There has been a lot of reporting on the dire service offered by Northern over the past year. My grouse is not only timekeeping and cancellations but the rolling stock being used in this area.

Many times recently I notice that when a reporter or Government minister is being interviewed on TV at one of the large stations all the Northern trains appear to be far superior to the ones coming into Carlisle station.

This was highlighted the other day when Grant Shapps was being interviewed and all I saw was new trains pulling into the station. The local news channel also gave a report and it showed a train leaving Carlisle and guess what it was a very old Pacer (a design derived from a bus).

If travellers down south had to put up with this quality of trains and service there would be uproar and many questions in the Commons.

John Harper,

Rockcliffe,

Carlisle