It's a fourth rate service in the North

Wayne Chadburn
A Northern Rail trainA Northern Rail train
A Northern Rail train

Thurlstone Road, Penistone, Sheffield, S36

I write this as a daily commuter on the Huddersfield to Sheffield line. The last two days, (as I write this, it may turn out to be longer), has been the cherry on a particularly unpalatable cake dished up by Northern Rail. We've had two days of significantly reduced service where those of us that require to travel beyond Barnsley have to change trains and platforms and wait for trains to/from Leeds adding time and inconvenience to our journeys. The reason for this? "More trains than usual needing repair at the same time". 

Trains, like any other mechanical device break down occasionally but I ask that this scale of malfunction was surely something waiting to happen when we are subjected to old, decrepit and outdated rolling stock on this line. The state of the trains is nothing short of a disgrace. Pacer trains are still a regular and very uncomfortable inconvenience on this line. Add to the mix to severe deterioration in reliability and punctuality on this line since the timetable changes in May and regular strike action by guards, every Saturday till the new year currently, and the suitability of Arriva Northern running a rail franchise must surely be questioned.   My experience is predominantly on one line but my conversations with fellow sufferers on other lines operated by Northern echo my experiences. The number of punctual journeys I have experienced between Penistone and Sheffield since May I can probably count on two hands. Regularly the service is terminated at Barnsley or Meadowhall mid journey in order to avoid the return service starting late and affecting Northerns punctuality figures without any thought given to the inconvenience caused to passengers on the train. Regularly this leads to passengers being 30 minutes or sometimes over an hour late for work. I have spoken to passengers who have received warning letters from employers purely down to poor service from Northern. The delay-repay system in place by Northern discriminates against regular commuters as opposed to the occasional commuter. The government intend spending billions on a HS2 programme that will have no real economic benefit but plenty of inconvenience for residents of South Yorkshire, all to cut minutes off a journey time to London. This money would be far better invested in improving the current infrastructure and rolling stock in the North and improving connectivity between our northern towns and cities. I have written to my MP and Northern directly voicing my concerns, I ask all others hit by the poor service we are receiving from Northern to do the same. Why should we have to put up with this fourth rate service in the North? I also believe questions need be asked of Northern by those in positions of responsibility as to whether they should hold a franchise at all.