
Figures
released
by
the
Office
of
Rail
and
Road
have
shown
that
Avanti
West
Coast
paid
£12
million
to
its
owners
FirstGroup
and
Trenitalia
last
year.
The
revelation
has
prompted
calls
from
Labour
for
the
money
to
be
repaid
to
taxpayers
in
the
light
of
Avanti’s
poor
performance
in
recent
months,
when
the
number
of
its
cancellations
boosted
the
national
average
to
a
new
height,
although
the
figures
are
now
improving.
The
operator
was
receiving
payments
of
£343
million
as
part
of
its
contract
with
the
Department
for
Transport,
but
apart
from
£12
million
the
rest
was
used
to
pay
its
costs.
FirstGroup
said:
‘Since
2020,
train
operators
have
been
paid
a
nominal
fixed
annual
management
fee
as
well
as
a
performance-based
fee
against
specific
targets
set
by
the
government
to
run
rail
services.
The
information
released
by
ORR
today
refers
to
financial
data
for
operations
in
the
year
to
March
2022,
during
which
we
saw
passenger
numbers
begin
to
recover
after
the
impact
of
the
pandemic
and
prior
to
industrial
action
across
the
network.’
Consumer
watchdog
Transport
Focus
has
described
the
disruption
as
‘potentially
putting
some
off
using
the
train
for
good’,
while
the
RMT
has
accused
Avanti
of
’systematic
mismanagement
…
causing
delays,
fewer
trains
and
staff
shortages’.
Avanti
has
been
given
a
six-month
extension
of
its
contract
to
give
it
time
to
recover
from
driver
shortages
but
patience
has
been
running
out,
particularly
among
politicians
and
business
leaders
in
north
west
England.
Transport
secretary
Mark
Harper
is
due
to
meet
metro
mayors
in
northern
cities
today
and
buiness
leaders
tomorrow.
There
is
also
concern
about
poor
performance
on
TransPennine
Express
and
Northern.
Shadow
transport
secretary
Louise
Haigh
has
accused
the
government
of
‘rewarding
abject
failure
with
taxpayers’
hard-earned
money’.
She
continued:
‘It
is
scandalous
that
despite
the
abysmal
service,
the
government
has
allowed
public
money
to
flow
into
the
pockets
of
shareholders.
It’s
time
the
government
did
their
job
and
hold
this
failing
operator
to
account.
Ministers
sign
off
on
dividend
payments
–
they
must
claw
back
taxpayers’
cash
being
used
to
reward
failure.’
Timetables
are
set
to
change
in
December
and
improvements
are
hoped
for
then,
but
the
chief
executive
of
Northern
Powerhouse
Partnership
Henri
Murison
said:
‘We
need
a
resolution
of
this
by
the
end
of
the
week
or
we
will
get
absolute
chaos
following
the
timetable
change
on
11
December,
when
the
trains
committed
to
will
often
be
cancelled
more
than
not.’
The
Department
for
Transport
said
it
is
holding
regular
meetings
with
Avant
West
Coast
managers,
adding:
‘They
have
been
given
six
months
to
roll
out
a
recovery
plan
and
deliver
long-overdue
reliability.’
Transport
Focus
chief
executive
Anthony
Smith
said:
’Passengers
have
told
us
that
this
disruption
is
having
a
significant
impact,
potentially
putting
some
off
using
the
train
for
good.
Some
have
cancelled
plans
or
travelled
another
way,
while
others
feel
anxious
about
it
all
going
wrong.
While
most
of
those
who
are
able
to
travel
find
the
experience
OK,
many
have
experienced
crowding.
‘Avanti
and
TransPennine
Express
must
do
better
in
ensuring
that
the
trains
run
reliably.
They
must
also
provide
better
information.’
First
Rail
managing
director
Steve
Montgomery
apologised
earlier
this
month
for
the
difficulties,
saying
that
they
were
caused
by
sickness
and
drivers
refusing
to
work
overtime.
He
continued:
‘We
apologise
to
customers.
We
understand
the
inconvenience
this
is
causing
people
in
their
day
to
day
lives.
And
it
is
something
that
we
are
trying
to
correct.’