WORKINGTON'S MP has voiced his support for a new Great British Railways body which aims to simplify the network after the 2018 timetable 'fiasco'.

Mark Jenkinson has backed the secretary of state for transport, Grant Shapps, who said the move was needed because there was no 'fat controller' in charge which could prevent incidents in the future. 

It is understood that that private firms would still run trains but there would be a single organisation selling the tickets and running the timetable.

Mr Jenkinson said: "I think it would be good, we saw the fiasco two or three years ago between the operators and the network where there was a blame game so ultimately it would be a good thing to have the network under a single umbrella with the private sector operating the trains."

"There will be a single organisation selling you the tickets and running the timetable."
Mr Shapps told Sky News: "As a commuter myself I just a railway that works, I want ticketing to be straightforward and simple.

"It won't be going back to the days of British Rail - with terrible sandwiches and all the rest of it - it will be a new organisation."

Grant Shapps said he was "essentially a fed-up commuter who became Transport Secretary" as he explained the reason for his rail reforms.

He told the BBC: "Great British Railways will be a single, simplified organisation running all of the ticketing, all of the network, bringing everything together - the timetable and the rest of it - under one roof, in order to make sure people get the service they demand."