Rail firm Avanti West Coast has been given six months to improve its services on the West Coast Mainline.
The Government has extended its contract for the London to Glasgow route until next April.
Avanti slashed its timetables in August and Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said services on Avanti had been unacceptable.
She said: “While the company has taken positive steps to get more trains moving, it must do more to deliver certainty of service to its passengers.
“We have agreed a six-month extension to Avanti to assess whether it is capable of running this crucial route to a standard passengers deserve and expect.”
Transport for the North chairman Lord Patrick McLoughlin said they were disappointed by the Government’s decision.
He added: “It’s communities and businesses across the North that are being impacted by this sub-par level of service that is undermining economic growth and the well-being of many people across the region who haven’t been able to rely on this service for far too long now.
“Returning to having a good, reliable service on the West Coast Mainline is a pro-growth policy that will benefit the North of England’s economy, and as such it should be a priority as the current level of service is just not acceptable.
“There now needs to be a clear action plan in place with transparent targets and consequences for the company if they do not meet them – and Transport for the North are ready and willing to help provide oversight if called upon – as what matters above all else is getting back to putting passengers first.”
