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Stuart has welcomed the commitment made by the Secretary of State for Transport to protect the services currently under the Arriva Rail North franchise in light of the franchise’s financial difficulties.
The Secretary of State for Transport has said that passengers in the North have had to endure an unacceptable railway service for far too long and expressed the Department for Transport’s commitment to acting to ensure this performance improves. Recent financial information has demonstrated that the franchise will only be able to continue for a number of months alone and therefore the Department for Transport are considering whether to take over the franchise or allow them to continue. The Secretary of State will announce his decision at the end of January 2020.
The Department for Transport have confirmed that the current financial position of the Northern franchise will not impact on the railways day-to-day operations. Services will continue to run and there will be no impact on railway staff.
Stuart said: “I am delighted to hear that intervention is being taken by the Government to address the ailing Northern franchise. I have spoken to many of my constituents over the years and this is very much an ongoing and frustrating issue. Many of us rely on the railway to get to and from work and it is essential that the services are reliable and punctual, which they have not been for some time.
I am very pleased that the Secretary of State for Transport has listened to my constituents and many others in the North who are subjected to this poor quality service. I look forward to hearing what action is being taken at the end of this month and I will be keeping my constituents informed of any developments.”