TransPennine Express will not have its contract renewed or extended, the government has announced, after “months of… continuous cancellations”.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper has said that from May 28, TransPennine Express will be brought into operator of last resort – essentially running the network on behalf of the government.
Mr 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 instantly fix a number of challenges being faced, including Aslef’s actions which are preventing the 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.
“We have played our part, but Aslef now needs 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.”
