Northern Trains facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Northern

A Northern Class 331 in November 2023 at Stoke-on-Trent
Overview
Franchise(s)	Northern
Main region(s)	North East North West Yorkshire and the Humber
Other region(s)	East Midlands West Midlands
Fleet size	Class 150 Sprinter Class 155 Super Sprinter Class 156 Super Sprinter Class 158 Express Sprinter Class 170 Turbostar Class 195 Civity Class 323 Class 331 Civity Class 333 Class 769 Flex
Stations called at	500+
Parent company	DfT Operator
Headquarters	York
Reporting mark	NT
Dates of operation	1 March 2020 (2020-03-01) –present
Predecessor	Arriva Rail North
Route map

Northern Trains, also known as Northern, is a British company that runs trains. It operates local and medium-distance train services across the North of England. The company is owned by the DfT Operator, which works for the UK government's Department for Transport (DfT).

Northern Trains started running services on 1 March 2020. They took over from the previous company, Arriva Rail North. The government ended Arriva Rail North's contract early because many people were unhappy with their service, especially after some confusing timetable changes.

When Northern Trains began, their main goals were to make train services more reliable and to bring in new trains. By December 2020, new Class 195 diesel trains and Class 331 electric trains were fully in use.

Train services have faced challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Northern was also affected by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes, which were the biggest national rail strikes in the UK in 30 years. Even though the strikes ended in 2024, some Sunday services continued to be affected into 2025.

After successfully adding 290 new train carriages (Class 195 and 331) in 2020, Northern announced plans in 2023 to replace older "Sprinter" trains. In January 2025, they officially started looking for companies to build these new trains. The plan is to choose a company in 2026 and have the first new trains running by 2030. This project could include up to 450 new carriages, making the entire train fleet more modern and eco-friendly.

Understanding Northern Trains' Journey

How Northern Trains Started

In December 2015, the government gave a company called Arriva a contract to run the Northern train services. This company was called Arriva Rail North. They started in April 2016 and were supposed to run trains until March 2025.

However, within two years, many people were complaining about the service. A new timetable in May 2018 caused lots of delays and cancellations. Performance continued to be poor, leading to passenger protests and fewer services on Saturdays due to staff strikes. By November 2018, Arriva was thinking about stopping their involvement because fewer people were using their trains and they had to pay out more money for delays.

In June 2019, the government's special company, DfT OLR Holdings (now called DfT Operator), looked into the problems. They thought the train service and its finances were "unsustainable." In January 2020, the government's transport leader, Grant Shapps, openly criticized Arriva's service, calling it "completely unacceptable."

On 29 January 2020, the government decided to end Arriva Rail North's contract. This was the first time a train company's contract was taken away because of poor service since 2003. On 1 March 2020, the government's own company, DfT OLR Holdings, took over. Their main goal was to make the service reliable again for passengers.

Key Changes and Events for Northern Trains

By mid-2020, Northern Trains greatly reduced its services because fewer people were traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 15 June 2020, passengers and staff on public transport in England, including Northern trains, had to wear face coverings.

In 2021, Northern was given a contract by the Department for Transport to run services for three years, with a possible extension for two more years. This contract was updated in 2022 to run until 1 March 2025.

Northern is one of several train companies affected by the 2022–2024 United Kingdom railway strikes. These were the first national rail strikes in the UK in 30 years. Northern's workers voted to strike over pay and working conditions. Northern advised people not to travel on strike days, as they could only run a very limited number of trains.

Northern Trains' Routes and Services

Northern Trains took over all the routes that Arriva Rail North used to operate on 1 March 2020.

Daily Train Services (Off-Peak)

Here is a simplified list of regular Monday to Saturday train services, based on May 2025 timetables.

North East England Routes

North West England Routes

Yorkshire and the Humber Routes

Special Train Services

Northern also runs a few special services, sometimes called "parliamentary trains," which are kept running to ensure a railway line remains open.

For example, on Saturday mornings, Northern runs a train twice a week between Stockport and Stalybridge. This service stops at Reddish South, Denton, and Guide Bridge. Before 2018, this train only ran once a week.

As of May 2023, there is one train per day on weekdays between Sheffield and Cleethorpes, which goes through Gainsborough Central and Brigg. This service was stopped for a while in 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Northern Trains' Fleet (The Trains They Use)

Northern Trains took over all the trains from the previous company. These included different types of diesel and electric trains. Some older trains, like the Class 321 and 322 units, were moved to other companies in mid-2020. All Class 153 trains were put into storage by December 2021. The Class 319 trains were also removed from service on 2 January 2024.

Between October 2023 and July 2024, 17 Class 323 trains were moved to Northern Trains from another company.

Current Trains in Use

Here are the main types of trains Northern uses today:

Family	Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Carriages	Routes	Built
				mph	km/h
Diesel Trains
Sprinter	150		DMU	75	121	8	3	Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, West Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and Derbyshire	1984–1987
						66	2	1985–1987
	155 Super Sprinter					7	2	York, Leeds, Hull Paragon and Scarborough	1987–1988
	156 Super Sprinter					67	2	North East, Cumbrian Coast, Lancashire and Cumbria, Merseyside and Cheshire	1987–1989
	158 Express Sprinter			90	145	45	2	South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Lancashire, Fylde Coast, North Yorkshire and the North East	1990–1992
						8	3
Bombardier Turbostar	170			100	161	16	3	Scarborough - Sheffield, Leeds - York via Harrogate	2003–2005
CAF Civity	195					25	2	Manchester - Derbyshire, Sheffield, Liverpool, Leeds and Barrow in Furness, York - Blackpool, Windermere and Chester - Leeds	2017–2022
						33	3
	Electric Trains
Hunslet Transportation Projects/Holec	323		EMU	90	145	34	3	Manchester-Hadfield, Manchester-Stoke-on-Trent, Manchester-Crewe and Liverpool-Manchester Airport	1992–1995
CAF Civity	331			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	Electric services in the North West.
CAF/Siemens Transportation Systems	333					16	4	Leeds - Bradford Forster Square, Skipton, Ilkley, Bradford Forster Square - Skipton, Ilkley	2000–2003
	Trains with Both Electric and Diesel Power
BR Second Generation (Mark 3)	769 Flex		BMU	100	161	8	4	Southport - Stalybridge, Southport-Manchester Oxford Road	2017–2020 (1987–1988 as Class 319)

Future Trains for Northern

In August 2023, Northern started looking for companies to build up to 450 new trains. These new trains will replace the older ones in their fleet.

In 2024, Northern asked for bids for up to 329 new trains. These trains would include electric trains with 3 or 4 carriages, and "multiple mode" trains (which can use different power sources) with 3 or 4 carriages. They also want 32 battery-electric trains with 4 carriages.

In January 2025, Northern announced that five companies were chosen to compete for the contract. These companies are Alstom, CAF, Hitachi, Siemens, and Stadler. The new trains will replace the Class 150, 155, and 156 trains. Many of the new trains will be "bi-mode," meaning they can run on electricity (using an overhead power line) or diesel/battery power. Northern plans to start using these new trains in 2030.

Past Trains Used by Northern

Here are some train types that Northern used to operate:

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Carriages	Routes	Notes	Built	Left fleet
			mph	km/h
142 Pacer		DMU	75	121	79	2	Local and commuter services across the North	Replaced by newer trains like Class 150, 156, 158, 170, and 195 units.	1985–1987	2020
144 Pacer					23			1986–1987
153 Super Sprinter					17	1		Replaced by Class 150 units, then put into storage.	1987–1988	2020–2021
Class 319/3		EMU	100	161	19	4	Electric commuter services in the North West	Replaced by Class 331 units.	1990	2024
321					3		Electric commuter services in West Yorkshire	Replaced by Class 331 units.	1991	2020
322					5				1990

Northern Trains' Depots

Northern has many locations where its train staff (like conductors) are based. These include Ashington, Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool North, Buxton, Carlisle, Darlington, Doncaster, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull Paragon, Liverpool Lime Street, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Sheffield, Skipton, Wigan Wallgate, Workington, and York.

Northern's trains are also maintained and repaired at special depots, as listed below: