It is right for the Secretary of State to cancel the franchise, but he has been too slow to act.
It is right for the Secretary of State to cancel the franchise, but he has been too slow to act.

Thank you for writing about the Government’s decision to cancel the Northern rail franchise.

It is clear that Arrive Rail North have completely failed passengers with their management of Northern, making many commuters’ lives a misery. I spoke out against their disastrous plans to axe train guards, but they have also failed on the basics, with so many trains delayed and crowded on a daily basis.

I was re-elected last December on a manifesto which pledged to re-nationalise the railways, but of course, the Labour Party failed to gain a majority. As the Opposition, it is now our duty to hold the Government to account for its failings on railway policy. It is right for the Secretary of State to cancel the franchise, but he has been too slow to act. He also needs to take responsibility for the Government’s share of responsibility for the chaos on our railways. The Government has failed to invest and has even cancelled planned investments that would make railways in the North more efficient.

We do need an integrated, publicly-owned railway network and I will continue to support calls for this as your MP.

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