Oral Answers to Questions

Phil Brickell Excerpts

Thursday 21st November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Louise Haigh]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his party’s support in passing the public ownership Bill yesterday in the other place. He is right, and I have made clear to Northern Rail that its performance is not acceptable. We are addressing that through new agreements on rest-day working to drive down cancellations, and crucially through integrating operations with Network Rail to deliver savings and better performance.

[Phil Brickell (Bolton West) (Lab)]

T4. I would like to share the experience of Northern Rail services of one of my constituents who commutes to work from Lostock to Manchester. On 30 October, the 1639 service leaving Manchester was cancelled, the 1708 was cancelled, the 1808 was cancelled and the 1839 was cancelled. The one running train, the 1739, was so overcrowded that no one at stations further down the line could board it. Does the Minister agree that my hard-working constituents in Bolton West deserve better?

[Mr Speaker]

Yes, I am on the same line.