Philip Davies paid tribute during a visit to Leeds Station, one of the company’s largest hubs.
He met with Darren Allsopp, Northern’s stakeholder manager for the east region, and Danielle Clarkson, performance improvement co-ordinator.
Mr Davies, whose Shipley constituency includes Crossflatts Station, was given an insight into how the region’s rail network operates and had the chance to spend time in a driver’s cab on a journey between Leeds and Bradford Forster Square.
He says: “I was very grateful to be given a behind-the-scenes look at how the rail network is operated through Leeds Station, where there are almost 1,200 trains a day, and to speak with experts in the company about how train performance is managed and timetables arrived at.
“I was extremely impressed with the Northern staff, many of whom have decades of experience on the railways, and to see their passion for the industry.
“And it was a fantastic experience to sit in the driver’s cab for a journey and see their job at first hand!”
Mr Davies also took the opportunity to discuss timetable changes which were implemented last month.
On the Airedale line, trains to Bradford Forster Square were reduced to one an hour during off-peak periods, which Northern said “reflects lower customer demand”. Services during peak periods remain twice hourly.
Similar changes were introduced on the Wharfedale line.
Mr Davies says: “Many people have contacted me about the reduction in services and I am told by Northern it is due to low passenger footfall. I made the point that it is a chicken and egg situation and the fewer services we see, the less likely people are to use the train and so it becomes self-fulfilling.”
He was also told that the introduction of classical music at some stations had led to a reduction in anti-social behaviour.
Keighley was amongst nine stations across the north of England involved in a year-long pilot, in which music by the likes of Handel and Beethoven was piped out at certain times of the day.
Northern says the trial led to a “significant” drop in the number of loitering, graffiti and vandalism-related incidents.
The initiative is now being rolled out to more than 20 other stations.
Mark Powles, customer and commercial director at Northern, says: “Anti-social behaviour is a nuisance in its lightest form and nothing short of a criminal act at its worst.
“The classical music trials proved very interesting, and the results speak for themselves.”