Northern: Standards
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps she is taking to ensure reliable Sunday services on Northern Rail train services in Fylde constituency.
Answered by Simon Lightwood
The Rail North Partnership, through which the department and Transport for the North manages Northern’s contract, required the operator to produce a detailed improvement plan. The plan includes:
- introducing a temporary reduced timetable on Sundays in the North West, with more bus support and ticket acceptance;
- resolving the Sunday arrangements with conductors to deliver a customer-focussed seven-day railway;
- focussing on fleet, traincrew deployment and strengthening resources in engineering, control and operations; and
- developing a fit-for-purpose structure, including improving governance and processes across the business to improve sickness management.
Northern is in regular discussions with its staff and the unions and ministers are monitoring this progress closely.
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