Northern Rail will be nationalised this week, Transport Secretary reveals
28 January 2020, 09:52
Northern Rail will be brought back into public ownership this week, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has told LBC.
The government has run out of patience with Arriva over the Northern Rail franchise, which has been hit by severe punctuality and reliability issues for the last two years.
Speaking to Nick Ferrari, Mr Shapps said: "I just think everybody deserves trains that turn up on time and get you to the place on time.
"That isn't happening in too many place and Northern has become the byword for late trains and, on a Sunday, trains that just don't run at all.
"I'm not prepared to let that continue and I will be making a further announcement on Northern this week."
The Government is going ahead with plans to re-open some railway lines which were closed more than 50 years ago.
Dr Beeching's review into trains in the 1950s closed 5,000 miles of trainlines and 2,300 stations.
Lines that could be restored include the one linking Fleetwood to Poulton-le-Fylde in Lancashire.
