Northern train chaos continues as Andy Burnham accuses Chris Grayling of being 'asleep at the wheel'

Mayor of Greater Manchester demands renationalisation and says the north is being unfairly treated

Nearly new? The latest rolling stock on the Northern network consists of 1980s trains handed down from the Thameslink line through London (Getty/iStock)

Rail passengers on the Northern network are having their lives damaged by the botched new train timetable, according to the mayor of Greater Manchester.

Labour’s Andy Burnham accused Chris Grayling, the transport secretary, of discriminating against the north, and called for renationalisation of the railways.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s The World At One, Mr Burnham said: “Last week we were told the transport secretary was making sorting out Northern his top priority – here we are seven days on and things have got dramatically worse.

“I am left with the clear impression that nobody, least of all the transport secretary, has got a grip on this situation. He’s been asleep at the wheel.”

New timetables took effect on 20 May in southeast and northwest England, on the GTR and Northern franchises respectively. In both regions, there have been widespread delays and cancellations.

Mr Burnham said that on Tuesday 280 trains due to be operated by Northern had been cancelled, along with more than 200 on Wednesday.

On Thursday afternoon, four trains per hour supposed to serve Bolton were cancelled, with other services delayed. Four trains in Cumbria were axed because of a shortage of available train drivers, while a return trip on the scenic Leeds-Settle-Carlisle was cancelled because of “more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time”.

More than a dozen Northern trains disappeared from the departure boards at Liverpool Lime Street because of insufficient train drivers.

“This is turning people’s lives upside down,” said Mr Burnham.

“People are on warnings from work for being constantly late. We cannot have the rail industry damaging people’s lives like this.

“Northern commuters and their pain is not of equal worth as southern commuters. If it was the case I think the transport secretary would have stepped forward much sooner.”

The latest rolling stock on the Northern network consists of 1980s trains handed down from the Thameslink line through London, which has new equipment.

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), which is engaged in a long and bitter dispute with Northern over the role of guards, has called for the transport secretary to resign.

The union’s general secretary, Mick Cash, said: “Instead of trying to blame everyone other than himself and his private operators he should accept responsibility and go.

“The constant attacks on the workforce and Network Rail, an organisation that Grayling has deliberately set out to undermine at every turn on ideological grounds, have to stop.

“We need a wholly new approach which sees our railways as a vital public service rather than a one-way ticket to the bank for greedy and incompetent train companies.”

Mr Burnham also demanded renationalisation, saying: “This fragmented, privatised rail system simply isn’t capable of providing a decent service to the public.

“The case for renationalisation in my view has been well and truly made.”

But Mr Grayling said: “I am in regular discussions with Network Rail, Northern and GTR, and have reiterated that disruption suffered by passengers is wholly unacceptable.

“I have been very clear with Network Rail that it was far too late in finalising planned timetable changes and this must not happen again.

“Train companies are working to keep passengers moving and disruption minimised.

“While this is currently a huge inconvenience to passengers as the changes bed in, we are investing in the biggest modernisation of the railway since Victorian times and this new timetable will deliver hundreds more services up and down the country.”

Network Rail and Northern have announced plans for an independent investigation into the timetable’s introduction.

David Brown, managing director of Northern, said: “We are doing everything we can to minimise cancellations and delays and keep our customers informed. It has been difficult for many of our customers and I am truly sorry for this.

“There is urgent work to do to fully understand what did and didn’t work on all aspects of planning and delivery of the new timetable.

“We are committed to working with Network Rail and Northern stakeholders to deliver the services our customers expect and deserve.”