Northern Railway Franchises

EDM number 908 in 2003-04, proposed by Ann Cryer on 24/03/2004.

That this House expresses its dismay at the creation of the Transpennine Express and Northern Rail franchises out of the existing North West and Northern franchises; notes that under the terms of section 212 (30) of the Transport Act 2000, the Strategic Rail Authority has the power to take direct control of railway services at the end of the franchise period, but instead has chosen to re-tender the Northern franchises to the private sector; believes this effective re-privatisation will compound the problems of fragmentation of railway services in the North of England, creating uncertainty for passengers and employees, with reports of future train crew depot closures and cuts in station staff; and represents a missed opportunity to create a single integrated rail service in the region; and therefore calls on the Government to review this decision as a matter of urgency.

This motion has been signed by a total of 28 MPs.