Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, gives his views on Northern Rail and what his Department is doing to tackle performance 

As a rail commuter, I know the feeling of arriving at my local station with my fingers crossed, staring up at the boards, just hoping that my train will arrive on time. Since I became Transport Secretary, I’ve made it very clear that I am passionate about the trains running on time.

I know exactly how frustrating it can be when performance is substandard, and it is simply not good enough. Those unwanted British pastimes – of fuming at the sight of boards filled with delays, of calling your boss to pre-emptively apologise, of cancelling plans with family or friends – must end.

Across the north, steps are being taken to put things right.

It’s superb to see brand new Northern trains entering service, replacing the knackered Pacers, and providing people with a more modern, comfortable service.

But while the manufacturing delays which are preventing their total roll-out are hugely disappointing, we have a stark choice to make between keeping a small number of Pacers or cancelling a significant number of services.

I share the exasperation of Northern leaders who are calling for compensation for passengers. But I am sure that those leaders, who jointly manage the franchise, also understand that our priority must be ensuring passengers have a reliable service. It is a disappointing choice, but keeping older trains for slightly longer than originally planned is far better than more cancellations and no-shows.

You may have seen stories that Northern is not in good shape financially. So last month I kicked off the process of looking at alternatives.

Developing these contingency plans will take time. However, I’m clear that whatever decision is taken, it will have to be based on what is best for passengers.

Crucially, it will also have to be ready and able to implement the forthcoming recommendations of the Keith Williams led rail review – the most significant assessment of our railways for a generation.

We need ambitious reform on our railways, because the frustration that passengers feel isn’t unique to Manchester and the North. The impact of a delayed or cancelled train is as frustrating to someone in Yorkshire or Birmingham as it is with someone in Waterloo or Bristol.

Last month I urged publication of train performance timed to the minute as a step in the right direction for passengers.

But there is still much more to do and when things do go wrong and performance is compromised, it is only right that passengers get the compensation they deserve.

We’ve seen improved compensation schemes roll out across the country. Nearly 90% of rail passengers’ journeys on franchises run by the Department for Transport are now eligible for better compensation schemes when their trains are delayed by 15 minutes or more.

In the last financial year, almost £79 million was paid out to passengers as a result of delays, representing an increase of 75% in total compensation payments in three years.

While I am pleased that better compensation schemes are now available to more passengers, we want to go further so commuters get the money they are entitled to.

It can still be too long and complicated to get the money they deserve, which is why we are encouraging train operators to introduce ‘one click’ automated claims systems to make claiming compensation easier for customers. This is something the new East Midlands Railway franchise has recently introduced.

It is true that over the last year, we’ve added thousands of extra services and seen train punctuality start to improve but being delayed is simply not acceptable. It could mean missing a connecting service, an important work meeting or seeing loved ones.

I will soon hear back from those in charge of rail companies and industry leaders, having set out the pressing need for concrete action to improve punctuality and reliability.

What was clear – and as a commuter, reassuring – was the shared passion and drive of both government and the rail industry to create a railway where every minute of every passenger’s journey counts.

Train bosses recognise the need for rapid change to ensure people have faith in the system. They know that they need to improve how they communicate when things go wrong, giving passengers accurate, helpful updates, putting their best staff on the ground to reassure that they’re doing all they can.

Part of that is creating a new culture, where the focus for everyone in the industry is on passengers arriving on time. That must drive everything we do.

But there is clearly no single, silver bullet which will address rail performance overnight.

The Queen’s Speech set out our plans for the railway and included our commitment to publish a white paper on the ambitious proposals of the rail review.

One of the focuses of the review will be a new industry structure which would reduce fragmentation, as well as a new commercial model. This, I am sure, will deliver clearer accountability, greater local control, and an absolute focus on passengers and performance.

That means combining the best of what has led to our railways being at the busiest in their history, with a new focus on getting them to run on time.