Andy Burnham ended up being late to a press briefing about ongoing train cancellations over the weekend, because his train was… cancelled.
You just couldn’t write it.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester was intending to make his way over to Liverpool Lime Street station on Saturday with Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram to attend a press briefing about “rail chaos” and call on the government to make an immediate increase in funding for train operators TransPennine Express and Northern.
But, in what is a truly ironic turn of events, the pair ended up being late to the event because the train they were due to board was, in fact, cancelled.
Taking to Twitter to share the unfortunate train cancellation news – but more likely just to point out how ridiculous the whole situation was – Mr Burnham explained: “Heading to Lime St with @MetroMayorSteve for a press briefing on train cancellations but we’re going to be late as our train is cancelled.”
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Mr Rotherham said the irony that the train had been cancelled was “not lost” on the pair.
Despite the bump in the road, Mr Burnham and Mr Rotheram did end up arriving in Liverpool for the press conference, where they condemned the “unacceptable delays and cancellations” that have turned people away from railways and impacted on the economy of the North.
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The pair said train operators are being put in “financial straitjackets”, and are unable to bring in the necessary numbers of staff needed to run services.
The mayors said that widespread cancellations, delays, and poor performance were “seriously damaging people’s lives” by preventing them getting to work, visiting friends and family, and attending events.
They also said it was causing businesses to reconsider investing in the regions.
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Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram turned up late to briefing on ‘rail chaos’ because their train was cancelled / Credit: Northern
“While chaos dominates the national headlines, rail passengers in the North have had to contend with it for years,” Andy Burnham said at the briefing.
“They have suffered from delays, cancellations, and poor performance for far too long.
“Growing the economies of our city-regions is simply impossible if rail services are so unfit for purpose that they act as a barrier rather than a gateway to growth. Appalling levels of service are also turning people away from the railways at a time when, to meet our economic and environmental ambitions, we urgently need to make sure public transport is always a viable – and even a preferable – alternative to cars.
But it is not just operators who are responsible for the North’s failing rail system, as successive governments have failed to invest in vital infrastructure improvements that could make a significant difference to reliability.
“Enough is enough.
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“We are calling for immediate action from the government to deliver a funding injection into the TransPennine Express and Northern contracts.
“Both have a long way to go to win back the trust of passengers in the North, but they will never do so if they are being hamstrung by the financial constraints imposed on them by Whitehall.”
“While chaos dominates the national headlines, rail passengers in the North have had to contend with it for years."
Our dysfunctional trains limit opportunity, stifle growth, and hold us back.
Mr Burnham added that millions of passengers in the North need to know that the government “has their back” when it comes to the delivery of functioning public transport.
He continued: “They need to ensure that operators have the financial and negotiating room to breathe in order to start fixing our broken system, including by supporting a resumption of rest day working.
The pair argued that a deadline of the end of the year should be given for improving rail services across the region, and proposed that without a marked improvement in delivery, TransPennine Express should be stripped of its contract.
“In the longer term, we believe a North West Rail Executive is needed,” Mr Burnham added.
“As part of wider rail reform and the creation of Great British Railways to ensure the delivery of better services in our areas, and provide our city-regions and neighbouring areas with more control over the rail services they depend on to live their lives.”
Featured Image – Andy Burnham (via Twitter)
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Oldham man jailed for life after strangling another man he had a ‘complex’ relationship with
Emily Sergeant
A man has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to the strangulation murder of another man in Oldham late last year.
David Warren Jack, of Plumpton Close in the Royton area of Oldham, appeared in Manchester Crown Court on Monday (1 June), where he pleaded guilty to the murder of Paul Anderson, 55, in December last year.
The sentencing relates to an incident that occurred at around 7.50pm on 6 December 2025, where Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers attended an address on Plumpton Close after receiving reports of an altercation, and when they arrived on the scene, Paul was sadly pronounced dead.
Around an hour earlier, Jack had called a friend to tell them that he had ‘killed somebody’, explaining that he had strangled Paul during a fight.
Shortly after calling his friend, Jack then proceeded to ring 999, with police immediately attending the scene, along with paramedics and other emergency services – but despite their best efforts, they were unable to save Paul’s life.
The cause of death was later ascertained as being caused by strangulation.
Following his death, Paul’s family paid tribute to him, saying: “Rest in peace Paul – a precious dad, son, brother, uncle, nephew, and friend who was so loved. He was a gentleman with a big heart and an incredible sense of humour. Our hearts will be forever broken”.
Following his guilty plea at the start of the week, Jack was yesterday (2 June) subsequently sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 26 years and six months.
Speaking following the sentencing, Senior Investigating Officer Duncan Thorpe said: “David Jack and Paul Anderson had a complex relationship and had clashed before – sadly, this time, there were fatal consequences.
“Immediately following the call we received that night in December, we launched a full and comprehensive investigation into the circumstances of Paul’s death, securing an arrest and ensuring we left no stone unturned in our search for the truth.
“Paul was well-loved by his family, and I am glad that we have secured justice for them. Our thoughts remain with them following this awful case.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Tram diversions and disruption on Market Street as improvement works are carried out
Emily Sergeant
Essential improvement works are currently taking place on the Metrolink network between Shudehill and Market Street.
As the next phase of the ongoing £150m investment into Greater Manchester’s tram network gets under way this month, essential track replacement work is now being carried out in a bid to make the network ‘safer’ and ‘more resilient and reliable’ for years to come.
As of yesterday (1 June) through to Tuesday 9 June, improvement works are taking place in the city centre, and during this time, no trams will operate via Market Street and Shudehill.
This means that, while the work is carried out, some disruption is expected and passengers are urged to ‘plan ahead’ for their journeys.
For the next week, all services from Altrincham will operate to Bury via Exchange Square, and all services from Bury will operate to Altrincham via Exchange Square – with neither calling at Piccadilly Gardens, Piccadilly, Market Street, and Shudehill.
Tram diversions and disruption on Market Street as improvement works are carried out / Credit: The Manc Group
Services from the Trafford Centre will operate to Etihad Campus, while services from Manchester Airport will operate to Victoria via Exchange Square.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has advised that, for customers on the Bury and Altrincham lines, the easiest way to reach Piccadilly will be by changing trams at St Peters Square, although you may need to change platforms for the right trams, so you should check departure boards and signage on stop for more details.
Customers may need to change trams, take a short walk, or hop on the free Bee Network bus to continue their journey. Outside of free bus operating times, however, a replacement bus will operate between Piccadilly and Victoria.
🛠️ Tram works are taking place in the city centre until Tuesday 9 June. Changes to the service pattern are in place:
– Altrincham/Bury & Airport/Victoria services are operating via Exchange Square – Trafford Centre services are operating to Etihad Campus
“These improvements are part of our continued £150m investment to make our tram network safer, more reliable and more resilient for the long term,” commented Ian Davies, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink.
“I’d strongly encourage everyone travelling during this period to plan ahead, as some tram services will need to change while we carry out this essential work.”
Emily Sergeant -
24th October 2022 
