Government operator takes over Northern rail services

02 March 2020

Commenting on the Operator of Last Resort taking over the Northern franchise, David Sidebottom, director at the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said:

“After years of misery Northern passengers just want to hear when services will get back on track and when they will have a reliable service.

“As part of the Government’s new panel Transport Focus will ensure the rail industry listens to passengers and communicates its plan to improve services and rebuild trust.

“The Government operator must now provide a plan, including much needed investment in infrastructure, to improve performance and tackle overcrowding.”

Background

In Transport Focus’s latest National Rail Passenger Survey Northern was the worst performing train operator with just 72 per cent of Northern passengers were satisfied with their journey.

Northern passenger satisfaction	%
Overall satisfaction	72
Value for money	54
Punctuality/reliability	65
Information provided during the journey	64
How well the train company dealt with delays	34
Level of crowding	70