Pacers still doomed in North

Rail Minister Andrew Jones, responding to a question from Hartlepool MP Iain Wright, has confirmed that the planned withdrawal of Pacers from the Northern franchise by 2020 remains in place.

Jones said: “All Pacer vehicles on the Northern franchise will be withdrawn by 2020 due to incompatibility of the Pacer vehicles with the vision for economic growth and prosperity in the North, as per the announcement by the Secretary of State in February 2015.”