It’s not often that my jaw drops when I read a press release on the computer. This week it did.

The rail passengers’ group “TravelWatch NorthWest” claimed that TransPennine Express (TPE) was going to have one in eight of its trains removed and transferred to Chiltern Rail in the south in April next year.

TPE had no say in the matter.

Was this a wind-up? I thought. ‘But it can’t be — it’s Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Day, not All Fools’ Day.

Maybe the authors were exaggerating, then?

So I had the press notice checked with the Research Division of the House of Commons’ Library. These are highly professional, independent, policy experts.

Back came the reply. The claim was essentially accurate.

Here’s the story.

TPE runs services across the north of England (and into Scotland), carrying 26 million passengers a year. Many travellers from East Lancashire connect with TPE services in Preston, Bolton, or at Manchester Airport.

TPE’s passenger numbers have doubled in 10 years — and it shows. It’s one of the most overcrowded train companies in the UK. I use their services a lot — the crush can be worse than the London Underground, and for longer.

This bizarre situation has arisen because the Department for Transport has messed up the extension of TPE’s franchise; by implementing a short-term 10 month extension to the franchise (with a longer deal to follow thereafter), without ensuring that the quite separate train leasing company (which owns the trains themselves) can guarantee that TPE can have all its trains in the interim.

Get it?

It’s because it’s one of the barmiest things I’ve ever come across (of a very long list) that I simply didn’t believe it at first.

Rail passengers in our area already have to put up with some of the most clapped-out trains in the system — like the 30 year-old ‘Pacers’ (Leyland bus bodies on a coal wagon chassis). There’s far less investment in public transport in the North West than in the South. Now this. Who says there’s no north/south divide?