Rail franchises should be scrapped to end ‘nightmare journeys’
Report argues for overhaul of rail system and devolution of commuter services to cities
Rail franchises such as Northern and South Western should be scrapped and cities given control of commuter services, transport campaigners have urged, to bring an end to years of “nightmare rail journeys”.
The call comes as the fate of Northern Rail hangs in the balance, after continued disruption led to northern mayors demanding that Arriva, which has operated the network since 2016, be stripped of its contract.