After months of delays and cancellations TransPennine Express has been brought under government control. Transport Secretary Mark Harper announced this morning (Thurs) that the train operator's contract has not been renewed or extended, with services to be brought in to the Department for Transport’s Operator of Last Resort (OLR) from May 28.
The FirstGroup-owned operator, which run trains across northern England and into Scotland, has been badly affected by drivers who are members of the Aslef union no longer volunteering to work paid overtime shifts. Latest figures showed TPE cancelled the equivalent of one in six services across most of March.
Mr Harper said: "In my time as Transport Secretary, I have been clear that passenger experience must always come first. After months of commuters and northern businesses bearing the brunt of continuous cancellations, I've made the decision to bring TransPennine Express into Operator of Last Resort."
