Government announces that Transpennine Express won't have its contract renewed
It's after major performance issues over the past few months
The government has announced that Transpennine Express will be brought under public control, due to "signification disruption" over the past few months.
The operator run services across the North East and Teesside.
The company won't have its renewed at the end of the month, with the operator of Last Resort (OLR) being appointed to run it from the 28th May.
There will be no changes to tickets or destinations, and all staff who work for Transpennine Express will continue in their roles under the OBR.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper says, “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 seven-day working week."
As part of the process, the Transport Secretary has asked his departmentto review services in the North, they say, to help drive efficiency and find better ways to deliver for people across the regions.
Latest figures show Transpennine cancelled the equivalent of one in six services across most of March.