ESTHER McVey has praised the Government’s decision to bring Northern under its control and says it is ‘the right thing to do’.

The move was revealed this afternoon, Wednesday, in Parliament by transport secretary Grant Shapps.

The troubled rail company will see its franchise stripped from March 1 following years of major disruption.

And Tatton MP McVey says the decision is the right one as passengers ‘want, deserve and expect’ better.

In a statement, she said: “Today’s decision by Grant Shapps to strip Northern of its franchise was the right thing to do, given its long history of customer dissatisfaction, delays and strikes.

“Northern won the mid Cheshire line franchise bid in 2015 and promised two trains an hour from Knutsford to Manchester, which we expected in December 2017 and we are still waiting for.

“My constituents want, deserve and expect this extra service to be introduced, and I will keep pushing for this.

“They have had to put up with a sub-standard service with overcrowding and I expect action, as I find it ridiculous that plans can be included in the franchise proposals but later told there is no capacity on the line for the extra service.

"I will now be speaking with ministerial colleagues to find out what plans are in place to improve the service and get answers my constituents want.”

From March 1, ownership of the Northern rail operations will be transferred to the Department for Transport in an Operator of Last Resort capacity (DOHL).

According to Mr Shapps, the public-sector operator is a company entirely owned by the DfT and is run by ‘experienced railway managers’.

On its website, DOHL said: “Our initial focus will be to ensure a smooth transition, stabilise performance and restore reliability for customers.

“Over the next few weeks, services will continue to run and customers should continue to purchase tickets in the usual way.”

The Government’s decision has also been welcomed by Transport for the North, who provide one voice on transport infrastructure for authorities in the north.

Chief executive Barry White added: “Our hard-pressed passengers have been calling for action for some time.

“Now, at last, we have the chance of a fresh start.

“This new initiative must put passengers first and provide a reliable rail service that rebuilds trust that has been lost.”