The government has decided not to renew the TransPennine contract from 28 May, after a quarter of the operator's services were cancelled in January and February and one in six trains did not run in March 2023.
The constant cancellations and delays have resulted in a considerable decline in confidence for passengers who rely on the trains to get to work, visit family and friends and go about their daily lives.
The government's 'operator of last resort' (OLR) will now run the service, which covers Manchester and Liverpool in the North of England and runs to Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland. Although passengers will not see changes in timetables and ticket prices, the government's goal is to improve its performance, officials have said.
The decision was announced by Transport Secretary Mark Harper, who was careful to warn it is “not a silver bullet”, highlighting action by the train drivers' union, Aslef, as a factor in disrupted services...