CHANGES to the railway system are being welcomed as the Williams-Shapps Railway Review is published.

The North West’s railway lines were criticised hugely by passengers in the 2018 timetable chaos with continued problems up until the start of the pandemic.

A Facebook group called Northern Resist became the hub of complaining commuters who often posted the many failings of Northern Rail, which was eventually handed back to the government.

The new report says a new body called Great British Railways will be implemented and will have full responsibility for the entire network.

This means deciding fares, timetables and new services as well as setting up contracts with private companies to run services on their behalf. It also spells the end of franchising, with passenger service contracts and a £40billion upgrade will follow.

Steve Sutton, from Northern Resist, also a regular commuter, said: “Any viable Covid rail solution must provide timely, reliable services with space for safe travel. Before Covid, passengers regularly reported fainting on their way to work, solely due to overcrowding.

“That cannot be allowed to happen in our post-pandemic world. Rail must meet our reasonable safety goals to move forward. And we already pay the highest fares and highest taxpayer subsidies in Europe.

One commuter travelling from Blackburn to Manchester every day, said: “I travel for work and the experience I had was shocking. Somebody fainted once and although she was okay in the end, it just made the overcrowding problem even worse.”

Tim Wood, Transport for the North’s interim chief executive, said: “The North saw first-hand the effects of a fragmented rail industry during the 2018 timetable crisis. The fact that Great British Railways will bring track and train together as the guiding mind and put the needs of passengers first is a giant leap forward and something we’ve championed.

“This is a major national moment and a shift in how the railway is run. But this national approach must not be a missed opportunity for further devolution, giving the North’s leaders greater oversight of services and infrastructure investment to deliver more integrated regional networks that work for all.”

Lancashire county councillor Charles Edwards said: “The government’s plans for Great British Railways will make the system far simpler, reliable and accountable.”