Business leaders in the north have delivered a stinging message to the Transport Secretary Mark Harper, warning him of a 'crisis on our rail network'. Members of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership have written to Mr Harper and told him a 'wave of cancellations is wreaking havoc on the Northern economy'.
It comes as an MP said the service being provided by TransPennine Express to its passengers was in 'crisis' after a further 38 trains were cancelled by the operator on Monday. And with the new national winter timetable launching in just two weeks Louise Haigh, the Shadow Transport Secretary, said 'complacent ministers are sleepwalking into yet more chaos'.
It went on: "There is an issue which makes any promises of future improvements seem further and further away: the crisis on our rail network." He continued: “In normal circumstances we have enough people to fully operate our scheduled timetable – and have more drivers now than ever before – however the combination of factors has put unprecedented pressure on our ability to effectively operate our services.
Pretty much first 4 trains this morning. People going to Glasgow will arrive 2hours and 20 minutes later.....thr Scarborough bus isnt actually going all the way to Scarborough what a disgrace
I doubt rest day work will be negotiated before the pay deals are sorted