海角视频

Shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: “For the Conservatives to have nationalised one railway may be regarded as misfortune, to have nationalised four demonstrates something much more fundamental.

“The privatised model they have rigidly lauded in the face of all evidence is collapsing.”

She added: “Passengers see services get visibly, demonstrably worse while hundreds of millions in taxpayers’ money is handed to shareholders without the faintest hint of competition. How much longer will people be asked to rely on a system that so routinely fails?

“His decision today must just be the start. The Secretary of State now needs to show the leadership that has been so sorely lacking, to stop casting around and blaming everyone but themselves.”

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram added: "For far too long, towns and cities across the North have been held back by a fragmented mismanaged and broken transport system that simply does not work in their interests.

"While some may see today's decision to strip TPE of its franchise as a victory for the North, it will only been deemed so if the government now acts in good faith and delivers on its promise to work with Northern mayors to ensure the next operator is chosen in the best interests of those who we will always put first - passengers.

"Poor rail performance has cost economies across the North billions of pounds through loss of productivity - and inflicted months of sustained misery for ordinary, hardworking Northerners and businesses.

"We, in the North, are not second-class citizens and we refuse to accept a second-class service.

"Today we have sent a clear message to other operators: there will be no reward for manifest failure."

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the Government intends to put all contracts out for competitive tendering as he talked down the prospects of long-term nationalisation of rail services.

He told MPs: “The OLR (Operator of Last Resort) is just the next stop on the line, it’s not the terminus station, and once market conditions allow we intend to subject this and indeed all contracts – both private sector and those under the OLR – to competitive tendering.

“There will be some, unfortunately, who use today’s decision to further their ideological ends, to argue that this somehow justifies all rail contracts being brought under public control. That would be a mistake.

“The majority of taxpayers do not use the railways regularly, but they could be saddled with the huge cost of nationalisation only to inherit the industry’s problems with no plan to fix them.

“Nationalisation is a soundbite, not a solution, and this Government will always be guided by the evidence to help make the best decisions for passengers.”

West Dorset MP Chris Loder, a member of the Commons Transport Committee, said he believed that the move to bring TransPennine Express under governmental control would be temporary.

He said he did not think the move would be for the “long term” and believed it would prove temporary.

“The Government has reached a conclusion that it is not sustainable and wants to press the reset button, and will look to bring that business back to the private sector as soon as possible,” he told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the decision to nationalise TransPennine Express is a “reset” moment for the service, telling the Commons: “The twin challenges of Covid and industrial action have left their mark.

“First, TPE’s driver training backlog now stretches to nearly 4,000 days, which means at any one time it can only draw upon 80% of its total driver workforce, adding to this a breakdown in relations between the operator and the driver union Aslef, and all told there simply haven’t been enough drivers to run the planned timetable.

“Inevitably, passengers have borne the brunt, facing cancellation rates of up to 23% on Monday to Friday services, and gaps in services on some routes of up to six hours. That clearly isn’t good enough.”

Mr Harper added: “We will always hold operators to account for matters within their control. We’ll give them a chance to put things right, but despite a recovery plan put in place since February there remains significant challenges underpinned by Aslef’s distinct lack of co-operation.

“To achieve the performance levels I expect, that passengers deserve and that the northern economy needs, it’s clear both the contract and underlying relationships must be reset.”

Liverpool city region mayor Steve Rotheram is the latest to welcome the decision, but he also called for improvements to rail services in the North.

He said: "For far too long, towns and cities across the North have been held back by a fragmented, mismanaged and broken transport system that simply does not work in their interests.

"While some may see today's decision to strip TPE of its franchise as a victory for the North, it will only be deemed so if the Government now acts in good faith and delivers on its promise to work with Northern mayors to ensure the next operator is chosen in the best interests of those who we will always put first - passengers.

"Poor rail performance has cost economies across the North billions of pounds through loss of productivity - and inflicted months of sustained misery for ordinary, hardworking Northerners and businesses.

"We, in the North, are not second-class citizens and we refuse to accept a second-class service. Today we have sent a clear message to other operators: there will no reward for manifest failures."

Rail union RMT has joined its counterparts in welcoming the decision to strip TransPennine Express of its contract.

General secretary Mick Lynch said: "First should now also lose its failed Avanti West Coast contract as part a return of all our railways to public ownership. With other parts of our railway already nationalised this decision should now mark the beginning of end for rail privatisation which has brought nothing but chaos for passengers.

""However, it is disappointing to hear Transport Secretary Mark Harper saying that he intends to return TPE to the private sector despite the shambles the service has become."

Lord McLoughlin, chair of Transport for the North, said: "We welcome the decision announced today by the Secretary of State to bring the contract under Operator of Last Resort (OLR) for TransPennine Express.

"The TfN Board’s position on this issue has been clear for some considerable time, that services need to significantly improve. While we have seen some improvements over recent months, to achieve the performance levels passengers expect and deserve, and that the northern economy needs, there is a need for a resetting of the operation.

”We will now look forward positively to discussing with our members and working with the government to ensure the best way to achieve a service that meets the expectations of those living and working in the north.”

Nearly one in four (24%) passenger journeys on Britain’s railways will be on nationalised services once TransPennine Express comes under Government control.

The analysis by the PA news agency comes as Labour reiterated its pledge to nationalise all services. The 海角视频 Government’s Operator of Last Resort already controls London North Eastern Railway, Northern and Southeastern services.

It will take over TransPennine Express on May 28. Meanwhile, ScotRail and Transport for Wales are run by the Scottish and Welsh governments respectively.

PA’s analysis is based on passenger figures for the 12 months to December 2022, which are the latest available.

Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, said: “This endless cycle of shambolic private operators failing passengers shows the Conservatives’ rail system is fundamentally broken.

“The next Labour government will end this sticking plaster politics by bringing our railways back into public ownership as contracts expire, ending the Tories’ failing system, and putting passengers back at the heart of our rail network.”

Johnbosco Nwogbo, lead campaigner at We Own It, a group campaigning against privatisation of public services, said people have “had enough of private companies ripping them off and leaving them stranded at the station”.

He went on: “Unreliable transport affects our work, our leisure, our lives. Passengers are fed up with missing meetings and taking hours to get home from work, or missing out on weekend trips they used to enjoy.

“We can’t trust trains to get us from A to B despite paying some of the highest fares in Europe: at that point, it’s time to rethink how we run our railways.”

Transport Salaried Staffs Association organiser for TransPennine Express, Alan Valentine, said: "If this Tory government really wants to build a British economy for the coming decades, the first thing it should do is listen to passengers, business and our union, all of whom want safe, reliable rail services. The only way to do that is to run a rail network for the people, by the people.”

The Department for Transport said its decision on TransPennine Express is “temporary and it is the Government’s full intention that it will return to the private sector”.

In February, Transport Secretary Mark Harper pledged to enhance the role of the private sector in Britain’s railways.

A new body named Great British Railways will issue passenger service contracts to private companies to run trains.

Frustrated passengers outside Leeds station recounted tales of months of last-minute cancellations causing havoc, but said they were “not holding their breath” for any immediate change.

Carl Heaton, 32, from Leeds, said: “I’m a regular TPE customer and have the battle scars to prove it. It’s often just a lottery whether there’s a train comes or not, to be honest.

“It’s the right thing to do but should have been done a long while ago. I can’t really see how anyone can turn it round quickly, though.”

Trish Howard, 44, from York, said: “The whole system across the north has been a mess for years now.

“Something had to be done but it’s a big job for someone. I’m guessing whoever takes over isn’t going to sort it out overnight, so I’m not holding my breath that it’ll get any better.”

Improving rail links has been a long-standing key policy push for Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce.

External affairs director David Hooper had previously brought TPE management together with business leaders and MPs to stress the importance of links to Manchester and reliability of connectivity to Doncaster for London, with little improvement monitored. Relations were further frayed when the direct Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport service was replaced with a Liverpool route instead.

Mr Hooper said: “Some would say this is long overdue. The Chamber has campaigned for a long time for a better service from TransPennine Express for both banks of the Humber. We were disappointed the airport service was lost and we have campaigned long and hard on reliability, but to no avail.”

Following the meeting, Mr Hooper said little changed. “Services didn’t improve very much, and we have been blighted by reliability and service cancellations over the past 12 months. This led local MPs to write to the Transport Secretary asking for his move to happen, and we welcome it.

“Even today, the 6.53am train out of Hull, a key business train, was again cancelled. Now we hope to see a period of stability and reliability for the public, so they can have confidence that when they turn up for the train, the train will be there, on time.

“Because the service has been so unreliable, there are numerous stories of businesses bringing potential inward investors over from Manchester Airport in taxis, instead of inflicting old rolling stock and unreliable services on them. This area has had to put up with it for far too long.”

Aslef general secretary Mick Whelan has accused Transport Secretary Mark Harper of “trying to blame Aslef – rather than the company’s inept management – for its many problems”.

Mr Whelan claimed TransPennine Express is getting “exactly what it deserves” as it has “never employed enough drivers”.

Today's decision has been widely welcomed by Labour politicians in the North.

Kim Johnson, MP for Liverpool Riverside, said: "The failed experiment of rail privatisation is falling apart for all to see. It's time we brought the whole rail network under public ownership and control."

Warrington MP Charlotte Nichols said: "After utterly abysmal services which have been a regular fixture of my mailbag for Warrington North commuters relying on them, I'm pleased to see TransPennine Express services are *finally* being taken under state control at the end of the month."

And Kim McGuinness, the Northumbria police and crime commissioner who is hoping to be the party's candidate for North East mayor, said: "Better late than never. TransPennine has been failing the people of the North for far too long. We need reliable, affordable, safe services that are designed to suit the people that use them."

Despite today's announcement, TransPennine operator FirstGroup will continue to run Hull Trains and Lumo, as well as Avanti West Coast, Great Western Railway, South Western Railway,

The Operator of Last Resort already runs London North Eastern Railway, Northern and Southeastern services, while ScotRail and Transport for Wales are run by the Scottish and Welsh Governments respectively.

Train services in the North are being hit by more strike action.

Members of Aslef and the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) at train operators will walk out in long-running disputes on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Here is a breakdown of each operator’s plan for strike days:

– CrossCountry

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: No direct services will run to or from Birmingham New Street and locations such as Aberdeen, Cambridge, Cardiff, Glasgow, Nottingham and Stansted Airport.

Services that do run will only operate between 7am and 7pm.

– Grand Central

Friday: Usual timetable.

Saturday: Grand Central is not involved in the industrial dispute with the RMT but there will be minor alterations to its services.

– Great Northern

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A limited service will run and only between 7am and 7pm. There will be no trains between Ely and King’s Lynn.

– Hull Trains

Friday: Usual timetable.

Saturday: Usual timetable.

– London North Eastern Railway (LNER)

Friday and Saturday: A limited timetable will operate and only between London King’s Cross and both Edinburgh and Leeds.

– London Northwestern Railway

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A limited service will run and only between 7am and 7pm.

The only open routes will be between Birmingham New Street and each of London Euston, Birmingham International and Liverpool Lime Street.

– Lumo

Friday and Saturday: Usual timetable.

– Merseyrail

Friday and Saturday: No impact from the strikes. Additional services will run due to Eurovision.

– Northern

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A limited service will run and only between 8am and 5pm.

Only a handful of routes will be open, such as between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester; Leeds and York; and Darlington and Saltburn.

– TransPennine Express

Friday: No trains.

Saturday: A reduced timetable will operate and only between Liverpool Lime Street and each of Huddersfield, Preston and Sheffield, and between Sheffield and Cleethorpes.

Labour's shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh said: "This broken service has comprehensively failed the North.

"After months of needless damage, Conservative ministers have finally accepted they can no longer defend the indefensible.

"But this endless cycle of shambolic private operators failing passengers shows the Conservatives’ rail system is fundamentally broken.

"The next Labour government will end this sticking plaster politics by bringing our railways back into public ownership as contracts expire, ending the Tories’ failing system, and putting passengers back at the heart of our rail network."

North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll said: “People across the North have been suffering appalling services from TransPennine Express (TPE) for years. I’ve heard of people having to get taxis from Manchester airport to Newcastle because trains were cancelled at short notice.

"I’ve been lobbying TransPennine to improve, and lobbying the Secretary of State not to renew their franchise, along with my fellow Labour mayors Andy Burnham, Steve Rotheram, Tracy Brabin and Oliver Coppard. We use the trains, we talk to our people – we knew what needed to happen.

"The Secretary of State has listened to us, changed his position, and decided to bring TPE back into public control. We also need to settle the industrial disputes so rail workers’ pay can keep up with inflation – it’s not too much to ask.

"This is good news for passengers. But unless we get more investment in our railways we won’t fix the underlying problem. That’s why in the North East I want to use our new devolution deal to build a Total Transport Network that integrates rail, Metro, buses, park & ride and active travel, so it’s easier and cheaper to get across the region on public transport. The travelling public deserve it, and with a better system, we’ll see more people switch from cars to public transport.”

Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: "Having worked with the management team at TransPennine Express on their recovery plan, I know many of the individuals involved have worked hard to improve the services and, despite their efforts, they have still found it challenging to give passengers what we would all expect and hope for.

"In making this decision, the transport secretary will be aware that the underlying performance of the services will not be improved by simply nationalising the remaining nothern operator.

"There is action short of strike action on TransPennine Express preventing the use of the newly-agreed Rest Day Working agreement, and I will be seeking an urgent meeting with the operator of last resort to urge them to agree to the union requests on working conditions agreements in full.

"I am hopeful that Aslef would then allow drivers to come in and help train colleagues waiting to be able to go out on the network so we can stop the short notice cancellations much more rapidly.

"In the end, whether a franchise overseen is run by the operator of last resort or a private company, the secretary of state is the ultimate decision maker on every major issue. It is in his gift to resolve the drivers' wider pay dispute.

"It is the case that picking a fight with the rail unions has caused misery across the country and made the problems here in the North even worse.

"If this sorry episode is to end, I won't be celebrating anything until the Government gets all the remaining issues resolved with Aslef, something which if I was in their shoes, I would have done two secretaries of states ago, when the original crisis in the North - which is costing us millions a week- began."

Train services run by TransPennine Express will be brought under Government control later this month.

Here the PA news agency answers 10 key questions about what happened and what comes next.

– What is TransPennine Express?

A train operator running intercity services across northern England and into Scotland.

– How bad has its performance been?

Cancellations and delays have been widespread for several months.

The equivalent of nearly one in four trains were axed in the four weeks to March 4.

– What has caused this?

A series of issues including drivers no longer volunteering to work paid overtime shifts and higher than usual staff sickness levels.

– What has been announced?

The Department for Transport said control of TransPennine Express services will come under its Operator of Last Resort from May 28, making them nationalised.

– What has been the reaction?

West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin said it was "absolutely right".

– Will services improve?

Transport Secretary Mark Harper warned the decision is “not a silver bullet” and urged drivers’ union Aslef to call off strikes and end the ban on rest day working.

– Will tickets still be valid?

Yes. The announcement does not affect ticket validity or prices.

– Will passengers notice the change?

Not immediately. The Operator of Last Resort will use the same trains and employ the same staff.

It remains to be seen if performance alters.

– What is the Operator of Last Resort?

A Government company that runs passenger services after contracts with private operators end and there is no immediate replacement.

– What services are already run this way?

London North Eastern Railway, Northern and Southeastern.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin has claimed TransPennine Express trains are unsafe, with people "rammed in like cattle".

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, she said: "It’s not just about money, it’s also about safety.

"I’ve been on trains where staff have been taking photographs of the overcrowding.

"They’re saying: ‘We’re really worried that somebody’s going to be hurt.’

"The trains are too short … People are rammed in like cattle."

Asked whether the failure to strike a pay deal between the train drivers' union and Government was to blame for TransPennine Express's delays and cancellations, Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin called for the Government to "get around the table".

"Industrial relations are at absolute rock bottom, there’s no doubt about it," she told BBC Radio 4.

"Government has to take a lead on this. They've got to put their shoulder to the wheel, get around the table and sort this out with Operator of Last Resort."

TransPennine Express losing its contract was "absolutely right" due to a "catalogue of failure" causing "sheer misery", the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, she said: "It’s just been a catalogue of failure and delays and cancellations.

"It’s absolutely right that this is the end of the line for the failing railway operator TransPennine.

"We’ve been urging Government to act for over a year. All these cancellations are just damaging our economy and causing sheer misery.

"It is a victory for northern mayors standing together."

Announcing the news this morning, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: "In my time as transport secretary, I have been clear that passenger experience must always come first.

"After months of commuters and Northern businesses bearing the brunt of continuous cancellations, I’ve made the decision to bring Transpennine Express into operator of last resort.

"This is not a silver bullet and will not instantaneously fix a number of challenges being faced, including ASLEF’s actions which are preventing Transpennine Express from being able to run a full service – once again highlighting why it’s so important that the railways move to a 7-day working week.

"We have played our part, but ASLEF now need to play theirs by calling off strikes and the rest day working ban, putting the very fair and reasonable pay offer to a democratic vote of their members."

TransPennine Express services has confirmed that all tickets for its services remain valid and can be purchased in the usual way.

Its operations will be taken over by the government on May 28.

Profits were slashed at Transpennine Express during its latest financial year despite the train operator receiving almost £260m from the government.

Accounts with Companies House showed the firm's pre-tax profits slumped from £72.1m to £8m in the 12 months to March 31, 2022.

Transpennine Express received a revenue subsidy from the Department for Transport of £259.3m, down from £325m.

The operator said the decrease in its overall turnover from £437.7m to £420.9m due to the prior year's total including exceptional income of £59.9m.

Andy Burnham has vowed to "restore trust" in train services for "long-suffering passengers".

The Greater Manchester Mayor, who previously called for a "fresh start" for the operator alongside other northern mayors, said he was "glad the Government had listened".

In a tweet posted this morning, Mr Burnham said: "As mayors, we have spoken up consistently for long-suffering rail passengers in the North. I am glad the Government has listened."

Anthony Smith, chief executive of watchdog Transport Focus, said: "TransPennine Express passengers have endured an unacceptable service for too long.

"In our latest survey, TransPennine Express was rated the joint worst performing train operator and just 67% of passengers were satisfied with how punctual their journey was.

"Whichever organisation runs TransPennine Express rail services – under whatever contractual arrangements – passengers will want to see a much more reliable service.

"It’s clear that passengers deserve better and the operator needs to take action to improve performance and build back passenger trust."

Graham Sutherland, chief executive of TransPennine Express owner FirstGroup, said: "We have operated TransPennine Express and its forerunners since 2004, and are very proud to have served the communities across northern England and into Scotland, carrying millions of passengers and introducing new trains, new routes and more seats for our customers.

"Our team have worked extremely hard to improve services, including by recruiting and training more drivers than ever before.

"We have also worked closely with the Department for Transport and Transport for the North on an agreed recovery plan as well as an improved offer on overtime working for our drivers.

"FirstGroup is a leading 海角视频 rail operator with a strong and diversified portfolio.

"Today’s decision does not alter our belief in the important role of private rail operators in the delivery of vital, environmentally-friendly transport for customers and communities across the 海角视频."

Responding to the Government’s announcement that TransPennine Express will not be handed a renewed contract, West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said: "It is absolutely right that this is the end of the line for failing railway operator TransPennine Express.

"We’ve been urging government to act for almost a year, as delays and cancellations have damaged our economy and subjected commuters in the North to sheer misery.

"This is a victory for northern mayors who rallied together to hold TransPennine Express and Rishi Sunak’s Government to account on this issue.

"We hope this allows an opportunity to reset relationships with staff who have bore the brunt of operator failings and look forward to hearing how the new operator intends to improve services.

"As the voice of passengers, I will continue to speak up for their interests first and foremost."