Louise Haigh and Huw Merriman on rail services in northern England

The rail minister agreed with the opposition that "we cannot continue like this" over rail delays and said reforms were needed.

For the government, Huw Merriman said negotiations were underway so that rail operators were not reliant on the approval of their workforce to run a seven-day operation, and called on Labour to back reforms.

Shadow rail minister and Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh said services in northern England were "in meltdown" and the government would have taken "far greater action" if this was happening in other parts of the country.

Transport secretary says North's railways have a real problem to solve