Northern mayors have called for train services run by TransPennine Express to be brought under public control at a major regional conference in Manchester. The Labour leaders have urged the government to cancel the rail company's contract complaining of years of 'poor' service at the Convention of the North.
It followed a speech by Levelling Up secretary Michael Gove at the annual convention in which he set out the government's position on devolution. Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham described Mr Gove's speech as 'positive', but said that the government must 'reshape the region's railways'.
He said: "If we just put ourselves in the real world of our residents, there is one thing that is bringing a lot of negativity to the North at the moment, dragging down our economies and actually dragging down people's lives and their wellbeing. That is the failing train services across the North of England.
