Northern could lose its rail franchise, says Transport Secretary

Train operating company Northern was faced with its most serious threat yet from Westminster on Thursday - that it could lose its franchise.

The operator, owned by German state railway Deutsche Bahn via its UK subsidiary Arriva, has angered commuters in the last year, with major delays and cancellations often being the norm across its network in the north of England.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC on Thursday that he had made a “request for proposal” in the autumn, which he explained could lead to a truncated franchise term, or even the complete stripping of the franchise.

“I’m simply not prepared for the service on Northern to carry on as it is and I am taking action,” Shapps said.

Both Arriva and the government’s so-called ‘operator of last resort’ would be required to respond to the request with their proposals to improve the service.

The news comes on the same day as millions of commuters across the UK face fare rises of 2.7% on average, in the latest instalment of the annual railway fare rise much maligned by passengers.