EDM Tabled: 13th December, 2018
That this House expresses its deep disappointment that during this Christmas season the railways will undergo a 58-hour shutdown with no services being provided in England and Wales other than minimal services in the South East; notes that this is in stark contrast to the situation that prevails in the rest of Europe where regular services run throughout the Christmas holidays; further notes that the closure of the rail network is particularly hard on those spending Christmas alone and leaves many people without access to transport to visit family or friends or to attend sporting events or retail sales; notes that in the North of England, Northern is in breach of its franchise stating that 60 services must be provided by the company on 26 December 2018 and that TransPennine have also failed to deliver the anticipated service particularly to Manchester Airport where Boxing Day is the busiest day of the year...