Rail timetable crisis in the north – watchdog calls special Board meeting

15 June 2018

The independent watchdog has called train operators to a special Board meeting to explain what’s being done to restore services following the recent timetable crisis.

Rail passengers have suffered frustrating disruption since 20 May, when a new timetable was introduced.

Almost half of Britain’s rail services were rescheduled and passengers were affected right across the rail network.

Unprecedented delays, confusion and cancellations have made life miserable for many northern passengers.
The Transport Focus Board will question the industry at a public meeting in central Manchester (venue to be confirmed) at 1.30pm on 19 June.

We will hear from the managing directors of Northern and TransPennine, David Brown and Leo Goodwin, and Network Rail director of route sponsorship Patrick Cawley, and question them on the recent poor performance and plans for compensation.

We are pushing, on behalf of passengers, for:

• stable timetables and reliable services to be restored
• compensation for poor service, measured against the original timetable promised, not the slimmed down one now on offer
• the whole rail industry to pull together to help passengers through this crisis – this includes lifting ticket restrictions and helping passengers whichever train company they need to use.

You can read the special Board meeting paper here.

For more details on attending, or to arrange an interview in advance with Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith, contact Kieran Watkins on 0300 123 0836. You can follow the meeting on Twitter @transportfocus and tweet questions to the panel using #timetablecrisis.