Northern Resist
After beginning a regular commute in 2017, on what was & remains to be, incredibly poor public transport, affecting my physical and mental health and influencing the decisions I made about where I could live and work, I decided enough was enough.
It wasn't just me this service was affecting; it was everybody I knew, up and down the Calder Valley, at work, at home, friends near and far. We had all reached the end of our tether.
On 23rd Oct 2017, I created Northern Resist. Northern Resist is a Facebook group campaigning for better rail services in the North, and it is also much, much more than that. It is a place for:
Real-time travel information;
Solidarity with our fellow commuters;
Sharing stories of the trials and tribulations of Northern;
Humour in times of need;
Support in times of chaos;
Healthy debate about solutions
And it is also a monumental opportunity to expose this failing capitalist institution for what it is: A profit before people, shareholders before services, not-fit-for-purpose public service.
Since 2017, with the incredible support of its admins, the Northern Resist community has grown and developed and campaigned relentlessly. We've shared information, written to politicians, and spoke at length to the press. We influenced the evolution of the Northern Fail app, which was downloaded 18k times in 12 months.
We've challenged the management team about fare increases, we are consulted on for views as a pressure group, and we've influenced the recent decision in support of the guards who've won their longstanding battle regarding DOO trains.
If you're a Northern sufferer, join us. We're not going anywhere.
Northern Resist In The Press
The Guardian - Sep 2018
The Guardian - June 2018
Manchester Evening News - June 2018
Hebden Bridge News - Nov 2018
Liverpool Echo - June 2018
Manchester Evening News - Feb 2019
