Labour have accused the government of “failing passengers” by refusing to act on the huge disruption facing passengers and the regional economy.

Over 40 services were cancelled yesterday alone (25^th October) and over 60 today on Trans Pennine Express, but with the government in chaos, Ministers have refused to act.

Passengers in towns and cities across the north have faced weeks of chaos following the decision – signed off by ministers – to slash services on the Trans Pennine Route.

Shadow Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh has today urged ministers to intervene to demand an urgent binding plan to restore services, warning they have “refused to lift a finger to tackle the chaos”.

Incredibly, ministers rewarded Trans Pennine Express with over £5m in taxpayers’ money in performance and management fees in 2020-21 – giving them the highest performance rating possible – despite being the third worst operator for delays and cancellations on the network and the biggest cut in services of any operator on the network.

And Trans Pennine Express are set to be awarded a lucrative eight-year contract extension in May 2023, despite the shambolic performance.

Labour’s Louise Haigh has demanded the new Transport Secretary:

• Demand a binding plan from the operator for the full restoration of services.
• Claw-back taxpayers’ money for services that are not running.
• And if an urgent plan to restore services is not put in place, she has urged ministers to begin withdrawing the contract to ensure the long-term stability of the service.

Commenting Shadow Transport Secretary, Louise Haigh MP said:

“This ongoing fiasco is causing real damage to the public, passengers and the economy.

“It’s time for Ministers to put the country first, stop washing their hands of responsibility, and intervene.

“They should demand a binding plan from Trans Pennine Express for the urgent improvement of these vital services, claw-back taxpayers’ money being handed over for trains that are no longer running, and if they cannot deliver begin withdrawing the contract.

“It’s utterly absurd that people across cannot rely on the train to get to work, and flies in the face of countless promises made by the Tories to connect our northern towns and cities.

“It’s time they stand up for passengers.”