Northern Trains

Last updated

Northern
Northern Trains.svg
331002 SOT.jpg
A Northern Class 331 in November 2023 at Stoke-on-Trent
Overview
Franchise(s)Northern
Main region(s)
Other region(s)
Fleet size368 [1]
Stations called at474 [2]
Parent company DfT OLR Holdings
Headquarters York [3]
Reporting mark NT [4]
Dates of operation1 March 2020 (2020-03-01) – 1 March 2025 (2025-03-01) [5]
Predecessor Arriva Rail North
Other
Website www.northernrailway.co.uk OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
Route map
Northern Trains network.svg

Northern Trains, [6] trading as Northern, is a British train operating company owned by DfT OLR Holdings for the Department for Transport (DfT), after the previous operator Arriva Rail North had its franchise terminated at the end of February 2020.

Contents

The company commenced operating the Northern franchise on 1 March 2020, taking over from Arriva Rail North. The prior operator had its franchise terminated early by the DfT in January 2020 amid widespread dissatisfaction over its performance, particularly in respect of poorly implemented timetable changes. The DfT had opted to hand the operation of the franchise over to the operator of last resort. At the commencement of operations, Northern publicly stated that its immediate aims were to improve service reliability and to proceed with the introduction of new rolling stock. For the latter, both the Class 195 diesel multiple units and Class 331 electric multiple units were brought into service fully during December 2020.

Services have been disrupted by wider events, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic. Northern is also being impacted by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes, the largest national rail strikes in the UK in three decades.

History

Background

In December 2015, the Department for Transport (DfT) awarded Arriva a contract to operate the Northern franchise as Arriva Rail North. It commenced in April 2016 and was originally scheduled to run until March 2025. [7] [8] Within two years, the franchise was being widely criticised, in particular for troubled implementation of a new timetable in May 2018 that resulted in widespread delays and cancellations. [9] [10] Later in 2018 performance continued to suffer, with many passengers protesting and a reduced service on Saturdays due to industrial action. [11] [12] [13] [14] By November 2018, Arriva were re-evaluating their future involvement in the franchise due to a combination of declining passenger numbers as a result of the chaotic May 2018 timetable change and increasing compensation claims as a result of falling punctuality. [15]

In June 2019, the DfT's operator of last resort, DfT OLR Holdings, conducted due diligence into the franchise believing the both operational and financial performance to be "unsustainable". [16] In October 2019, the Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, issued a request for proposals to incumbent operator Arriva and the operator of last resort, which would result in termination of the franchise with either Arriva to be awarded a short-term management contract or the operator of last resort to take over. [17] In January 2020, Shapps publicly criticised Arriva's operation of the Northern franchise and suggested that the Government may step in to revoke its franchise agreement, bluntly referring to the service as "completely unacceptable". [18]

On 29 January 2020, the DfT announced its decision to terminate Arriva Rail North as operator of the franchise, to be taken over by the DfT's operator of last resort. [19] [20] [21] This was the first time that a franchise has been removed from a train operating company due to poor performance since Connex South Eastern in 2003. On 1 March 2020, the franchise became directly operated by DfT OLR Holdings with the stated objective to "stabilise performance and restore reliability for passengers". [22] [23]

Changes and events

By mid-2020, Northern had considerably curtailed its services in response to the significant decline of passenger travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic. [24] [25] From 15 June 2020, both passengers and staff on public transport in England, including Northern services, were required to wear face coverings while travelling, and that anyone failing to do so would be liable to be refused travel or fined. [26] [27]

In 2021 Northern was given a contract by the Department for Transport to run services for three years, with an optional extension of a further two years. [28] The contract was updated in 2022, to run until 1 March 2025. [5]

Northern is one of several train operators impacted by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes, which are the first national rail strikes in the UK for three decades. [29] Its workers are amongst those who voted to take industrial action due a dispute over pay and working conditions. [30] Northern urged the travelling public to avoid travelling on its services on any of the planned dates for the strikes, being only capable of operating a minimal timetable due to the number of staff involved. [31] [32]

Services

Northern took over all the services operated by Arriva Rail North on 1 March 2020.

Table of off-peak services

Below is a simplified list of frequent Monday to Saturday off-peak services, as of December 2023 timetables. [33] Due to the extensive nature of the network, it has been split by region, then majority rail line. One of the changes to the December timetable is the four trains per day service between Huddersfield and Castleford (which was frequently run as a bus rail replacement service), has been moved to TransPennine Express, and extended to start at Manchester Piccadilly, and run to York via Castleford. [34]

North East

Tyne Valley, Durham Coast, Esk Valley Lines and East Coast Main Line
RoutetphCalling at
Carlisle to Newcastle 1
Carlisle to Morpeth 1
Hexham to Nunthorpe 1
Middlesbrough to Whitby 1⁄4
Darlington to Newcastle1tpd
Tees Valley Line
RoutetphCalling at
Saltburn to Darlington 1
Saltburn to Bishop Auckland 1

North West

Furness, Windermere and Cumbrian Coast lines
RoutetphCalling at
Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness 1
  • 4 trains per day each run as Manchester Airport to Windermere, and Lancaster to Carlisle, services instead.
Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle 1
  • 4 trains per day run as Lancaster to Carlisle services
Oxenholme Lake District to Windermere 1
  • 4 trains per day run as Manchester Airport to Windermere services
Morecambe branch line
RoutetphCalling at
Lancaster to Morecambe 1 Bare Lane
  • Hourly service supplemented/modified by additional trains from Leeds.
  • 1 train per day extends to Heysham Port.
Liverpool–Wigan and Blackpool branch lines
RoutetphCalling at
Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western 2
Liverpool Lime Street to Blackpool North 1
Manchester Airport to Blackpool North2
Preston to Blackpool South 1
East Lancashire and Ormskirk branch lines
RoutetphCalling at
Preston to Colne 1
Ormskirk to Preston1
Liverpool–Manchester lines
RoutetphCalling at
Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Oxford Road 1
  • Most trains either call at Glazebrook and Chassen Road or Humphrey Park and Trafford Park.
Liverpool Lime Street to Warrington Central1
Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Airport 1
Warrington Bank Quay to Liverpool Lime Street1tpd
  • westbound only
Ellesmere Port to Helsby 2tpd
Crewe-Manchester, Mid-Cheshire, Stafford–Manchester, and Buxton lines
RoutetphCalling at
Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe 1
1
Manchester Piccadilly to Alderley Edge1
  • Levenshulme, Heaton Chapel, Stockport, Cheadle Hulme, Handforth, Wilmslow
Manchester Piccadilly to Chester 1
Manchester Piccadilly to Stoke-on-Trent 1
Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton 1
  • Services either call at Middlewood or Dove Holes.
Manchester Piccadilly to Hazel Grove1
  • Levenshulme, Heaton Chapel, Stockport, Davenport, Woodsmoor
Glossop and Hope Valley lines
RoutetphCalling at
Manchester Piccadilly to Hadfield 2
Manchester Piccadilly to Rose Hill Marple 4⁄3
Manchester Piccadilly to New Mills Central 1
Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield 1
Manchester–Southport and Kirkby branch lines
RoutetphCalling at
Southport to Manchester Oxford Road 1
Southport to Stalybridge 1
Headbolt Lane to Blackburn 1
Ribble Valley line
RoutetphCalling at
Blackburn to Rochdale 1
Clitheroe to Rochdale1

Yorkshire and the Humber

Huddersfield Line
RoutetphCalling at
Bradford Interchange to Huddersfield1
Wharfedale and Airedale lines
RoutetphCalling at
Leeds to Bradford Forster Square 2
Leeds to Ilkley 2
Bradford Forster Square to Ilkley2
  • Frizinghall, Shipley, Baildon, Guiseley, Menston, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Ben Rhydding
Leeds to Skipton 2
Bradford Forster Square to Skipton2
  • Frizinghall, Shipley, Saltaire, Bingley, Crossflatts, Keighley, Steeton & Silsden, Cononley
Harrogate Line
RoutetphCalling at
Leeds to York via Harrogate 2
Pontefract Line
RoutetphCalling at
Leeds to Knottingley via Castleford 1
Leeds to Knottingley via Streethouse 1
Wakefield Line
RoutetphCalling at
Leeds to Doncaster 1
Leeds to Sheffield via Wakefield Westgate1
Penistone Line
RoutetphCalling at
Sheffield to Huddersfield 1
Hallam Line
RoutetphCalling at
Leeds to Sheffield via Castleford 1
Leeds to Nottingham 1
Sheffield–Lincoln line
RoutetphCalling at
Leeds to Lincoln 1
Sheffield to Cleethorpes 1tpd.
See #Parliamentary services below for more.
York and Selby Lines
RoutetphCalling at
Leeds to York via Cross Gates 1
Halifax to Hull Paragon 1
South Humberside Main Line, Dearne Valley Line and Yorkshire Coast line
RoutetphCalling at
Doncaster to Scunthorpe 1⁄2
Sheffield to Adwick 1
Sheffield to York 3tpd
Doncaster to Hull Paragon1
Sheffield to Scarborough 1
Bridlington to York 1
  • Nafferton, Driffield, Hutton Cranswick, Beverley, Cottingham, Hull Paragon, Brough, Gilberdyke, Howden, Selby, Sherburn-in-Elmet (1tp2h), Church Fenton (1tp2h)
Settle to Carlisle and Leeds to Morecambe
RoutetphCalling at
Leeds to Carlisle 1⁄2
Leeds to Morecambe 1⁄2
Calder Valley line
RoutetphCalling at
York to Blackpool North 1
Leeds to Manchester Victoria 1
Leeds to Wigan Wallgate 1
Leeds to Chester 1

Parliamentary services

Twice weekly on Saturday mornings, once in each direction, Northern operates a parliamentary train on the Stockport–Stalybridge line between Stockport and Stalybridge calling at Reddish South, Denton, and Guide Bridge. [35] [36] From 1992 until 2018, this service ran once weekly. [37]

Multiple campaigns were conducted to request increase in services to the line, [38] but in 2022, Transport for Greater Manchester published two surveys in relation to the line. [39]

As of May 2023, there is one train per day between Sheffield and Cleethorpes, via Gainsborough Central and Brigg. This service runs on weekdays only. [40] The service was suspended between January and October 2022 due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. [41] Between October 1993 and May 2023, this service ran on Saturdays only, but had three trains each way and on weekdays, a few peak services terminated at Gainsborough Central.

Rolling stock

Northern took over all of the rolling stock operated by its predecessor, namely Class 142, 144, 150, 153, 155, 156, 158, 170 and 195 diesel multiple units and Class 319, 321, 322, 323, 331 and 333 electric multiple units. All Class 321 and 322 units were withdrawn in mid-2020 and moved to Greater Anglia. [42] All Class 153s were sent to storage by December 2021. [43] 23 Class 156 units were transferred from East Midlands Railway, which includes eight of the nine Class 156/9 units formerly used by Greater Anglia, [44] although they were renumbered back to 156/4s before the transfer. [45] For the December timetable change in 2022, five more Class 156 units were transferred. [46] The final Class 156 units were delivered in May 2023. [47] The Class 319s were withdrawn on 2 January 2024. [48]

Current fleet

FamilyClassImageTypeTop speedNumberCarriagesRoutesBuilt
mphkm/h
Diesel multiple units
Sprinter 150 150001 at Manchester Victoria.jpg DMU 7512163Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, West Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire [49] 1984–1987
Northern Class 150 - Nottingham.jpg 7221985–1987
155 Super Sprinter Hull - Arriva 155343 arrived from Scarborough.JPG 7 [28] 2York, Leeds, Hull Paragon and Scarborough [49] 1987–1988
Class 155 Arriva Northern Diagram.png
156 Super Sprinter 156489 in NR white.jpg 66 [1] 2North East, Cumbrian Coast, Lancashire and Cumbria, Merseyside and Cheshire [49] 1987–1989
Northern 156.png
158 Express Sprinter Northern Trains 158816.jpg 90145452South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Fylde Coast, North Yorkshire and the North East [49] 1990–1992
83
Class 158 Arriva Northern 2 Car.png
Bombardier Turbostar 170 Sheffield - Arriva 170476 Bridlington service.JPG 10016116 [28] 3Scarborough - Sheffield, Leeds - York via Harrogate [49] 2003–2005
Class 170 Arriva Northern Diagram 3 Car.png
CAF Civity 195 Class 195 at Preston.jpg 25 [1] 2Manchester - Derbyshire, Sheffield, Liverpool, Leeds and Barrow in Furness, York - Blackpool, Windermere and Chester - Leeds [49] 2017–2020
33 [1] 3
Northern Class 195-0.png
Northern Class 195-1.png
Electric multiple units
Hunslet Transportation Projects/Holec [50] 323 323231 of Northern Trains at Lime Street.jpg EMU 9014517 [28] 3Manchester-Hadfield, Manchester-Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester-Crewe, and Liverpool-Manchester Airport [49] 1992–1995
323 Northern By Arriva.png
CAF Civity 331 331001 approaching Crewe platform 1.jpg 10016131 [1] 3Blackpool North - Manchester Airport, Liverpool, Leeds - Skipton, Bradford Forster Square, Doncaster, Ilkley, Bradford Forster Square - Skipton, Ilkley2017–2020
12 [1] 4Electric services in the North West. [51]
Northern Class 331-0 w-pantograph.png
Northern Class 331-1 w-pantograph.png
CAF/Siemens Transportation Systems 333 Northern 333 002 at Ilkley.jpg 16 [28] 4Leeds - Bradford Forster Square, Skipton, Ilkley,
Bradford Forster Square - Skipton, Ilkley		2000–2003
Class 333 Arriva Northern Diagram with Pantograph.png
Bi-mode multiple units
BR Second Generation (Mark 3) 769 Flex
769448 at Manchester Piccadilly.jpg
BMU 1001618 [52] 4 Southport - Manchester Oxford Road and Stalybridge 2017–2020 (1987–1988 as Class 319)
Northern Class 769.png

Future fleet

In August 2023, Northern issued a tender to acquire a contract for up to 450 new trains to replace the older rolling stock in their fleet. [53]

17 Class 323s are to be transferred from West Midlands Trains. [54] [55]

ClassImageTypeTop speedNumberCarriagesRoutesBuiltIn service
mphkm/h
Electric multiple units
323 [56] 323231 of Northern Trains at Lime Street.jpg EMU 90145173Electrified commuter services in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Merseyside1992–19952024 [57]
323 Northern By Arriva.png

Past fleet

Former train types operated by Northern include:

ClassImageTypeTop speedNumberCarriagesRoutesNotesBuiltLeft fleet
mphkm/h
142 Pacer Preston - Arriva 142037+156488 Colne service.JPG DMU 75121792Local and commuter

services across the North

Replaced by Class 150, Class 156, Class 158, Class 170, and Class 195 units.

1985–19872020
144 Pacer 144013 at Morecambe.jpg 231986–1987
153 Super Sprinter Northern Rail Class 153, 153352, platform 5, Lancaster railway station (geograph 4499685).jpg 171Replaced by Class 150 units, later sent to storage [43] 1987–19882020–2021
Class 319/3 319375 Liverpool Lime Street.jpg EMU 100161194Electrified commuter

services in the North West

Replaced by Class 331 units. [48] 19902024 [48]
321
321109Doncaster.jpg
3Electrified commuter

services in West Yorkshire

Replaced by Class 331 units19912020
322 322485 Leeds.jpg 51990

Depots

Northern currently has depots for its train crew at Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool North, Buxton, Carlisle, Darlington (drivers), Doncaster, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull Paragon, Liverpool Lime Street, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, [58] Middlesbrough (conductors), Newcastle, Sheffield, Skipton, Wigan Wallgate, Workington and York.

Northern's fleet is maintained at depots listed in the table below:

DepotAllocationServicingNearest station
Allerton TMD 08, 323, [59] 331, 769 150, 156, 195 Liverpool South Parkway
Blackburn King Street TMD None 150, 156, 195 Blackburn
Botanic Gardens TMD 170 [58] 155, 158 Hull Paragon
Heaton TMD 156, 158 Manors
Holbeck TMD None 150,158, 195 Leeds
Newton Heath TMD 150, 156, 195 158, 769 Moston
Neville Hill TMD 08, 150, 155, 158, 331, 333 170, 195 Leeds
Wigan Springs Branch TMD None 158, 195, 331, 769 Wigan North Western

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References

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  2. ↑ Clifton, Paul (19 April 2023). "What customers want has changed". Rail Magazine . No. 981. pp. 24–27.
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  43. 1 2 "Northern and East Midlands Railway Class 153 fleets stood down". Rail Express . No. February 2022. p. 26.
  44. ↑ "More 156s for Northern". Modern Railways . No. 870. March 2021. p. 87.
  45. ↑ "Fleet Analysis (Northern)". Railways Illustrated . No. 230. April 2022. p. 50.
  46. ↑ "Class 156 'Super Sprinter'". Units. Rail Express . No. 319. December 2022. p. 27.
  47. ↑ "EMR stands down '180s' and '156s". Rail Magazine . No. 984. 31 May 2023. p. 23.
  48. 1 2 3 Miles, Tony (February 2024). "'319s' finish with Northern". Moving Wheels. Modern Railways . No. 905. p. 87.
  49. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Train Types". www.northernrailway.co.uk. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  50. ↑ "Hunslet has had enough of 'misery line' battles". Birmingham Post . 23 March 1994. p. 3. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  51. ↑ Russell, David (January 2024). "Class 331". Units. Rail Express . No. 332. p. 23.
  52. ↑ "Class 769 fleets". Today's Railways UK . No. 242. April 2022. p. 35.
  53. ↑ "SUPPLY OF NEW ROLLING STOCK AND MAINTENANCE SUPPORT SERVICES - Find a Tender". www.find-tender.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  54. ↑ "Class 323 EMUs to remain in traffic with Northern". Rail . No. 886. 28 August 2019. p. 30.
  55. ↑ "First refurbished Class 323 for Northern". Railways Illustrated . January 2020. p. 9.
  56. ↑ "Northern to retain 323s". Modern Railways. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  57. ↑ "West Midlands Trains turns back the clock with retro repaint for Class 323". Today's Railways Uk. No. 252. February 2023. p. 55.
  58. 1 2 Sherrat, Philip (April 2024). "Northern builds for the future". Modern Railways . Vol. 81, no. 907. pp. 66–70.
  59. ↑ "Class 323 EMUs to remain in traffic with Northern". Rail. No. 886. August 2019. p. 30.
Preceded by Operator of Northern franchise
2020 -		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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