What is wrong with Northern Rail?

[YorkshireBear]

I think it comes down, quite simply, to Serco and Abellio taking the view that passengers will turn up and put up with their sub-standard service because they don't have a choice. And in the PTE areas they may have a point. But away from there, with the interurban and rural trains, they're wrong. Running decent trains would probably increase revenue.

I blame DafT for letting such a bargain-basement franchise in the first place, but that doesn't stop me thinking that both Serco and Abellio should never be permitted to have another franchise in the UK again. The way the latter is destroying Greater Anglia demonstrates that; being worse than NatEx is quite some achievement.

Seen as all their trains are crowded at peak times and they have record passenger numbers it is probably the correct view...

 

[Carlisle]

Seen as all their trains are crowded at peak times and they have record passenger numbers it is probably the correct view...

To be fair that's probably due more to the fact.that 95% of rail users on the routes concerned have no meaningful competition rather than Northerns outstanding performance and value