Rail franchises operators & contracts

29.01.20

Northern to come under government control from March

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced troubled train operating company will be brought under government control from March 1, 2020.

The announcement comes after a final decision was reached over stripping Arriva Rail North, the legal name of the Northern rail company, of its namesake franchise following years of major disruptions.

Government previously described the delays and cancellations that have blighted Northern’s services as “unacceptable”, while the transport secretary himself said passengers had “lost trust in the rail network [in the North].”

Northern were hit particularly hard by the May timetable changes in 2018, and passengers on the franchise have suffered frequent delays and cancellations to their services ever since.

Mr Shapps wrote in a letter to Parliament about the decision: “Wherever you live, you deserve a railway that widens your children’s horizon, gives you access to highly skilled, highly paid jobs, and provides a viable green alternative to getting in your car.

“For too long, millions of rail passengers in the north of England have not had that. They have had to start and end their working day facing cancellations and delays. Some stations, particularly on Sundays, have been left without trains for hours on end.

“It’s no surprise that passengers have lost trust in the north’s rail network. The service provided by the rail network in the north has failed to meet the needs of passengers. People across the north deserve better, their communities deserve better and I am determined to achieve that.”

From March 1, 2020 the Northern franchise will come under the control of the public sector operator – also called the operator of last resort – which is entirely owned by the Department for Transport.

The operator already owns and oversees another franchise in the UK, East Coast, which is branded as London North Eastern Railway (LNER). In the nineteen months it has been operating the service, it has seen a significant increase in passenger satisfaction.

Mr Shapps added: “This is a new beginning for Northern, but it is only a beginning.

“Northern’s network is huge and complex, some of the things which are wrong are not going to be quick or easy to put right.

“Nonetheless, I am determined that Northern passengers see real and tangible improvements across the network as soon as possible.”

Image Credit:  Danny Lawson/PA Wire/PA Images

Comments

There are no comments. Why not be the first?

Add your comment

related

rail technology magazine tv

more videos >

latest rail news

Major station improvements and electric vehicle charging hubs

09/09/2020Major station improvements and electric vehicle charging hubs

Following the announcement of Govia Thameslink Railway’s (GTR) programme to develop numerous stations, today (9 Sept) on World Electric Veh... more >
Contract awarded by Network Rail to strengthen bridges

09/09/2020Contract awarded by Network Rail to strengthen bridges

Three contracts have been awarded by Network Rail to carry out strengthening work to three railway bridges across the Wessex route in the South o... more >
New electric train fleet revealed for Birmingham’s Cross-City Line

09/09/2020New electric train fleet revealed for Birmingham’s Cross-City Line

The electric train fleet set to transform travel on Birmingham’s Cross-City Line has been revealed to rail passengers in the West Midlands.... more >

last word

Encouraging youngsters to be safe on the railway

Encouraging youngsters to be safe on the railway

This summer, Arriva Group's CrossCountry and the Scout Association joined to launch a new partnership to promote rail safety among young people. Chris Leech MBE, business community manager at the... more > more last word articles >

'the sleepers' daily blog

On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

29/06/2020On the right track, Sulzer is awarded RISAS accreditation for Nottingham Service Centre

Following an independent audit, Sulzer’s Nottingham Service Centre has been accepted as part of the rail industry supplier approval scheme (RISAS). The accreditation reinforces the high-quality standards that are maintained by Sulzer’s network of independent repair facilities across the UK and further afield in its global network. ... more >
read more blog posts from 'the sleeper' >

comment

The challenge of completing Crossrail

05/07/2019The challenge of completing Crossrail

With a new plan now in place to deliver Crossrail, Hedley Ayres, National Audit Office manager, major projects and programmes, takes a look at ho... more >
Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

04/07/2019Preparing the industry to deliver trains for the future

The move to decarbonise the rail network involves shifting to cleaner modes of traction by 2050. David Clarke, technical director at the Railway ... more >
Sunshine future beckons for South Wales Railways, says 10:10 Climate Action’s Leo Murray

02/07/2019Sunshine future beckons for South Wales Railways, says 10:10 Climate Action’s Leo Murray

Smart electrification is the way to boost clean energy resources, argues Leo Murray, director at 10:10 Climate Action. Contractors are clear... more >
Ambition doesn’t have to be expensive, says Midland Connect's Maria Machancoses

02/07/2019Ambition doesn’t have to be expensive, says Midland Connect's Maria Machancoses

The TCR Midlands conference is only days away and tickets are going fast for the sector event of the year at the Vox Conference Centre in Birming... more >

rail industry focus

View all News

interviews

Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

24/06/2019Andrew Haines, CE of Network Rail, tells BBC News his organisation could issue future rail franchises

Andrew Haines, the Chief Executive of Network Rail, has told the Today programme on Radio 4's BBC’s flagship news programme that he wo... more >