Overview

• Northern Rail, the UK's second-largest train operator, still uses fax machines for internal communication, including crew rostering.
• Mayor Andy Burnham and other regional leaders have criticized the reliance on 1980s technology, calling for urgent modernization.
• Northern Rail's management claims that union agreements are necessary to transition to modern communication systems.
• The operator has been issued a breach notice by the Department for Transport due to high cancellation rates, exacerbated by staffing issues.
• Plans to replace fax machines are underway, but progress is slow, with ongoing negotiations needed to address labor agreements.