Train operator Northern to be stripped of its franchise
Another operator will take over short-term - or the government may have to step in.
Train operator Northern is to have its contract ripped up, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced.
Passengers will "not have to wait long'' before action is taken, he said.
The chaotic introduction of new timetables in May 2018 saw up to 310 Northern trains a day cancelled, and punctuality and reliability problems continue to blight the network.
Office of Rail and Road figures show just 56% of Northern trains arrived at stations within one minute of the timetable in the 12 months to December 7, compared with the average across Britain of 65%.
When Mr Shapps was asked by the PA news agency if Northern should be stripped of its franchise, he replied: "The simple answer to the question is yes, it is going to be brought to an end.
"It's partially a legal process but frustrated commuters will not have to wait long.''
But Department for Transport officials later clarified that Northern could continue to operate services through a new, short-term contract.
The other potential option is nationalising services by putting the Government-controlled Operator of Last Resort (OLR) in charge.
This is what happened on the east coast route in June 2018 following the failure of the Virgin Trains East Coast franchise.
German-based Arriva holds the Northern franchise, which was due to run until March 2025.
Mr Shapps first announced in October 2019 that he had issued a request for proposals, which involved asking Northern and the OLR to outline their plans to improve services.