Andy Burnham has criticised the six-month extension of the Avanti West Coast’s government contract.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester says the “time for excuses has passed” after the train operator was given the green light to continue operating.
The decision was made about six months after the operator was put on a short-term contract to develop a recovery plan to address complaints about its poor services – particularly routes between Manchester, Birmingham and London.
The Department for Transport agreed to extend the train line’s contract by another six months, saying service had improved since October.
But Mr Burnham said: “This rail service is of critical importance to the economy of Greater Manchester, but the performance from Avanti is still not good enough.
“That’s why this decision to extend the contract will be met with disappointment here and across the North West.
“Some improvements have been made but there are still persistent issues, such as the difficulty in booking tickets in advance.
“Even today passengers still cannot book tickets for the end of next month or indeed for the bank holidays in early May.”
The six-month contract will include providing more reliable weekend services, continued reductions in cancellations and improvements in passenger communication during disruptions.
The contract was originally introduced after major operational problems caused by a shortage of train drivers and a ban on overtime.
Burnham added: “The fact that the Government has only permitted a six-month extension to Avanti’s contract highlights that Ministers clearly recognise that further improvements are required.
“Most people in the North West would have wanted this contract to be removed today. The time for excuses has passed – they either improve or hand back the franchise.”
The Transport Secretary Mark Harper reportedly travelled to Manchester to meet with associates of the train company to discuss further improvements to the service.
In a statement, Harper said: “The routes Avanti West Coast run are absolutely vital, and I fully understand the frustrations passengers felt at the completely unacceptable services seen last Autumn.
“Following our intervention, Rail Minister Huw Merriman and I have worked closely with local leaders to put a robust plan in place, which I’m glad to see is working.
“However, there is still more work to be done to bring services up to the standards we expect, which is why over this next six months further improvements will need to be made by Avanti West Coast.”
