Tory ministers are accused of a "reward for failure" after handing chaos-hit firm Avanti a six-month lifeline to improve the West Coast main line.
A “short-term extension” to Avanti West Coast's contract will let it run trains until 1 April 2023 after ministers blasted its “unacceptable” service.
The government will then look at whether the firm deserves a full-blown new contract, based on performance.
