The government's transport secretary has said train services in Cumbria could soon be nationalised.

Grant Shapps, the government's transport secretary has lambasted the performance of Northern Rail over its running of train services throughout Cumbria and the north of England.

"We cannot carry on just thinking it is OK for trains not to arrive," he told the House of Commons Transport Select Committee, as his Department for Transport confirmed it was looking into handing over the Northern Rail franchise to an "Operator of Last Resort" - putting the services back into public hands.

This is a move supported by Transport for the North, a body set up by the government to develop a new rail strategy for the north of England.

Addressing the select committee, Mr Shapps was critical of Northern Rail's handling of timetable changes last year.

"If you are northern, and you are a Northern passenger, you're as frustrated as I was in 2018. With Northern [Rail] it has failed to recover.

""As a fellow long-suffering commuter, I entirely believe we cannot carry on just thinking it is OK for trains not to arrive, or Sunday services not to be in place. That has to change."