Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced today that the government will take control of the services run by operator TransPennine Express due to ongoing disruptions and cancellations affecting commuters and northern businesses. This decision follows actions taken by the rail union Aslef, which has prevented railways from running a full service.
Mr. Harper stated, "The railways need to play their part by calling off strikes and the rest day working ban, putting the very fair and reasonable pay offer to a democratic vote of their members." He added that this move is not a silver bullet solution for all challenges faced in railway operations.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has nationalised one of Britain's largest train operators after passengers suffered months of significant disruption and regular cancellations. FirstGroup, a London-listed transport group, will lose its Transpennine Express franchise at the end of this month. This marks another rail operator being brought back into public ownership following Southeastern's nationalisation in 2021.
The Department for Transport (DfT) plans to return control over these lines back to private sector when an appropriate new operator is found but maintains responsibility until then.
Although Transport Secretary Mark Harper acknowledged that government ownership won't immediately solve problems related to timetabling reliability overnight, he urged northern mayors and Transport for North officials contribute towards a comprehensive review aimed at identifying improvements needed within current operations.
In addition, Mr. Harper criticized Aslef's role in exacerbating existing service issues. The union had been preventing drivers from taking on overtime shifts – further contributing towards dismal experiences encountered by daily commuters over recent months.
Passengers across Northern England have expressed relief upon hearing news about changes coming soon; however many are cautiously optimistic as they wait see whether or not these measures make meaningful impact on overall travel experience throughout region