Northern Train operator stripped of franchise after unreliable service

Northern Trains

Train operator Northern is going to be stripped of its franchise after years of poor performance, the transport secretary has said.

It operates across Manchester, Liverpool, Hull, Newcastle, Leeds, and Stoke.

Another operator will take over short-term - or the government may have to step in. 

The chaotic introduction of new timetables in May 2018 saw up to 310 trains cancelled each day. 

The contract with German-based Arriva is supposed to last five more years. 

But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says "frustrated commuters will not have to wait long" before action is taken. 

He's described services on the route as "really bad".

Meanwhile, millions of commuters will have to pay an average of 2.7% more for train tickets from today (Thursday).

That's despite only about two-thirds of trains arriving on time last year.

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