North of England faces rail chaos, warns business lobby

Rail services in the north of England could “collapse into utter chaos” by January unless the government takes action, according to business leaders.

Members of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership has written to ask the transport secretary to address a crisis they say is “wreaking havoc.” 

England’s rail services have experienced severe disruptions in recent months due to ongoing strikes and cancellations. 

The government has said the current situation is “unacceptable” and says it’s “investing billions” in northern transport and was “working closely with train operators” to resolve problems around the recruitment of new drivers. 

But Juergen Maier, former chief executive of Siemens UK and a vice chair of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said the government had failed to “use the levers only it can pull, to sort out or train services”.