Andy Burnham says cancelling Avanti's contract could cause more disruption – but he still believes this is the best way of improving train services to London. The Greater Manchester mayor has written to the transport secretary urging her to remove the company's contract if services do not improve immediately.
Labour politicians from across the North West have also joined calls for the train operator's contract to not be renewed by the government next week. Avanti West Coast announced a plan last month to restore three trains per hour between Manchester Piccadilly and London Euston from December 11.
However, Mr Burnham says he will accept no less than two trains per hour between the two cities by the end of this month, arguing that renewing the contract without these strict conditions would 'sell this city region short'. The operator's current contract expires on October 16 and the government has said it will 'consider all options' when it comes to a decision on its future.
READ MORE: Andy Burnham demands Avanti trains ultimatum after passengers hit by months of chaos
Since the summer, services between Manchester and London have been cut to one train an hour, with passengers often unable to book tickets in advance. The mayor hit back against Avanti's claims that reducing services would bring 'stability and certainty', complaining of continued cancellations and delays.
He said that this 'meltdown' with the timetable has had a 'profoundly negative impact' on the regional and national economy, affecting thousands every day. And he has warned that waiting until December for a full timetable of three trains an hour to be restored would result in 'two more months of chaos'.
Mr Burnham believes the 'most likely solution' is to
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