Andy Burnham has urged the Transport Secretary to demand increased Avanti West Coast train services between Manchester and London or remove its operating contract.
In a letter to Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the mayor of Greater Manchester said the current situation was having a 'profoundly negative impact on the regional and national economy' - and frustrating 'thousands of passengers and businesses every day'.
Avanti announced a plan last month to restore three trains an hour between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston from December 11, but Mr Burnham said the timetable would mean 'two more months of chaos on the West Coast Mainline in the interim'.
