The Department for Transport has today published public consultation documents concerning the Northern Rail and Trans-Pennine Express franchises. This is a formal part of the franchise renewal process with existing contracts coming to an end in 2016. Stephen Joseph, Chief Executive, Campaign for Better Transport said: “Railways in the north of England are at a junction. The Government is talking about trade-offs. For the winners that could mean newer trains and better stations but for the losers, it could be higher fares and reduced services. Getting real investment into rail is essential to the region’s economy and we’ll be looking to work with others to campaign for railways in the north to get the kind of support other parts of the country have seen.” CBT 9th June 2014 Read more here