Transport Secretary Grant Shapps claimed there are 'four trains an hour' running between London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly. The transport chief had to be corrected as strike action has seen timetables slashed to just one train an hour between the two major cities.
In an interview on BBC Breakfast this morning, August 19, presenter Charlie Stayt and Mr Shapps got into debate on the number of trains per hour between Manchester and the capital as the transport secretary argued that rail union bosses should accept the government's pay offer and agree to reform 'out of date practices'.
After the presenter stated there was only one train an hour between Manchester and the capital, Mr Shapps stated twice there were four 'direct' trains an hour, telling the BBC journalist he had misinformed viewers. National Rail timetables show there is only one train an hour today on the main route from Manchester to London, which runs between the two stations.
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"We don't have a timetable that runs reliably at the weekend when we have some of the biggest increases in the number of passengers post-coronavirus," Mr Shapps said. "We often can't run trains on Sundays because it's not [within] the rail contract."
"People might be slightly bemused by you talking about timetables when at the moment there's only one train an hour going between Manchester and London," Charlie Stayt replied. "They might find it a little odd that you're quibbling about these things."
"Just for factual information, one train an hour is not correct," claimed Mr Shapps . He later returned to the point saying: "You incorrectly told your viewers there is only one train running from Manchester to London, that's not the case even under the reduced timetable. There are four trains an hour."
"Direct trains?" said the presenter, which Mr Shapps then affirmed about the Avanti West Coast line. "There's only one an hour at the moment," continued Mr Stayt.
"All I can tell you is that there are still trains running down the west coast mainline. The strikes do not enhance the situation. Tomorrow there won't be trains running."
The awkward moment continued as the presenter said 'we're getting bogged down in the detail but I think it matters', reasserting there is only one train an hour. Mr Shapps asked 'when you say direct, are you saying trains that stop at no other stations because most trains stop at Milton Keynes? I'm not quite clear on your definition'.
"They have always done that . There's never been a train that's gone directly from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, that's never been the case," said Mr Stayt, before being told by Mr Shapps that the presenter himself was 'getting confused' because 'that's not the case apart from on strike days' in a confused explanation by the transport secretary.
The Transport Secretary claimed rail union bosses are 'so hard lined' that they are not putting forward the government's pay rise offer of 'eight per cent over two years' to their members - therefore stopping the strike action from being settled. Mr Shapps also said the rail unions are putting 'pressure' on members to strike.
Presenter Charlie Stayt challenged Mr Shapps, saying the numbers were contested by groups on strike. He added that the inflation rate is currently 10.1 per cent, far outstripping the offer put forward by a government which has stood on the message of 'high pay for highly skilled workers'.
Mr Shapps replied: "We don't want to be in a 1970s vicious circle where salaries increase, inflation increases and you never get out of this."
The government has to balance the pay rise for rail workers with staff in other sectors, including the care sector, Mr Shapps added.
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