DfT rejects franchise handback calls

Secretary of State for Transport Chris Grayling has rejected calls from Blackley and Broughton MP Graham Stringer (Labour) for the Government to take over operation of the Northern and TransPennine Express franchises.

Speaking in Parliament on November 22, Grayling said: “Some of the performance issues recently have been caused by the elderly ‘Pacer’ trains.”

He added: “We need to do everything we can and we will continue to do everything we can, in partnership with Transport for the North, to identify the ways of getting performance up. It is not simply a question of changing ownership of the franchise or control of the franchise.

“There is not a magic team down the corridor waiting to step in and make this work better. We have got to make it work better.”