

Labour said TransPennine Express had cancelled more than 40 services on Tuesday and 60 on Wednesday, blaming staffing difficulties.

Meanwhile, Avanti West Coast has come in for criticism over cancellations, delays, slashed timetables and a lack of advanced tickets for journeys on the West Coast Main Line.

On Thursday, an Avanti West Coast spokesman said the company was adding extra services on its route.

The firm said: "We know we're not delivering the service our customers rightly expect and we apologise for the enormous frustration and inconvenience caused.

"Our customers and communities we serve deserve a dependable train service, so we're currently working hard to rebuild our timetable in a resilient and sustainable way."

West Yorkshire's Labour mayor Tracy Brabin, who called the meeting, said regional leaders wanted to "put on record we are sick to the back teeth of the situation, the shambles we find ourselves in".

Ms Brabin said stories she had heard about people missing funerals and job interviews due to the continuing cancellations "would make you weep".

The five northern mayors had three demands of government, Ms Brabin said.

The first was for an urgent meeting with ministers to agree a long-term plan for transport in the North.

The second was for transport secretary Mark Harper to sit down with rail operators and the unions to reach an agreement on rest day working.

The third was for the government to put TransPennine Express on notice relating to its performance as its contract was up for renewal next year.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "It's unacceptable poor levels of service and strikes are preventing hard-working people from going about their daily lives.

"The government is investing billions into northern transport and is working closely with train operators to ensure new drivers are swiftly recruited and long-term solutions are put in place so passengers can travel confidently without disruption.

"The department has written to northern leaders inviting them to meet with the transport secretary as soon as possible so, together, we can provide the reliable service passengers across the region deserve."

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