Northern Trains

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Northern
File:Northern Trains.svg
300px
Class 195 in May 2021 in Northern livery at Liverpool Lime Street
Reporting mark NT[1]
Dates of operation 1 March 2020 (2020-03-01) – 1 March 2025 (2025-03-01)[2]
Headquarters York[3]
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Northern Trains,[4] trading as Northern, is a publicly owned train operating company in England. It is 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.

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 to 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 2022–2023 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.[5][6] 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.[7][8] Later in 2018 performance continued to suffer, with many passengers protesting and a reduced service on Saturdays due to industrial action.[9][10][11][12] 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.[13]

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".[14] 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.[15] 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".[16]

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.[17][18][19] 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".[20][21]

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.[22][23] 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.[24][25]

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.[26] The contract was updated in 2022, to run until 1 March 2025.[2]

Northern is one of several train operators impacted by the 2022–2023 United Kingdom railway strikes, which are the first national rail strikes in the UK for three decades.[27] Its workers are amongst those who voted to take industrial action due a dispute over pay and working conditions.[28] 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.[29][30]

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 May 2023 timetables.[31] Due to the extensive nature of the network, it has been split by region, then majority rail line.

North East

Tyne Valley, Durham Coast, Esk Valley Lines and East Coast Main Line
Route tph Calling at
Carlisle to Newcastle 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Carlisle to Morpeth 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Hexham to Nunthorpe 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Middlesbrough to Whitby 14 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Darlington to Newcastle 1tpd <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Tees Valley Line
Route tph Calling at
Saltburn to Darlington 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Saltburn to Bishop Auckland 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />

North West

Furness, Windermere and Cumbrian Coast lines
Route tph Calling at
Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • 4 trains per day each run as Manchester Airport to Windermere, and Lancaster to Carlisle, services instead.
Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • Kirkby-in-Furness, Green Road, Silecroft, Bootle, Drigg, Braystones, Nethertown, Parton, and Flimby are served on request.
  • 4 trains per day run as Lancaster to Carlisle services
Oxenholme Lake District to Windermere 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • 4 trains per day run as Manchester Airport to Windermere services
Morecambe branch line
Route tph Calling 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
Route tph Calling at
Liverpool Lime Street to Wigan North Western 2 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Liverpool Lime Street to Blackpool North 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Manchester Airport to Blackpool North 2 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Preston to Blackpool South 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
East Lancashire and Ormskirk branch lines
Route tph Calling at
Preston to Colne 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Ormskirk to Preston 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Liverpool–Manchester lines
Route tph Calling at
Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Oxford Road 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • Most trains either call at Glazebrook and Chassen Road or Humphrey Park and Trafford Park.
Liverpool Lime Street to Warrington Central 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Airport 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Warrington Bank Quay to Liverpool Lime Street 1tpd <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • westbound only
Ellesmere Port to Helsby 2tpd <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Crewe-Manchester, Mid-Cheshire, Stafford–Manchester, and Buxton lines
Route tph Calling at
Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Manchester Piccadilly to Alderley Edge 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • Levenshulme, Heaton Chapel, Stockport, Cheadle Hulme, Handforth, Wilmslow
Manchester Piccadilly to Chester 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Manchester Piccadilly to Stoke-on-Trent 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Manchester Piccadilly to Buxton 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • Services either call at Middlewood or Dove Holes.
Manchester Piccadilly to Hazel Grove 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • Levenshulme, Heaton Chapel, Stockport, Davenport, Woodsmoor
Glossop and Hope Valley lines
Route tph Calling at
Manchester Piccadilly to Hadfield 2 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Manchester Piccadilly to Rose Hill Marple 43 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Manchester Piccadilly to New Mills Central 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Manchester–Southport and Kirkby branch lines
Route tph Calling at
Southport to Manchester Oxford Road 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Southport to Stalybridge 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Kirkby to Blackburn 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • This route is expected to terminate at Headbolt Lane instead of Kirkby when the former station opens in 2023.[32]
    • A rail replacement bus currently runs between Rainford and Kirkby amid construction of the new station.
Ribble Valley line
Route tph Calling at
Blackburn to Rochdale 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Clitheroe to Rochdale 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />

Yorkshire and the Humber

Huddersfield Line
Route tph Calling at
Castleford to Huddersfield 4tpd <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Bradford Interchange to Huddersfield 12 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Wharfdale and Airedale lines
Route tph Calling at
Leeds to Bradford Forster Square 2 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Leeds to Ilkley 2 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Bradford Forster Square to Ilkley 2 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • Frizinghall, Shipley, Baildon, Guiseley, Menston, Burley-in-Wharfedale, Ben Rhydding
Leeds to Skipton 2 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Bradford Forster Square to Skipton 2 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
  • Frizinghall, Shipley, Saltaire, Bingley, Crossflatts, Keighley, Steeton & Silsden, Cononley
Harrogate Line
Route tph Calling at
Leeds to York via Harrogate 2 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Pontefract Line
Route tph Calling at
Leeds to Knottingley via Castleford 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Leeds to Knottingley via Streethouse 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Wakefield Line
Route tph Calling at
Leeds to Doncaster 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Leeds to Sheffield via Wakefield Westgate 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Penistone Line
Route tph Calling at
Sheffield to Huddersfield 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Hallam Line
Route tph Calling at
Leeds to Sheffield via Castleford 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Leeds to Nottingham 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Sheffield–Lincoln line
Route tph Calling at
Leeds to Lincoln 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Sheffield to Cleethorpes 1tpd <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" /> .
See #Parliamentary services below for more.
York and Selby Lines
Route tph Calling at
Leeds to York via Cross Gates 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Halifax to Hull 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
South Humberside Main Line, Dearne Valley Line and Yorkshire Coast line
Route tph Calling at
Doncaster to Scunthorpe 12 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Sheffield to Adwick 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Sheffield to York 3tpd <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Doncaster to Hull 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Sheffield to Scarborough 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Bridlington to York 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Settle to Carlisle and Leeds to Morecambe
Route tph Calling at
Leeds to Carlisle 12 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Leeds to Morecambe 12 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Calder Valley line
Route tph Calling at
York to Blackpool North 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Leeds to Manchester Victoria 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Leeds to Wigan Wallgate 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />
Leeds to Chester 1 <templatestyles src="Cslist/styles.css" />

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Parliamentary services

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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.[33][34] From 1992 until 2018, this service ran once weekly.[35]

Multiple campaigns were conducted to request increase in services to the line,[36] but in 2022, Transport for Greater Manchester published two surveys in relation to the line.[37]

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.[38] The service was suspended between January and October 2022 due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.[39] 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.[40] All Class 153s were sent to storage by December 2021.[41] 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,[42] although they were renumbered back to 156/4s before the transfer.[43] For the December timetable change in 2022, five more Class 156 units were transferred.[44] The final Class 156 units were delivered in May 2023.[45]

Current fleet

Family Class Image Type Top speed Number Carriages Routes Built
mph km/h
Diesel multiple units
Sprinter 150 150x150px DMU 75 121 6 3 Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, West Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire[46] 1984–1987
150x150px 72 2 1985–1987
155 Super Sprinter 150x150px 7[26] 2 York, Leeds, Hull and Scarborough[46] 1987–1988
156 Super Sprinter 150x150px 65 2 North East, Cumbrian Coast, Lancashire and Cumbria, Merseyside and Cheshire[46] 1987–1989
354x354px
158 Express Sprinter 150x150px 90 145 45 2 South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Fylde Coast, North Yorkshire and the North East[46] 1990–1992
8 3
Bombardier Turbostar 170 150x150px 100 161 16[26] 3 Scarborough - Sheffield, Leeds - York via Harrogate[46] 2003–2005
CAF Civity 195 150x150px 25 2 Manchester - Derbyshire, Sheffield, Liverpool, Leeds and Barrow in Furness, York - Blackpool, Windermere and Chester - Leeds[46] 2017–2020
33 3
430x430px
641x641px
Electric multiple units
BR Second Generation (Mark 3) 319 150x150px EMU 100 161 12[47] 4 Liverpool - Wigan and Blackpool. 1990
534x534px
Hunslet Transportation Projects/Holec[48] 323 150x150px 90 145 17[26] 3 Manchester-Hadfield, Manchester-Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester-Crewe, and Liverpool-Manchester Airport[46] 1992–1995
467x467px
CAF Civity 331 150x150px 100 161 31 3 Blackpool North - Manchester Airport, Liverpool, Leeds - Skipton, Bradford Forster Square, Doncaster, Ilkley, Bradford Forster Square - Skipton, Ilkley 2017–2020
12 4
436x436px
580x580px
CAF/Siemens Transportation Systems 333 150x150px 16[26] 4 Leeds - Bradford Forster Square, Skipton, Ilkley,
Bradford Forster Square - Skipton, Ilkley
2000–2003
501x501px
Bi-mode multiple units
BR Second Generation (Mark 3) 769 Flex BMU 100 161 8[49] 4 Southport - Manchester Oxford Road and Stalybridge 2017–2020 (1987–1988 as Class 319)
532x532px

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.[50]

17 Class 323s are to be transferred from West Midlands Trains.[51][52] This will result in the withdrawal of all Class 319 units.[53]

Class Image Type Top speed Number Carriages Routes Built In service
mph km/h
Electric multiple units
323[54] 150x150px EMU 90 145 17 3 Electrified commuter services in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire and Merseyside 1992–1995 2024[55]
467x467px

Past fleet

Former train types operated by Northern include:

Class Image Type Top speed Number Carriages Routes Notes Built Left fleet
mph km/h
142 Pacer 150x150px DMU 75 121 79 2 Local and commuter

services across the North

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

1985–1987 2020
144 Pacer 150x150px 23 1986–1987
153 Super Sprinter 150x150px 17 1 Replaced by Class 150 units, later sent to storage[41] 1987–1988 2020–2021
321 EMU 100 161 3 4 Electrified commuter

services in West Yorkshire

Replaced by Class 331 units 1991 2020
322 150x150px 5 1990

Depots

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Northern currently has depots for its train crew at Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool North, Buxton, Carlisle, Darlington (drivers), Doncaster, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull, Liverpool Lime Street, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Middlesbrough (conductors), Newcastle, Sheffield, Skipton, Wigan Wallgate, Workington and York.

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

Depot Allocation Servicing Nearest station
Allerton TMD 08, 319, 323,[56] 331, 769 150, 156, 195 Liverpool South Parkway
Blackburn King Street TMD None 150, 156, 195 Blackburn
Botanic Gardens TMD None 155, 158, 170 Hull Paragon
Heaton TMD 156, 158 Manors
Newton Heath TMD 150, 156, 195 158, 769 Moston
Neville Hill TMD 08, 150, 155, 158, 170, 331, 333 195 Leeds
Wigan Springs Branch TMD None 158, 195, 319, 331, 769 Wigan North Western

References

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External links

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Preceded by Operator of Northern franchise
2020 -
Succeeded by
Incumbent
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