The new transport secretary has said she will call in Avanti West Coast bosses to discuss their ‘woeful’ performance.
On a visit to Greater Manchester to promote Labour’s plans to extend bus franchising, Louise Haigh replied: ‘My views about Avanti are very well known, having served in the shadow brief for two-and-a-half years.
‘And I will be calling them in with their Network Rail business unit very soon to address their performance and I’ve been working with my officials immediately to make sure we drive up performance standards.'
Asked when the meeting would take place, Ms Haigh replied ‘imminently’. The Guardian has reported that Ms Haig will meet Avanti and other poorly performing train operators, including and TransPennine, next week.
In September 2023, the Conservative Government awarded Avanti a new contract to run services on the West Coast Main Line, stating that cancellations had consistently been below 3% since March 2023.
The contract began the following month, with a core term of three years up to a maximum of nine years, meaning it can be terminated with three months’ notice at any point from October 2026 or if the terms are breached.
Figures from the Office of Rail and Road show that Avanti had the third worst reliability of all operators in Britain in the last financial year, with one in 15 (6.9%) trains cancelled.
During the election campaign Ms Haigh told Sky News: ‘I anticipate I will be seeking advice early on whether Avanti has been in breach of its contract, given the woeful service that it’s been providing to passengers down the West Coast Main Line.’
Earlier this week, newly elected Labour MPs, including South Ribble MP Paul Foster, criticised Avanti for cancellations and disruption during their journeys to take up their seats.
