At the start of the new year I was at Newton-le-Willows station talking to local commuters, alongside the Chair of Merseytravel, Liam Robinson, and local Labour councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron

Passengers across St Helens North in Newton, Rainford, Earlestown and Garswood are putting up with cancelled and delayed services every day, alongside increasing fares and overcrowding.

I’m glad that the government has finally bowed to pressure by suggesting it will strip Northern of the franchise. Passengers, campaigners, our Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram and MPs like me have been telling them for a long time just how bad a deal our constituents get from expensive and unreliable rail and bus services.

But this is only the first step. Public transport needs investment and must be run in the interests of passengers, not private profit.