Transport boss’s anger at Avanti’s reduced service

He says train operator kept local leaders in the dark about changes

- NICK STATHAM

A GREATER Manchester transport boss has blasted Avanti West Coast for keeping local leaders in the dark over plans to suspend ticket sales and reduce services to London to just one train per hour from next week.

Councillor Andrew Western, chair of the Greater Manchester Transport Committee, said it was ‘unacceptable’ that the rail firm had cooked up the ‘limited timetable’ with the government without consulting city region chiefs.

“I find it flabbergasting that the Department for Transport have been engaged in this and signed this off, given the economic impact this will have on the city region – and given we are not yet clear how long this shambles will continue,” Coun Western told a committee meeting on Friday.