TransPennine Express facts for kids

TransPennine Express (TPE) is a train company in the United Kingdom. It is owned by the government. TPE runs train services that connect big cities and towns across Northern England and Scotland.

This company started operating in May 2023. It took over from a previous company, also called TransPennine Express, which was having problems. The new TPE kept the same trains, routes, and brand name.

History of TransPennine Express

In the early 2020s, the old TransPennine Express company faced many problems. This was partly because of the COVID-19 pandemic and also due to railway strikes. These events caused many train cancellations and delays.

Because of these issues, the Department for Transport (DfT), which is a government department, decided to make a change. On May 11, 2023, they announced that the old company's contract would not be continued. Instead, a new government-owned company, TransPennine Trains, would take over. This happened on May 28, 2023.

How Well the Trains Run

TransPennine Trains has faced some challenges with its performance. In 2023, it was one of the train companies with the most delays. Between April 2023 and March 2024, only about 47.7% of its trains ran on time. This led to over 311,070 claims for delay compensation.

During the summer of 2023, more than one in eight trains were cancelled. To try and make things better, the company announced in October 2023 that it would temporarily run fewer trains. They reduced the number of daily services from 320 to 300. This meant fewer trains during quieter times between Leeds and Manchester.

The goal of this change was to improve how often trains ran on time and how reliable they were. Chris Jackson, the managing director, explained that this allowed more time for driver training. He also said that the company planned to bring back the full timetable by December 2024.

Train Strikes and Service Changes

In early December 2023, TransPennine Trains' services were affected by industrial action. This means that train drivers, who are part of a union called ASLEF, refused to work overtime and held strikes.

In the same month, the company brought back direct train services between Castleford and York. This was the first time these services had run in 50 years! This change was possible because of recent improvements made to the railway lines as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade.

Train Services

TransPennine Trains took over all the train services that the previous company ran on May 28, 2023.

The TransPennine Express routes are divided into three main areas:

• North Route: These routes go through the main section between Manchester and Leeds.
• Anglo-Scottish Route: These are services that run on the West Coast Main Line, connecting England and Scotland.
• South Route: These services run on lines like the Hope Valley line and the South Humberside Main Line.

As of June 2025, the following services run regularly during off-peak hours, seven days a week:

Peak Hour Train Changes

After the timetable change in December 2024, some services were adjusted during busy "peak hours":

• A train service between Huddersfield and Castleford, previously run by Northern Trains, was taken over by TransPennine Express. This service was extended to York and now runs hourly throughout the day.
• More hourly services were added between Manchester Piccadilly and Leeds. Some trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Huddersfield were also extended to Leeds. These changes mean there are more fast trains between Manchester and Leeds, and two trains per hour to stations between these cities during busy times.

Train Routes

The Trains (Rolling Stock)

When TransPennine Express started, it used the same trains as the company before it. They quickly began to clean and fix up the train interiors. For example, the oldest trains, called Class 185 units, got new carpets and improved toilets.

By late 2023, TransPennine Express also started planning for new trains. They want to use new technology to reduce pollution and eventually remove all diesel trains from their fleet.

In September 2023, the DfT decided that TransPennine Express's Nova 3 trains would be removed from service. These trains were quite new, but they had many problems. These included technical issues, difficulties with driver training, fewer passengers due to COVID-19, and noise complaints from people living near the maintenance area in Scarborough. This meant the trains were not used very much.

The DfT believes that by using other trains, like the 19 Class 802 bi-mode trains and the Class 185 diesel trains, they can still run enough services. Chris Jackson, the managing director, said it's important to have a simpler set of trains to manage the company better.

Current Trains (Fleet)

Family	Class	Image	Top speed		Number	Carriages	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
	Diesel–hydraulic multiple units
Siemens Desiro	185		100	160	51	3	North Route Manchester Airport – Redcar Central Manchester Piccadilly – York via Castleford Manchester Piccadilly – Huddersfield Huddersfield – Leeds Liverpool Lime Street – Hull Manchester Victoria – Scarborough South Route Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Airport – Cleethorpes Anglo-Scottish Route Manchester Airport – Oxenholme Lake District (one return journey)	2005–06
	Bi-mode multiple units
Hitachi AT300	802 Nova 1		125	200	19	5	North Route Liverpool Lime Street – Newcastle Liverpool Lime Street – Hull Newcastle – Edinburgh Waverley Manchester Victoria – Scarborough Anglo-Scottish Route Manchester Airport – Edinburgh Waverley via Preston	2017–19
	Electric multiple units
CAF Civity	397 Nova 2		125	200	12	5	Anglo-Scottish Route Manchester Airport – Glasgow Central/Edinburgh Waverley via Preston Liverpool Lime Street - Glasgow Central via Preston	2017–19
					TPE Class 397 with pantograph

Past Trains (Fleet)

Locomotive hauled stock
Family	Class	Image	Type	Top Speed		Qty.	Carriages	Routes Operated	Built	Withdrawn
				mph	km/h
Stadler UKLight	68		Diesel locomotive	100	160	14	5	North Route (Until 2023) Manchester Piccadilly – Scarborough York – Scarborough (Until July 2023) Liverpool Lime Street – Cleethorpes	2016–17	2023 Will be transferred to Chiltern Railways by 2026
CAF	Mark 5A Nova 3		Coach	125	200	52			2017–18
			Driving Trailer			14