Rail routes are two of worst for arriving on time
TWO Northern Rail services in Greater Manchester are among the country’s worst 10 when it comes to lateness.
The 7.50am Hazel Grove to Manchester Piccadilly was late 235 times last year, while the 6.46am Manchester Piccadilly to Gorton service missed the mark 233 times.
They were the sixth and 10th worst services in the country respectively in failing to get passengers to the final destination on time.
The figures were revealed the same week rail ticket prices went up by an average of 3.4 per cent – the biggest price rise in five years.
Union bosses from RMT have also confirmed plans for strike action on Northern services on January 8, 10 and 12, bringing more misery to commuters as a bitter 20-month dispute over the role of guards rumbles on.
The M.E.N.’s sister title the Daily Mirror uncovered the timetable of shame after asking experts Raildar to look at every trip in England last year. The least punctual ones were mostly at peak times, with the worst train in the country confirmed as the 9.24am Caterham to London Victoria, which was late 240 times. John Moorhouse of campaign group Travel NorthWest, said: “It’s inconvenient to passengers, especially those travelling to work and being made late for their jobs.” Bruce Williamson from the pressure group Railfuture said: “We all want a reliable punctual train service, and it must be very frustrating for passengers on these lines that they aren’t getting it. “Whilst refunds are available for late trains, I’m sure everyone would be happier not to have to receive them, and the pain of recent inflation-busting rail fares might be easier to swallow if we didn’t have to put up with timetable-busting rail services.” It comes after the M.E.N. John Moorhouse revealed some Greater Manchester commuters face paying almost 5pc of their salaries for a season ticket into the city centre after the latest fare rises.
In response to rising fares, a spokesman for Northern said they are in the early stages of a wideranging modernisation programme to transform rail travel across the north.
The first refurbished trains had been delivered around Manchester and stations like Moston and Kearsley had been improved, he said. He added: “We are working hard on increasing our train capacity through the introduction of 281 brand new carriages which were ordered at the start of the franchise and remain on target to start arriving later this year.
“We are also delivering further improved trains, better stations and more services to transform local rail for current and future customers in the north of England by 2020. Fares are an important factor in enabling the investment that will make this happen and ensure the railway continues to support our customers, communities and the regional economy.”
Northern Rail has also been asked for comment on the punctuality figures.