It is "down to the unions" whether nationalising TransPennine Express train services improves performance, the rail minister has said. Huw Merriman told the PA news agency that bringing the operation of services under UK Government control on Sunday was a "reset moment". Services are now running under a new brand named TransPennine Trains, which is part of the Department for Transport's Operator of Last Resort. Passengers will not notice any other immediate differences as the trains, fares, timetables and staff are unchanged. They have suffered from widespread delays and cancellations over the past year. Industry figures show TransPennine Express - which ran trains across northern England and into Scotland - cancelled the equivalent of one-in-seven services in the first four weeks of April, more than any other operator.