The age-old problem holding Northern back as Greater Manchester passengers return to the railways

A year ago, Northern Trains was under fire for poor performance and outdated practices, even getting called out by Greater Manchester’s mayor, Andy Burnham. Fast forward to today, and things have improved, with a significant drop in cancellations and a rise in passenger numbers—8.1 million journeys recently, the busiest since before the pandemic. The company is aiming for 90% of trains to arrive on time, though it’s still struggling due to an old fleet and not enough rolling stock. Plans are in place to replace two-thirds of its trains over the next decade, with greener options on the way, but passengers won’t see the benefits until 2029. Northern is also rolling out a ‘30 by 30’ strategy to increase journeys by 30 million across the decade by enhancing reliability and customer experience. However, Burnham remains critical, emphasising the need for better services to meet growing demand for travel, especially for events. Northern is open to working with local authorities to align services better with community needs, highlighting the ongoing efforts to make train travel in the North a more attractive option.

Read the full article at Manchester Evening News