Northern Trains
British state-owned train operating company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Northern Trains Limited,[4] trading as Northern, is a British train operating company that operates local services and medium-distance inter-city routes in the North of England. It is owned by DfT Operator for the Department for Transport (DfT), after the previous operator Arriva Rail North had its franchise terminated at the end of February 2020; this was amid widespread dissatisfaction over its performance, particularly in respect of poorly implemented timetable changes.
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| Overview | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise | Northern | ||
| Main regions | |||
| Other regions | |||
| Fleet | |||
| Stations called at | 500+[1] | ||
| Parent company | DfT Operator | ||
| Headquarters | York[2] | ||
| Reporting mark | NT[3] | ||
| Dates of operation | 1 March 2020 –present | ||
| Predecessor | Arriva Rail North | ||
| Other | |||
| Website | www | ||
| |||
The company commenced operating the Northern franchise on 1 March 2020; 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 was also affected by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes, the largest national rail strikes in the UK in three decades. Although strikes stopped in 2024, the franchise has been affected by rest day working restrictions that have continued to regularly affect Sunday services into 2025.[5]
Long-term changes will include procurement of up to 386 new trains totalling 896 carriages, with planned introduction in 2030 in two phases with a further phase to be developed. These new trains will replace most of the current fleet including all ageing Sprinter trains, Class 323 and Class 333 units. The company will benefit from streamlined fleets to reduce both training and maintenance requirements, allowing for operational improvements as well as reduced carbon emissions.[6]
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 (later renamed DfT Operator), conducted due diligence into the franchise believing both the 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 DfT 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.[29]
Northern is one of several train operators affected by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes, which were the first national rail strikes in the UK for three decades.[30] Its workers are amongst those who voted to take industrial action due to a dispute over pay and working conditions.[31] 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.[32][33]
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 2025 timetables:[34]
North East
North West
| Furness, Windermere and Cumbrian Coast Lines | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Manchester Airport – Barrow-in-Furness | 1 |
|
| Barrow-in-Furness – Carlisle | 1 |
|
| Oxenholme Lake District – Windermere | 1 |
|
| Morecambe branch line | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Lancaster – Morecambe | 1 | Bare Lane
|
| Liverpool–Wigan and Blackpool branch lines | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Liverpool Lime Street – Wigan North Western | 2 | |
| Liverpool Lime Street – Blackpool North | 1 |
|
| Manchester Airport – Blackpool North | 2 |
|
| Preston – Blackpool South | 1 |
|
| East Lancashire and Ormskirk branch lines | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Preston – Colne | 1 | |
| Ormskirk – Preston | 1 | |
| Liverpool–Manchester lines | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Liverpool Lime Street – Manchester Oxford Road | 1 |
|
| Liverpool Lime Street – Warrington Central | 1 |
|
| Liverpool Lime Street – Manchester Airport | 1 |
|
| Ellesmere Port – Helsby | 2 tpd | |
| Crewe-Manchester, Mid-Cheshire, Stafford–Manchester and Buxton lines | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Manchester Piccadilly – Crewe | 1 |
|
| 1 |
| |
| Manchester Piccadilly – Alderley Edge | 1 |
|
| Manchester Piccadilly – Chester | 1 | |
| Manchester Piccadilly – Stoke-on-Trent | 1 | |
| Manchester Piccadilly – Buxton | 1 |
|
| Manchester Piccadilly – Hazel Grove | 1 |
|
| Glossop and Hope Valley Lines | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Manchester Piccadilly – Hadfield | 2 | |
| Manchester Piccadilly – Rose Hill Marple | 4⁄3 |
|
| Manchester Piccadilly – New Mills Central | 1 |
|
| Manchester Piccadilly – Sheffield | 1 |
|
| Manchester–Southport and Kirkby branch lines | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Southport – Manchester Oxford Road | 1 |
|
| Southport – Stalybridge | 1 |
|
| Headbolt Lane – Blackburn | 1 |
|
| Ribble Valley line | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Blackburn – Rochdale | 1 |
|
| Clitheroe – Rochdale | 1 |
|
Yorkshire and the Humber
| Huddersfield Line | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Leeds – Bradford Interchange | 1 | |
| Wharfedale and Airedale lines | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Leeds – Bradford Forster Square | 2 | |
| Leeds – Ilkley | 2 | |
| Bradford Forster Square – Ilkley | 2 |
|
| Leeds – Skipton | 2 | |
| Bradford Forster Square – Skipton | 2 |
|
| Harrogate Line | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Leeds – York | 2 | |
| Pontefract Line | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Leeds – Knottingley | 1 |
|
| 1 | ||
| Wakefield Line | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Leeds – Doncaster | 1 |
|
| Leeds – Sheffield via Wakefield Westgate | 1 |
|
| 1 | Wakefield Westgate | |
| Penistone Line | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Sheffield – Huddersfield | 1 | |
| Hallam Line | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Leeds – Sheffield | 1 |
|
| Leeds – Nottingham | 1 |
|
| Sheffield–Lincoln line | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Leeds - Lincoln | 1 |
|
| Sheffield – Cleethorpes | 1 tpd |
|
| York and Selby Lines | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Leeds – York | 1 | |
| Halifax – Hull Paragon | 1 |
|
| South Humberside Main Line, Dearne Valley Line and Yorkshire Coast line | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Doncaster – Scunthorpe | 1⁄2 | |
| Sheffield – Adwick | 1 |
|
| Sheffield – York | 3 tpd |
|
| Doncaster – Hull Paragon | 1 |
|
| Sheffield – Scarborough | 1 |
|
| Bridlington – York | 1 |
|
| Settle to Carlisle and Leeds to Morecambe | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| Leeds – Carlisle | 1⁄2 |
|
| Leeds – Morecambe | 1⁄2 |
|
| Calder Valley line | ||
| Route | tph | Calling at |
| York – Blackpool North | 1 |
|
| Leeds – Manchester Victoria | 1 | |
| Leeds - Chester | 1 |
|
| Leeds – Wigan Wallgate | 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, Class 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 included 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]
Between October 2023 and July 2024, 17 Class 323 units were transferred from West Midlands Trains to Northern Trains.[49][50]
Current fleet
| Family | Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Carriages | Routes | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | ||||||||
| Diesel multiple units | |||||||||
| Sprinter | 150/1 |  |
DMU | 75 | 120 | 8[51] | 3 | Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, West Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire[52] | 1984–1987 |
| 150/2 |  |
66[51] | 2 | 1985–1987 | |||||
| 155 Super Sprinter |  |
7[28] | 2 | York, Leeds, Hull Paragon and Scarborough[52] | 1987–1988 | ||||
 | |||||||||
| 156 Super Sprinter |  |
67[51] | 2 | North East, Cumbrian Coast, Lancashire and Cumbria, Merseyside and Cheshire[52] | 1987–1989 | ||||
 | |||||||||
| 158 Express Sprinter |  |
90 | 145 | 45[51] | 2 | South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Fylde Coast, North Yorkshire and the North East[52] | 1990–1992 | ||
| 8[51] | 3 | ||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Bombardier Turbostar | 170 |  |
100 | 160 | 16[28] | 3 | Scarborough - Sheffield, Leeds-York via Harrogate[52] | 2003–2005 | |
 | |||||||||
| CAF Civity | 195 |  |
25[53] | 2 | Manchester - Derbyshire, Sheffield, Liverpool, Leeds and Barrow in Furness, York-Blackpool, Windermere and Chester - Leeds[52] | 2017–2022 | |||
| 33[53] | 3 | ||||||||
 | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| Electric multiple units | |||||||||
| Hunslet Transportation Projects/Holec[54] | 323 | |
EMU | 90 | 145 | 34[55] | 3 | Manchester-Hadfield, Manchester-Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester-Crewe, Blackpool North - Manchester Airport, and Liverpool-Manchester Airport[52] | 1992–1995 |
 | |||||||||
| CAF Civity | 331 |  |
100 | 160 | 31[53] | 3 | Blackpool North - Manchester Airport, Liverpool, Leeds - Skipton, Bradford Forster Square, Doncaster, Ilkley, Bradford Forster Square - Skipton, Ilkley | 2017–2020 | |
| 12[53] | 4 | Electric services in the North West.[56] | |||||||
 | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
| CAF/Siemens Transportation Systems | 333 | .jpg) |
16[28] | 4 | Leeds - Bradford Forster Square, Skipton, Ilkley, Bradford Forster Square - Skipton, Ilkley |
2000–2003 | |||
 | |||||||||
| Bi-mode multiple units | |||||||||
| BR Second Generation (Mark 3) | 769 Flex |  |
BMU | 100 | 160 | 8[57] | 4 | Southport - Stalybridge, Southport-Manchester Oxford Road[58] | 2017–2020 (1987–1988 as Class 319) |
 | |||||||||
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.[59]
In 2024, Northern issued a tender for up to 329 new trains.[51] The 329 trains are made up of 45 three-coach electric multiple units, 16 four-coach electric multiple units, 108 three-coach bi-mode units, 128 four-coach bi-mode units and 32 four-coach battery electric multiple units.[60]
In January 2025, Northern revealed that they had shortlisted five companies for the replacement of Classes 150, 155 and 156, as well as a fleet of 12 extra EMUs for trans-Pennine electrification. The five companies are Alstom, CAF, Hitachi, Siemens and Stadler. The remaining units will be bi-mode with a pantograph and diesel/battery power; Northern aims to start introducing the new fleet in 2030.[61][62]
According to an interview with Northern's Strategic Development Director Rob Warnes, the fleet options are as follows:[63]
| Phase | Lot | Reserved Class number | Manufacturer | Description | Purpose | Expected first deliveries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Class 382 | ? | 12x3-car EMUs | Newly electric TRU services | 2030 |
| 2 | Class 780 | ? | 48x3-car and 63x4-car MMUs | Replacement of Class 150, 155 and 156 | 2031 | |
| 3 | Class 781 | ? | 8x4-car BEMUs | Replacement of Class 769 | 2032 | |
| 2 | 1 | Class 382 | ? | 34x3-car EMUs, 16x4-car EMUs | Replacement of Class 323 and 333 | ? |
| 2 | Class 780 | ? | 30x3-car and 20x4-car MMUs | Replacement of Class 158 | ? | |
| 3 | Class 781 | ? | 24x4-car BEMUs | ? | ? | |
| 3 | - | ? | ? | ? | Replacement of Class 170 | ? |
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 |  |
DMU | 75 | 120 | 79 | 2 | Local and commuter services across the North | Replaced by Class 150, 156, 158, 170, and 195 units | 1985–1987 | 2020 |
| 144 Pacer |  |
23 | 1986–1987 | |||||||
| 153 Super Sprinter | .jpg) |
17 | 1 | Replaced by Class 150 units, later sent to storage[43] | 1987–1988 | 2020–2021 | ||||
| 319/3 |  |
EMU | 100 | 160 | 19 | 4 | Electrified commuter services in the North West | Replaced by Class 331 units[48] | 1990 | 2024[48] |
| 321 |  |
3 | Electrified commuter
services in West Yorkshire |
Replaced by Class 331 units | 1991 | 2020 | ||||
| 322 |  |
5 | 1990 | |||||||
Depots
Northern currently has depots for its train crew at: Ashington (conductors),[64] Barrow-in-Furness,[65] Blackburn,[65] Blackpool North, Buxton, Carlisle, Darlington[65] (drivers), Doncaster, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull Paragon, Liverpool Lime Street, Leeds,[65] Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria,[66] Middlesbrough (conductors), Newcastle,[65] Sheffield, Skipton, Wigan Wallgate, Workington[65] and York.[65]
Northern's fleet is maintained at the following depots:
| Depot | Allocation | Servicing | Nearest station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allerton TMD | 08, 323,[67] 331, 769 | 150, 156, 195 | Liverpool South Parkway |
| Blackburn King Street TMD | None | 150, 156, 195 | Blackburn |
| Botanic Gardens TMD | 155, 170[66] | 158 | Hull Paragon |
| Heaton TMD | 156, 158 | Manors ( Chillingham Road) | |
| Holbeck TMD | None | 150, 158, 195 | Leeds |
| Newton Heath TMD | 150, 156, 195 | 158, 769 | Moston |
| Neville Hill TMD | 09, 150, 159, 331, 333[68] | 155, 170, 195 | Leeds |
| Wigan Springs Branch TMD | None | 158, 195, 331, 769 | Wigan North Western |
