Responding to this week’s announcement on the future of Norther Rail, Geoff Mason, Policy Manager of the NWLCC said: “The situation regarding rail services in the North has required action for some time. It is essential for local businesses and commuters that reliability improves dramatically.
There is a lot of focus on increasing capacity and connectivity in the region. Getting existing routes and lines running consistently is an important first step. A new operator won’t immediately solve all of the problems faced by Northern and issues such as driver availability will need to be addressed quickly.
There is a need for the franchise to be stabilised and in a position to take advantage of future investment into the region’s rail infrastructure.”
