Official report into New Northern Rail Timetable Introduction makes… no recommendations
March 4, 2009
Following the terrible service that accompanied the introduction of the new Northern Rail timetable on 15th December in the Manchester area, GMPTE have published a report into the issues surrounding the implementation.
The report highlights how a combination of poor reliability, staff shortages, last minute delivery of new trains, a ban on rest day working and the introduction of a new timetable created a situation in which 123 trains were cancelled on the first day alone and over 4 times more complaints were received in the four weeks ending 3 January compared with the year before.
The most disappointing feature about the report are the recommendations. It’s all good and well listing the problems - Northern Rail passengers experience the poor reliability and effects of staff shortages virtually every day - we want to know what’s going to be done to improve the services.
It’s insufficient to know that things are settling down - we need to know that Northern Rail are going to improve their project management skills to ensure that in future, passengers are not subjected to such poor service every time changes are introduced.
Most passengers would hope for some fairly significant undertakings and serious recommendations for specific actions given the importance of the rail services to the smooth running of Manchester.
The recommendation of the report is:
Members of the (Transport Network) Committee are recommended to note the contents of the report.
That’s it - simply note the contents!
Nothing about specific actions that are going to be put in place to ensure that passengers do not have to go through such an experience again.
I can only hope that this report is only the first part of a fact finding exercise that is going to lead to those specific recommendations.
Posted in Reports
