Andy Burnham has vowed to 'restore trust' in train services for 'long-suffering passengers' following the announcement that TransPennine Express would be brought under government control.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced this morning that the train operator's contract has not been renewed or extended, with services to be brought in to the Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort (OLR) from May 28. This follows months of widespread cancellations and delays.
The Greater Manchester Mayor, who previously called for a 'fresh start' for the operator alongside other northern mayors, said he was 'glad the Government had listened'. In a tweet posted this morning, Mr Burnham said: "As Mayors, we have spoken up consistently for long-suffering rail passengers in the North. I am glad the Government has listened.
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"We will now work with them to restore trust in train services and build a railway people can rely on."
The FirstGroup-owned operator, which covers an area across northern England and into Scotland, has been badly affected by drivers who are members of the Aslef union no longer volunteering to work paid overtime shifts. Latest figures showed TPE cancelled the equivalent of one in six services across most of March.
Mr Harper warned that the decision to bring services into the OLR is 'not a silver bullet'. He said: "In my time as Transport Secretary, I have been clear that passenger experience must always come first. After months of commuters and northern businesses bearing the brunt of continuous cancellations, I’ve made the decision to bring TransPennine Express into Operator of Last Resort.
"This is not a silver bullet and will not instantaneously fix a number of challenges being faced, including Aslef’s actions which are preventing TransPennine Express from being able to run a full service."
He added that the DfT has 'played our part but Aslef now need to play theirs' by calling off strikes and the ban on rest day working.
The DfT put the operator on a recovery plan in February after meeting local mayors to discuss a way forward. The department said: "While some improvements have been made over the past few months, it has been decided that to achieve the performance levels passengers deserve, and that the northern economy needs, both the contract and the underlying relationships must be reset."
It added: "The decision to bring TransPennine Express into the control of the Operator of Last Resort is temporary and it is the Government’s full intention that it will return to the private sector."
The OLR already runs London North Eastern Railway, Northern and Southeastern services. Graham Sutherland, chief executive of FirstGroup, said: "We have operated TransPennine Express and its forerunners since 2004, and are very proud to have served the communities across northern England and into Scotland, carrying millions of passengers and introducing new trains, new routes and more seats for our customers.
"Our team have worked extremely hard to improve services, including by recruiting and training more drivers than ever before. We have also worked closely with the Department for Transport and Transport for the North on an agreed recovery plan as well as an improved offer on overtime working for our drivers.
"FirstGroup is a leading UK rail operator with a strong and diversified portfolio. Today’s decision does not alter our belief in the important role of private rail operators in the delivery of vital, environmentally-friendly transport for customers and communities across the UK."
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