'Very few people in Greater Manchester will support this extension'
The mayor of Greater Manchester has set out his key demands after Avanti West Coast was given another chance to sort itself out by the Government. The company's reputation has taken a battering after making the controversial decision to slash its timetable between Manchester and London to one service an hour on August 8.
READ MORE: "The Government has rewarded chaos and failure": Anger in Greater Manchester as Avanti handed new six-month rail contract And if the company's performance is not deemed good enough by then, Mr Burnham says Government must prepare for a new operator to take over in April 2023. "Putting Avanti West Coast on notice marks a significant shift in tone under the new Secretary of State," he said.
Leaders in Greater Manchester will be hoping to see firm improvements but patience for Avanti West Coast is already thin. "Time and time again Avanti has let passengers down, cost the taxpayer money and damaged the economy," Manchester City Council leader Coun Bev Craig told the M.E.N. “Returning to having a good, reliable service on the West Coast Mainline is a pro-growth policy that will benefit the North of England’s economy, and as such it should be a priority as the current level of service is just not acceptable.
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