"The Government has rewarded chaos and failure": Anger in Greater Manchester as Avanti handed new six-month rail contract

Politicians in Greater Manchester have been left dismayed after 'worse than dreadful' Avanti West Coast was given another six months to run rail services. The Department for Transport announced today (October 7) it was giving the under-fire operator until April 2023 to turn things around.

It comes after direct services between London and Manchester were slashed to one an hour this summer due to 'operational difficulties', and the Government admits Avanti's performance has been 'unacceptable'. Passengers have been faced with packed trains and difficulties buying tickets in advance - leading to Andy Burnham demanding an ultimatum for Avanti yesterday.

Following today's announcement, the mayor of Greater Manchester is urging Government to keep a close eye on Avanti's performance every day. And if the company is still found wanting in just over two months' time, Mr Burnham believes Avanti should be stripped of the franchise.

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Mr Burnham said: "Putting Avanti West Coast on notice marks a significant shift in tone under the new Secretary of State. At last, there is a clear recognition of the crisis engulfing the country’s most important railway line and the management failure that has led to that.

"However, the lack of an acceptable rescue plan from the company - and clear conditions from the Government - means very few people in Greater Manchester will support this extension. The damage that Avanti’s failing service is inflicting on our economy, and the huge disruption to passengers, is completely unacceptable.