To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made (a) of the performance of the current franchise with Northern Rail and (b) the level of service provided by Northern Rail to the (i) Glossop to Hadfield line, (ii) Hope Valley line and (iii) Buxton to Manchester line.

Northern’s recent performance has not been satisfactory, particularly in relation to train cancellations. The Rail North Partnership which manages the Northern franchise on behalf of the Department of Transport and Transport for the North is continuously assessing the operator’s performance.

The Public Performance Measure (PPM) – the measure for train punctuality in Britain - for the Glossop to Manchester route which includes Hadfield was 82 per cent from October 13 to November 9. The Sheffield to Manchester route including Hope Valley was 52 per cent following severe weather disruption during this time and the Buxton to Manchester line was 81 per cent. The PPM average for Northern during this period was 71 per cent.