George Osborne’s train named Northern Powerhouse breaks down three times in four months
Is the Northern Powerhouse running out of steam already?
Back in March chancellor George Osborne renamed a refurbished Class 319 electric train operated by Northern Rail, the 'Northern Powerhouse' – supposedly as a symbol of the transformation he is pushing for northern England with his multi-billion Northern Powerhouse project.
But the train has broken down three times in just four months, suggesting it may not be quite the symbol of getting Britain back on track that he was hoping for.
This is “nothing out of the ordinary”, however, according to Northern Rail, as a spokesperson for the rail company told local newspaper Knutsford Guardian:
"It is not unusual and they have been very small faults that would happen on any train, such as mechanics that have failed and need to be replaced. A bit like when you need to change a bulb in your car's light."It is nothing that we are concerned about and it is quite average what has happened.