For Manchester there one project that need sorted out ASAP and it is Manchester Piccadilly station. It is utterly chaotic during my visit mid day in July last year. Responsible for the rail network and its stations is Network Rail and its subsidiary Network Rail Infrastructure, statutory corporations that will be reclassified this year to government bodies. In other word the Government and the Parliament will from this year be in full control of Network Rail's £140bn net debt and the quality of the rail network in Great Britain (except the London Underground network - it's Boris' domain).
More about the Railways Act 2005 here:
Railways Act 2005