A train operator has been told to make urgent improvements after a town's passengers faced major problems with its services.

Labour MP Navendu Mishra said commuters in Stockport have suffered from regular cancellations and delays on CrossCountry's "overcrowded" trains.

He described the firm as one of the "worst operating train companies in the country" and urged it to "take action" to turn things around.

His comments come as the company announced a three-month timetable reduction on trains between Manchester and Birmingham until November 9 because of "performance and reliability issues".

The firm said fewer services will "reduce numbers of on-the-day cancellations" on the line, which stops at Stockport railway station.

In a letter sent to CrossCountry bosses, Mr Mishra wrote: "For too long passengers in Stockport have suffered from delays, cancellations, and overcrowding.

"I appreciate that you have acknowledged that services have 'fallen below the standards our passengers should expect from us', however now is the time to take action."

He added: "I look forward to working with you to deliver the services passengers in Stockport deserve."

Stockport railway station (Image - Alasdair Perry)

CrossCountry accepted there are problems with its services in Stockport, but said it is trying to improve the situation.

A spokesperson said: "We acknowledge that our service has fallen below the standards expected of us.

"All too frequently, our passengers have been inconvenienced by on-the-day cancellations, which results in poor quality and reliability of service.

"When we wrote to Mr Mishra on July 26 to highlight the changes and extend an invitation to meet, we acknowledged that recent performances had significantly negatively impacted services across our network, including for passengers at Stockport.

"This is why we have taken proactive action to deliver the change needed to provide a better service for our customers."

A CrossCountry train (Image - Roger Templeman / Wikimedia Commons)

The spokesperson continued: "We believe that our robust plan is the quickest way to improve our performance and provide a more resilient service.

"The temporary timetable will give us time to ensure as many fully-trained drivers can work across the whole network as possible, meaning fewer cancellations and more certainty for CrossCountry customers."

Stockport station is a major transport hub for Greater Manchester, and had more than three million exits and entries last year according to the Office of Rail and Road.

It offers services to Manchester City Centre and London, as well as to local district centres in the borough of Stockport.

But a recent Stockport council report highlighted that passengers get a "poor customer experience" due to the state of the platforms and main building, estimating that £65 million could be needed for a refurbishment of the station.

(CrossCountry train image by Roger Templeman, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0)

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