TRAIN operator Northern – which runs services on the Airedale line – has been accused of “trying to evade responsibility” over compensation payments to customers.

The allegation has been made by a senior West Yorkshire politician after passengers were hit by chaos on the region’s railways.

Wakefield council leader Peter Box said the company was not advertising refunds to customers clearly enough.

Recently a number of train services, which had been cut after the botched introduction of a new timetable in May, were reinstated. But the misery for commuters has continued, with nearly half of all Transpennine services seriously delayed or cancelled on one day and more than a fifth of Northern trains similarly affected.

Officials from the two operators and Network Rail were told to “consider their positions” by angry councillors at a West Yorkshire Combined Authority meeting. Northern’s performance and planning director Rob Warnes said that the company’s performance following the aborted timetable’s launch was “not something to be proud of”.

However, he repeated the company’s claims that Northern did not have enough carriages or trained drivers to cover the extra services in May.

He said: “We mustn’t lose sight of the fact we are getting brand new trains and we’re refurbishing the ones that we’re keeping.”

But Councillor Box declared that the operator’s response was “not acceptable”. He said: “I’ve heard a lot of excuses in my time but that tops the lot.

“You’re also being very disingenuous on compensation. People have been massively inconvenienced by all of this.

“Why haven’t you taken out full-page adverts in the media telling people, ‘this is how you get compensation’? Why haven’t you been on the television explaining it? You’re trying to evade responsibility on compensation.”

Mr Warnes denied the firm was ducking the issue and apologised for the continued disruption.

He said: “Compensation has been heavily advertised in the media and on social media. It has also been advertised prominently on our website with clear instructions. We can have a look at whether we need to do more.”