State-run rail operator Transpennine Express (TPE) has announced a series of planned improvements for its train services, following a period of poor performance. 

The operator came under government control in May 2023, and offers a number of services to and from Manchester.

Plans to improve the service were outlined by Mr Chris Jackson, who is tasked with reversing the operator's poor performance.

These improvements included a £10 million boost which would go towards reducing ticket prices and induce more commuters to use the service. 

Controversially, it also includes reducing services in December and removing TPE's 'Nova 3' fleet. 

Mr Jackson said: "It was a difficult decision to remove them, but it was the right one. The reason we're removing them is because they have traditionally been under-utilised."

TPE argues that reducing these services will increase reliability for remaining trains. Pulling the Nova 3 fleet, for example, should mean fewer problems, as those trains suffered from a number of technical issues. 

Mr Jackson was grilled by a number of northern politicians, including Bradford Council Leader Susan Hinchcliffe and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. 

These politicians outlined concerns that reducing services whilst simultaneously reducing ticket prices may lead to a surge in passengers which the service would be unable to cope with. 

TPE passengers in Stockport could see reduced services in December (Image - Alasdair Perry)

"The biggest incentive to get people to use the railways is for trains to turn up on time and passengers to have a comfortable journey", Cllr Hinchcliffe argued. 

"Can you give us assurances there will be no three-car trains? We can't have people feeling like cattle on trains that are reliable. We need people to want to keep on using the railway."

Mayor Andy Burnham added: "I've been on three-car Transpennine Express trains that are very full. That can create real discomfort for people.

"There is nervousness in the North about us losing stock and it not coming back. The North should not give anything up lightly given what we've experienced over the years."

Nonetheless, Mr Jackson defended the decision: "We need people to come back to our trains. We still have a lot of empty spaces on our trains, there is still a lot of capacity."

Mr Burnham said: "We understand your decision, but we're putting a marker down to say the enhancements we've won are not going to be given up lightly. We need a plan for people in the North of England to get what people elsewhere in the country expect.

"Perhaps in the past the wrong trains were bought, but that is not a mistake we should be punished for in the North."

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Transpennine Express train image by Michael McNiven, licensed under CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International

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