Commenting on the decision to award Avanti West Coast a long-term contract Louise Haigh MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, said:

“Passengers who rely on this abysmal service will be appalled that, despite being almost rock bottom of the league table for delays, Avanti is being awarded a lucrative new contract. That’s on top of millions of pounds in performance bonuses.

“The only reliable thing about Britain’s railways under the Tories’ is the waste of taxpayers’ money, which the government has put into the pockets of shareholders.

“Rather than rewarding failing operators by renewing their contracts, Labour would end this scandal by bringing them back into public ownership as they expire and put passengers first.”