Transportation issues in Liverpool are nothing new and have been a growing misery for passengers throughout the summer. It became a growing trend for commuters to share their frustrations on social media back in June as they were forced to deal with reduced service more than once on Northern Rail trains.
Even worse, some passengers have complained that not only have they had to suffer through commutes on trains that have been overcrowded to the point of it being dangerous, but, in some cases, trains haven’t even shown up at all.
In fact, one of the worst cancellations of Northern trains occurred on the 5th of August when 50 Liverpool trains were cancelled, including all 30 planned services from Liverpool to Manchester Airport. According to Northern, the cancellations were the result of their train crews having “made themselves unavailable for work.”
However, when the train unions ASLEF and RMT got wind of this, both unions were quick to point out that when Northern made this statement, they failed to mention that the company operates Sunday shifts on a voluntary overtime basis.
Being one of northwest England’s most vibrant cities, alive with culture, business and world-renowned sport, it remains a mystery why these major train issues continue to occur and why train service lags behind other norther cities. For instance, while Liverpool’s transport link to London only has one service an hour, Manchester has three, while both Leeds and Newcastle have two.
The need for better transport in Liverpool, beyond just more trains to London, has been a hot topic in the city for years. In fact, there have been a number of ambitious Liverpool transport schemes, most of which never evolved into anything tangible. Some of these schemes that have been shelved included a tram known as the Merseytram scheme, the Mersey tunnel (an underwater tunnel), a bridge over the Mersey and, believe it or not, flying cars.
Although flying cars are not the solution to the problem, something needs to be done, and most people are turning to Minister Chris Grayling to sort things out with the railways. However, the Transport Secretary has been heavily criticised for his lackluster efforts in finding a solution to the city’s railway crisis.
Back in January, when commuters were hit with the biggest fare hike since 2013 (average rail prices increased by 3.4%), Minister Grayling was criticised for taking a ministerial visit to Qatar, with critics saying that he had purposely planned the trip for this time in an attempt to avoid backlash from angry commuters.
As for these angry commuters, how are they handling the stress of a problematic railway system and a disappointing Transport Secretary? Some are protesting, others are sending emails to the government, while others are venting their frustrations on social media and even by punching a bag featuring the Minister’s face.
No joke, this punching bag does exist in London and is part of a funny stress-relief campaign courtesy of online casino PlayOJO.com in association with reality tv star Charlie King. Commuters are welcome to blow off steam and punch the bag when their faced with yet another train delay that is causing them to run late to work, school, or a family dinner.
Still, funny punching bags aside, with a quarter of Brits experiencing up to three train delays every month, and one in five commuters suffering delays in excess of 40 minutes, the disastrous railways system is no laughing matter.
Something needs to be done for British commuters, especially those in Liverpool. Too many people’s daily lives are being negatively impacted by a train system that can’t keep a timetable. While there isn’t much hope that Minister Grayling can personally sort out the mess, with any luck, the cavalry will ride in soon, though hopefully not by train.