SCHOOLCHILDREN were forced to make their own way home after a packed train arrived at the station in Ulverston and two later trains were cancelled.

Regular rail user Matt Sanderson from Barrow captured to chaos onboard the 3.03pm train from Lancaster to Carlisle via Ulverston and Barrow yesterday.

Mr Sanderson said: "The single carriage train was met by about 200 school kids at Ulverston. Around 50 left behind due to train being totally full. Next service is cancelled! Hell of a way to run a railroad!"

Another passenger said Mr Sanderson's picture doesn't even illustrate how bad the situation was.

Matthew Culley said: "As someone who was on that train, I don't think the picture quite does it justice."

Cath Johnston, whose 12-year-old son attended an after school club at Ulverston Victoria High School yesterday, said he was stranded for almost two hours.

My 12-year-old son left stranded after attending an after school club," she said.

"Two trains cancelled and then next train was running 20 minutes late so instead of getting 4.45pm ish train he would of got 6.10pm."

UVHS assistant headteacher Richard Butler had previously expressed concerns about the revised timetable but said on Monday the services operated effectively. The Mail has contacted the school about yesterday.

Barrow shipyard worker Paul Fisher directed his criticism directly to Northern's managing director David Brown on Twitter.

He said: "Absolute and utter disgrace. @rickard62 your company is a shambles and you should be hugely embarrassed."

Another Twitter user added: "Northern are absolutely incompetent of running a service. Every single day they cancel trains on the Windermere to Oxenholme line!"

Meanwhile the government has stepped in and forced Northern to submit "urgent plans" to tackle its poor performance, the Department for Transport said.

This would include improving driver rostering, increasing driver training on new routes and putting extra peak services into the timetable on key routes.

DfT officials were "working urgently" with Northern and transport body Transport for the North to improve services.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling will speak to Northern bosses on Thursday to "discuss next steps".

He said: "We are delivering the most comprehensive and significant modernisation of the national rail network since the Victorian era.

"Introducing new services, providing passengers with faster journeys and delivering more seats will be part of this essential transformation - but the level of disruption that passengers have experienced in the North is unacceptable.

"Improving the service for Northern customers is the number one performance priority for my department and we will work with the industry to keep disruption at a minimum."

Mr Grayling has come under pressure to take action over the performance of Northern and GTR.

Labour mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham earlier claimed passengers in the north of England were "invisible" to Mr Grayling as he was still waiting for a response to his request on Monday for an "urgent meeting".