Video: Northern Rail answers questions from readers of The Yorkshire Post

Northern Rail’s customer service director Natalie Loughborough answered tweets and emails during a live online interview, which you can watch by clicking the screen.

The resounding message from commuters in the region was that one of their main priorities is to see the back of the diesel Pacer trains often described as “buses on rails”.

Reliability, punctuality, overcrowding at peak times and the condition of train interiors also emerged as a concern among passengers on local services.

Northern Rail recently agreed with the Government an extension to its franchise which covers the majority of local rail services in Yorkshire.

As part of that agreement, the Government asked for Northern Rail to come up with ideas to reduce the amount the taxpayer spends on subsidising services.

That led to the introduction of new evening peak fares in West and South Yorkshire, in some cases dramatically increasing the cost of travelling.

The Government is due to take a number of decisions over the future of Yorkshire’s railways in the coming months including which companies will operate the Transpennine and Northern franchises from 2016.