PRESSURE has been ramped up on Northern Rail to urgently improve their services.

Northern launched an eight-week interim timetable on Monday, removing 165 trains - 6 per cent of services. The timing of most Northern trains had been changed on May 20 with the launch of new services and capacity.

Since then, hundreds of trains have been cancelled, with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling blaming Government-owned Network Rail for delaying the approval of the new timetables amid late-running engineering projects.

John Cridland, chairman of Transport for the North, said: “We stand firmly with passengers across the North – they expect and deserve better.The patience of residents, businesses and visitors in the North has been tested. They have been inconvenienced and disrupted and need a rail service that they can rely on.”

Mr Cridland said TfN was calling on Northern to ensure any services in total are at least as good as they were before the introduction of the new timetable.

Board members also want the firm to provide clear communication to customers so that they can plan with confidence and compensate passengers who have bought advance or season tickets for the next two months, given the reduced level of service. The body is also urging Northern to reduce the cost of journeys for customers experiencing disruption and arrange for their tickets to be accepted on other rail operators and modes of transport, to provide passengers with an alternative route.

And they must also engage businesses and northern leaders on any future changes that may impact passengers

“We are deeply disappointed that – two weeks in from the timetable change – we are not yet seeing more improvement. We will scrutinise, challenge and track services over the coming days,” Mr Cridland added. “We, as a group, commit to communities in the North to speak on their behalf and demand a service that is fit for purpose.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council regeneration boss and TfN board member, Cllr Phil Riley, said: “At the moment, [Mr Grayling’s] major concern is to see how on earth Northern Rail get back into a situation where they can run some sort of predictable and reliable service.

“There are a number of people starting to ask questions about the franchise and if this is anything to go by, that’s valid. You can’t strip the franchise overnight so the most pressing thing is that Northern Rail start to understand how they get themselves out of this situation.”

Even before the new timetables, Northern services suffered delays and cancellations. New Network Rail data shows that between April 29 and May 26, 35 per cent of trains on the operator’s Lancashire and Cumbria routes were delayed by at least five minutes.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said frustrated train commuters in the North should get substantial compensation and fare reductions, claiming Northern is in the “last chance saloon”.Newspapers across the north of England have joined forces to call on Theresa May to “get a grip” after chaos continued on the rail network.Some 25 titles called on the Prime Minister to lead an emergency summit in Downing Street this week to find a solution to the crisis, and urged a review of rail franchising.

The group also demanded the trans-Pennine high-speed line is prioritised over London’s Crossrail II and devolution of more powers over transport.Mr Grayling announced that the Department for Transport would assess whether GTR and Northern “met their contractual obligations in the planning and delivery of this timetable change”.The Office of Road and Rail will also carry out a full inquiry.A “compensation scheme” will be introduced for passengers on affected routes which will be funded by the industry to ensure “regular rail customers receive appropriate redress,” Mr Grayling said.

County councillor Geoff Driver, leader of Lancashire County Council and chair of Transport for Lancashire, said: “Northern’s performance since the introduction of their new timetable is wholly unacceptable.”

“It shows an alarming disregard for the welfare of the travelling public. Lancashire County Council has been part of the monitoring process from the beginning and fully supports Transport for the North’s call for action.”

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn joined the calls for the Government to take urgent action.

He said: “Northern communities already only get a fraction of the transport investment that the south east receives.

“The Tories should be working day and night to put this scandal right.

“Their failure to do so shows their disregard for people in the towns and cities in the north.

“If the Transport Secretary won’t stop trying to pass to buck, Theresa May must personally intervene to sort out this mess and end the disruption to people’s lives.”