A passenger who wanted to travel by train from Leeds to Liverpool on Friday would have had little choice. A single connection connected these two cities, with a change in Manchester of almost seven hours. However, they are only separated by 115 kilometres. TransPennine Express, the company that manages this section, as well as many routes linking cities in the north of England and southern Scotland, is known for the poor quality of its service.
On Thursday, Transport Minister Mark Harper announced that the firm, which is owned by First Group, a company listed on the London Stock Exchange, will be placed under state supervision when its contract expires on May 28. Its management will be taken over by the Operator of Last Resort, a body within the Department of Transport that intervenes when a railway operator can no longer fulfill its mission. Since the beginning of 2022, TransPennine Express has indeed accumulated problems. In January and February, 24% of its trains were...
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