Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions he has had with train operating companies in Greater Manchester on last minute reductions in train configurations.

The franchise agreement between the Government and each individual train operator includes benchmarks in key performance areas. The Department monitors each train operator's overall performance against these areas every four weeks and there are clear actions set out in the franchise agreement should performance drop below what is expected. This regular monitoring includes monthly meetings with their senior management where performance figures are scrutinised and challenged.

Short-forming (last minute reductions in train configurations) is included in this monitoring, and therefore in the monthly meetings. It is the train operator that decides on whether a service is to be short-formed, and if contractual benchmark figures are breached, the Department does take enforcement action.

Some services in Greater Manchester are sponsored and specified by Transport for Greater Manchester, who also monitor the performance of the operators concerned.