Mayor calls for substantial compensation and general reduction in fares for Northern passengers

Northern trains

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has called for a substantial package of compensation for holders of advance and season tickets for Northern services and a general reduction in fares for all passengers on routes affected by the emergency timetable.

The temporary timetable, announced late on Friday evening, starts on Monday (4 June) and will see thousands of train services cancelled over the summer.

In a letter to the Chairman of Transport for the North (TfN), John Cridland, the Mayor of Greater Manchester says that Northern is likely to benefit financially from the operation of the reduced timetable. If the company is not prepared to fund the compensation package and reduced fares voluntarily, then fines should be imposed to pay for it.

Mr Burnham has also called for Northern passengers on affected routes to be allowed to use their tickets on other modes of transport such as TransPennine Express trains, buses and Metrolink. He believes the TfN board should reserve the right to require changes to the emergency timetable - and have services reinstated - where there is an impact on particular communities.

Mr Burnham said: “Northern have already left people seriously out of pocket and turned their lives upside down with their chaotic services. I have heard countless stories of people forking out for taxis, hire cars, hotels and extra childcare but unable to get compensation for it.

“Now that Northern are unilaterally cancelling thousands of services - that many season ticket holders have already paid for - passengers must be properly and fully compensated. There must also be a general reduction in fares for all passengers on routes affected by these changes. Northern are set to benefit financially from this emergency timetable. It is the company, and not the passengers, who should pay the price for their mismanagement.

“As far as I am concerned, this emergency timetable represents the last chance saloon for Northern. They are causing too much damage to the economy of the North to be allowed to inflict their miserable, unreliable services on us any longer. If they are not providing the promised new May timetable by early August, then steps should be taken to strip the franchise from them.”

The Mayor of Greater Manchester will join other Transport for the North board members on a call on Monday. In advance of the call, he has written to the chairman of the board itemising the issues he intends to raise.​