It's been a summer of misery on the North's railways as strikes brought services to a standstill and planned trains were cancelled at short notice.
All too often it's staff shortages - either caused by drivers refusing to work on rest days, sickness or a lack of training and recruitment - which means operators like Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express leave passengers in the lurch.
Read more: Customers say they are STILL struggling for tickets as the clock ticks on Avanti West Coast
But industry figures across the North are working on a plan which, if successful, could create a "pipeline" of skilled railway workers to plug the gaps which operators are struggling to fill.
The Northern Agenda politics newsletter has learned that operators, Northern transport leaders and the Government are working on plans for a 'Rail Academy for the North' to dramatically improve the training and recruitment of rail staff.
Talks are at an early stage but the plan would involve a multi-location training academy offering people across the North the opportunity to develop the skills needed for careers in rail and provide operators with a sustainable supply of skilled staff.
A spokesman for government-owned Northern Trains, which originally put forward the idea, said the academy was "a conceptual solution to develop and enhance the training and recruitment of rail staff across the North of England.
“As the North’s largest rail operator, Northern was asked to conduct an initial study to assess both the feasibility and the potential benefits of creating a new organisation to manage future training needs.
“The Rail Academy for the North concept is part of a number of industry proposals being assessed. No decision has been made on whether to progress the proposal and there is no funding commitment attached to it.”
David Hoggarth, rail director for Transport for the North, said the academy "could also be the first step for a more comprehensive approach to public transport skills including bus and tram drivers, supporting high-skills, high-wage jobs in the North".
Jamie Driscoll, Labour mayor for the North of Tyne, said he encountered problems caused by driver shortages or signal failures "every time I try to use the trains".
He added: "We need better rail infrastructure to end the congestion and signalling faults. Government have promised to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail in full – which includes reopening the Leamside Line to the North East – and we’ll be pushing them to honour that promise.
"But without drivers, guards and crew to operate the trains, nothing will run. Train companies have failed to train and retain enough staff, so we’re still dependent on practices like rest day working to keep the system running.
"A Rail Academy for the North would increase the number of skilled railway workers, and complement the much needed investment in rail infrastructure."
It emerged this summer that Britain’s trains have had their least reliable year since records began, with 3.6% of planned trains cancelled or part-cancelled in the 12 months to 23 July.
Avanti West Coast, which runs services between Manchester, Liverpool, Cheshire and London, reduced its timetable in August to cut short-notice cancellations after a sharp decline in the number of drivers voluntarily working on rest days for extra pay.
And TransPennine Express has also cut services, blaming “sustained high levels of sickness”, a training backlog and reduced staff flexibility after failing to agree overtime arrangements with drivers.
A report to Transport for the North's Rail North committee said rail services "continue to be impacted by industry-wide issues including Industrial Relations (including ongoing and potential future strikes), higher than average levels of sickness and training backlogs caused by covid".
It added: "These issues are combining to create a very challenging environment for operators and are resulting in unacceptable levels of performance and disruption for passengers.
"For performance to improve to sustainable levels the training backlog has to be addressed and this needs to be managed alongside the ongoing impact industrial action, sickness and the loss of flexibility previously afforded by driver rest day working is having on daily performance."
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