Northern Rail
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Franchise(s):	Northern 12 December 2004 – September 2013
Main Region(s):	North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber
Other Region(s):	Derbyshire, Lincolnshire and Staffordshire.
Fleet size:	281
Stations called at:	529
Stations operated:	471
National Rail abbreviation:	NT [1]
Parent company:	Serco Group / NedRailways
Web site:	www.northernrail.org

Northern Rail (often referred to simply as Northern) is a train operating company that has operated local passenger services in the north of England since 2004. Northern Rail's owner, Serco-NedRailways, is a consortium formed of NedRailways (the British unit of Nederlandse Spoorwegen) and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems. When it won the Northern England franchise, the consortium had already secured the contract to operate north-west England's Merseyrail network in 2003.

Introduction

Serco-NedRailways was announced as the 'preferred bidder' for the Northern franchise by the Strategic Rail Authority on 1 July 2004, and signed the agreement to operate the franchise on 19 October. However, the new operators did not actually take over from the previous operators (First North Western and Arriva Trains Northern) until 12 December 2004. The reason for the delay was because Serco NedRailways assumed that some Class 142 Pacer trains would be freed up in the near future when Manchester Metrolink services started between Manchester and Oldham. Due to a substantial delay in extending the Metrolink, it was clear that this was not going to be the case. ^[2]

Northern run a mix of commuter routes, rural routes and some longer distance services around Cheshire, Co. Durham, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear and Yorkshire. Northern’s services also extend to the north Midland counties of Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire. Some services are supported by Passenger Transport Executives. From December 2008 the operator will be starting an express service from Leeds to Nottingham calling at Outwood, Wakefield Westgate, Sheffield, Dronfield, Chesterfield, Alfreton, Langley Mill and Nottingham.

The franchise is planned to run for a maximum of 9 years and 9 months,^[3] depending on how well Serco-NedRailways perform. The franchise does not require them to purchase or lease new trains.

Northern Rail won public transport operator of the year 2007 at the National Transport Awards and was praised by the judges for attracting 20% more passengers since 2004.^[4]

Performance

In the period 6 December 2007 to 5 January 2008 Northern’s punctuality varied between 86.7% (for trains going south from Manchester) to 94.2% (for services in the Tyne and Wear area).^[5] Figures released by the Office of Rail Regulation rate Northern Rail's Public Performance Measure (PPM) at 90.3% for the fourth quarter of the 2007/8 financial year (up from 89.5% the previous year). The PPM Moving Annual Average (MAA) for the year to 30 March 2008 was 88.5%.^[6]

One reason for the trains south of Manchester to have poor punctuality is problems between Stockport and Manchester. One such problem is when Northern started the franchise they re-timetabled the Chester to Manchester trains to run 8 minutes later (to increase the turnaround time at Chester.^[7] However, this means they frequently get in the way of the Buxton to Blackpool/Bolton trains which depart Stockport at around the same time and both services must switch tracks between Stockport and Manchester to arrive at the correct platforms at Manchester Piccadilly.

The franchise agreement commits to a 15% reduction in delays before 2009 and to a new 'incentive/penalty régime' and 'local focus on performance'.^{citation needed}

Routes

Timetable booklets for routes marked WY are only produced by Metro, the West Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive.

Northern Rail also run some 'parliamentary' trains. These include:

• Chester to Runcorn (weekly in one direction only. Does not run during the winter)
• Ellesmere Port to Helsby (five from Ellesmere Port per day, four to Ellesmere Port, with two journeys extending to Warrington, of which one extends to Liverpool)
• Sheffield to York via Pontefract Baghill (three journeys per day)
• Stockport to Stalybridge (weekly in one direction only)

Depots

The Traincare depots for Northern Rail are located in:

• Hull Botanic Gardens (BG)
• Blackpool North LMD (BP)
• Barrow-in-Furness (BW)
• Heaton (Newcastle upon Tyne) (HT)
• Neville Hill (Leeds) (NL)
• Newton Heath (Manchester) (NH)
• Sheffield Station (SM)

Additionally, Northern Rail also has a Depot Access Agreement (DAA) with West Coast Traincare to undertake Level 1 to 4 Maintenance at its Manchester Traincare Centre (Longsight LO) on the Northern Rail operated Class 323 EMU's and Servicing on its Class 142 and Class 15x DMU's.

An further DAA covers Servicing of its Class 142 and Class 15x DMU's at West Coast Traincare's Liverpool Traincare Centre (Edge Hill CS).

December 2008 service changes

This article or section contains information about planned or expected public transportation in the United Kingdom. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change significantly as more information becomes available.

In December 2008 there are set to be significant changes to certain Northern Rail routes these include:

• The Buxton to Blackpool North will be replaced by a Buxton to Manchester Piccadilly service and a Manchester Victoria to Blackpool North service.^[8]
• The Hazel Grove to Manchester Piccadilly service will have two trains per hour, with one of these extended to Bolton, possibly to Preston.^[8]
• An additional hourly all-stations Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport service. (Transpennine Express services will not continue to serve stations between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport except Heald Green.)^[8]
• Constraints on the West Coast Main Line caused by extra London to Manchester trains will result in an hourly peak service from Manchester Piccadilly to Chester via Altrincham, rather than half-hourly, causing anger among rail groups and rail passengers^[9] It will also result in one less peak local train from Crewe to Manchester (although a Cross Country service will run via Crewe rather than Macclesfield.)
• Virtually all Manchester Piccadilly to Macclesfield services are to be extended to Stoke-on-Trent calling at Congleton, Kidsgrove (and Longport during the morning and evening peaks).^[8]
• Half of the current Manchester Piccadilly to Marple services to be extended to New Mills Central.^[8]
• New hourly Express Service from Leeds to Nottingham calling at Wakefield Kirkgate, Barnsley, Meadowhall, Sheffield, Dronfield, Chesterfield, Alfreton and Langley Mill.^[10] Class 158 units have been seen route learning between Sheffield and Nottingham in preparation for this service.^[11]
• Major changes on the Caldervale Line, with the introduction of a limited-stop service between Leeds, Bradford Interchange and Manchester Victoria, and a Leeds-Manchester Victoria stopping service via Dewsbury and Brighouse^[12]

Rolling Stock

Northern Rail leases a fleet comprised of diesel and electric multiple units and has not continued First and Arriva's practice of hiring locomotive-hauled trains. With the exception of the 16 Class 333 trains, all Northern Rails's units are former British Rail units.

Current fleet

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Unit numbers	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 142 Pacer		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	68	142003, 005, 007, 011–027, 031-058, 060, 061, 065, 066, 071, 078, 079, 084, 086–096.	Stopping Services Across Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, Teesside, Tyne and Wear, Yorkshire	1985 - 1987
Class 144 Pacer		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	23	144001–023	Found on Metro services mostly in West Yorkshire, also in South Yorkshire & North Yorkshire.	1986 - 1987
Class 150/1 Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	17	150133–150	Found on local and longer distance services around Cheshire, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, West Yorkshire	1985 - 1987
Class 150/2 Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	23	150201, 203, 205, 207, 208, 211, 215, 218, 222-225, 228, 268–277	Found on local and longer distance services around Cheshire, Derbyshire, Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Merseyside, West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire	1985 - 1987
Class 153 Super Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	18	153301, 304, 307, 315–317, 324, 328, 330–332, 351–352, 358–360, 363, 378	Preston - Ormskirk, Leeds - Knottingley, Wakefield Kirkgate - Knottingley, Cumbrian Coast Line. Also seen coupled to other trains for additional capacity.	1987 - 1988
Class 155 Super Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	7	155341–347	Caldervale Line Leeds - Manchester Victoria	1987
Class 156 Super Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	46	156420, 421, 423–429, 438, 440, 441, 443, 444, 448, 451, 452, 454, 455, 459-462, 464, 466, 468–473, 475, 479–484, 486–491, 497, 498	Various Longer Distance Services and increasingly on shorter services across Northern’s network	1987 - 1989
Class 158 Express Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	90	145	46	158752-759, 784, 787, 790-797, 815-817, 842-845, 848-851, 853, 855, 859-861, 871, 872, 901-910	Express services including York - Blackpool North, Sheffield - Leeds via Barnsley, Sheffield -Bridlington/Scarborough, Leeds - Carlisle, Leeds-Bradford-Manchester Victoria, Nottingham - Leeds from Decembner 2008	1989 - 1992
Class 321		Electric multiple unit	100	160	3	321901–903	Wakefield Line Leeds - Doncaster	1988 - 1991
Class 323		Electric multiple unit	100	160	17	323223–239	Electrified routes in and out of Manchester Piccadilly: Manchester Piccadilly - Alderley Edge/Crewe/Glossop/Hadfield/Hazel Grove/Macclesfield/Stoke-on-Trent	1992 - 1993
Class 333		Electric multiple unit	100	160	16	333001–016	Wharfedale Line Leeds and Bradford - Shipley - Ilkley Airedale Line Leeds and Bradford - Shipley - Keighley - Skipton Leeds-Bradford line	2000

Future fleet

In January 2008, as part of the Government's rolling stock plan, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced that the fleet of Class 323 trains currently in operation on services in South and East Manchester would be transferred to London Midland where the rest of the Class 323 trains are based in order to form a uniform fleet. In return, Northern are due to receive 24 new build or cascaded EMU vehicles.^[13] The plan also states that further DMU stock is due to be transferred to Northern from London Midland and London Overground

As part of a two-year trial into the feasibility of the tram-train concept, Northern will operate five newly built tram units on the Penistone Line from 2010.^[14] Because the Penistone Line is not electrified, the new units will require diesel propulsion. However, the plan is a two-phase trial, with the proposed second phase seeing services operating over both the railway and the Supertram network in Sheffield.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Northern Rail

• Northern Rail official website
• Serco-NedRailways official website