Following a meeting with the Managing Director of Transpennine Express Matthew Golton this week, South Yorkshire’s Mayor Oliver Coppard and has claimed the train operator’s recovery plan is inadequate to deal with the scale of the issues on the network.
In the full statement, SY’S Mayor Oliver Coppard said: “The Transpennine Express service in and out of South Yorkshire is not good enough with up to half of all services cancelled on any given day. Right now it’s so poor our communities simply can’t rely on trains to get them where they need to be, when they need to be there.
“To unlock our region’s potential, we need a frequent, affordable and reliable rail network. We’re in a cost of living crisis and an environmental crisis, and effective public transport is a fundamentally important part of the solution to the problems we face.
“I am yet to be convinced that TPE’s recovery plan is matching the scale of the problem, and I will continue to press them to ensure they start delivering for SY and the wider North. I’ll also be writing to Mark Harper to make the case that as Transport Secretary he is ultimately responsible for rail contracts and must do everything in his power to fix the problem.
“In the immediate term, TPE’s MD Matthew Golton has agreed to come with me to Doncaster station to hear directly from passengers, to continue his recruitment drive and to significantly improve customer care – including looking at additional compensation for those affected.”
