Transport bosses for the North have called for train operator Avanti to be stripped of the West Coast Main Line rail route.
The Transport for the North Board has officially passed a motion to write to the Secretary of State asking for the firm to be taken off the route at the earliest possible opportunity.
It comes after a report to the board that stated a continuation of the current situation was unacceptable.
Two options were considered by the board – to set a target for improvement by June or face ‘further measures’ or to terminate the contract straight away.
After hearing from Avanti’s MD Steve Montgomery about the poor performance over many months, the board opted to take immediate action.
Transport for the North will now write to the Secretary of State for Transport that Avanti West Coast’s contract should be terminated at the earliest possible opportunity, with the Operator of Last Resort taking on responsibility in the short term for the delivery of long-distance services on the West Coast Main Line.
In December, the board wrote to the Transport Secretary asking him to instruct officials to conduct a critical review into Avanti West Coast’s operation given the deteriorating service, after the operator announced a number of cuts to services over the busy Christmas period, and highlighted the economic impact on the region.
Lord McLoughlin, Transport for the North chair, said: “The board was very clear. The performance on the West Coast Main Line by Avanti has been so poor, for so long that action now must be taken.
“We will be writing statutory advice today to the Secretary of State calling for Avanti to be relieved of its contract. The travelling public deserve a service they can rely on. But Avanti has fallen far too short of expectations for far too long now.”
