Train company apologises for poor service

Passengers across Cumbria want more trains to run on time

A train company has apologised for its services not being "up to scratch".

Passengers in Cumbria have complained that Northern trains are "unreliable" and that there are "too many cancellations and delays".

Tony Miles, from Modern Railways Magazine, told BBC Radio Cumbria industrial action, a lack of trained staff and a 200-year-old track were all causing problems for rail passengers in the county.

Northern Trains said it was "working hard" to "improve service reliability".

Cumbria's five MPs previously wrote to Louise Haigh MP, Secretary of State for Transport, to ask for improvements to the county’s rail services.

June Griffin finds it frustrating when trains are cancelled at the last minute

Passenger June Griffin, who lives in Grange-over-Sands, says she has to plan ahead.

"I get the train before the one I really need, just in case it gets cancelled at the last minute, which they quite often do at the moment, and I find that quite frustrating," she said.

Holidaymaker David Katz, from Manchester, said he wanted to see more trains and more staff. He said there "always" seemed to be cancellations and delays.

"Last year it was the strike and this year it seems to be a shortage," he added.

David Katz is fed up with cancellations and delays...

...while Lisa Woodman struggles to get home from work on time

Librarian Lisa Woodman said: "I finish work at five o' clock and sometimes I don’t get in until seven.

"They take the trains away at short notice, there’s lots of striking."

'We apologise'

A spokesperson for Northern said: "Our performance and reliability for customers in Cumbria have not been up to scratch in recent weeks and for that we apologise.

"In addition, the ongoing industrial relations issues have their own impact.

"We are working hard with our colleagues and other train operators to improve service reliability.”

Mr Miles said nothing would "improve until an agreement is reached to end the industrial action".

"The new government is engaging with the unions directly which is a good step," he added. "The problem is that railway staff haven’t had a pay increase, in many cases, for five years.

"We’re being told there is no money in the national wallet to pay anyone, so those discussions are going to be difficult."

Rail workers unions are in talks with the government to settle the ongoing pay dispute.