TransPennine Express facts for kids

TransPennine Trains Ltd, known as TransPennine Express, is a British company that runs trains. It started operating the TransPennine Express routes on 28 May 2023. This company provides train services between big cities and towns in Northern England and Scotland. The government owns this company. It was created because the previous company, also called TransPennine Express, was not performing well. The new company uses the same trains, services, and brand name.

History of TransPennine Express Trains

In the early 2020s, the company that ran TransPennine Express before, FirstGroup's TransPennine Express, had many problems. Train services were often cancelled or delayed. This was mainly due to events like the COVID-19 pandemic and train staff strikes in 2022–2023.

On 11 May 2023, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced a big change. Because of all the cancellations and delays, First Group's contract to run the trains would not be continued. So, the old TransPennine Express stopped running on 28 May 2023. A new government-owned company, TransPennine Trains, took over. This is called an "operator of last resort" because the government steps in when a private company isn't doing well.

The new TransPennine Trains company also faced challenges. In 2023, it was one of the least on-time train operators. During summer 2023, more than one in eight trains were cancelled. To fix this, in October 2023, the company said it would temporarily run fewer trains. They cut services from 320 trains a day to 300. This meant fewer trains during quieter times between Leeds and Manchester. The goal was to make trains more on-time and reliable.

Chris Jackson, the managing director, explained that this change allowed more time for driver training. It also helped to make the timetable more stable. He said the company planned to bring back the full timetable by December 2024. Soon after, the company launched a tool to help customers understand the service changes.

In early December 2023, train services were disrupted again. This was due to industrial action (strikes) by train drivers. The Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) trade union banned overtime and held rolling strikes. Despite this, in the same month, TransPennine Trains brought back direct train services between Castleford and York. This was the first time in 50 years these trains ran directly. This was possible because of recent upgrades to the railway lines.

Train Services and Routes

TransPennine Trains took over all the services from the previous company on 28 May 2023.

The TransPennine Express routes are divided into three main areas:

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

As of December 2023, here are the services that run during off-peak times, seven days a week:

Peak Hour Train Changes

After the December 2023 timetable update, some changes were made for busy peak hours:

• A train service that used to be run by Northern Trains between Huddersfield and Castleford was given to TransPennine Express. This service now extends from Manchester Piccadilly to York during peak times. It stops at more stations like Deighton, Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, and Normanton. This train runs every two hours during peak times.
• The Hull Paragon to Manchester Piccadilly service now ends at Manchester Victoria instead of Manchester Piccadilly. It also skips some stops between Leeds and Huddersfield. However, it makes an extra stop at Stalybridge. Two trains a day on this route also go to Liverpool Lime Street.
• More hourly trains are added between Manchester Piccadilly and Leeds. Some trains from Manchester Piccadilly to Huddersfield are also extended to Leeds. These services help provide faster connections and ensure two trains per hour to stations between Manchester and Leeds during busy times.
• Some Liverpool Lime Street to Newcastle trains might not stop at Stalybridge or Dewsbury during peak hours. This is because other services cover those stops. Also, one train per day in each direction will skip Lea Green.

TransPennine Express Routes Map

Train Fleet (Rolling Stock)

When TransPennine Express started, it took over all the trains from the company before it. They quickly began some small updates to the trains. The oldest trains, called Class 185 units, got a deep clean inside. This included replacing all the carpets. Also, all the seats were re-covered, and the toilets on board were improved.

By late 2023, TransPennine Express also planned a "new trains programme." This is a longer-term plan to bring in new technology. The goal is to help reduce carbon emissions and eventually remove all diesel trains. They also want to improve how trains are stored and maintained.

In September 2023, the Department for Transport decided to remove some trains. These were the Nova 3 train sets. They included Class 68 diesel engines pulling Mark 5A carriages. These trains were quite new, but they had many problems. There were technical issues and difficulties with driver training. Also, fewer people were travelling because of Covid-19. Neighbors near the maintenance place in Scarborough also complained about noise. This meant the trains were not used very much.

The Department for Transport believes that other trains can cover the services. These include 19 Class 802 bi-mode trains and the Class 185 diesel trains. Chris Jackson, the managing director, said it's important to simplify the types of trains the company uses. This helps with planning and running the business better.

Current Trains in Use

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 – Saltburn Manchester Piccadilly – York via Castleford Manchester Piccadilly – Huddersfield Manchester Piccadilly – Leeds Manchester Piccadilly/Manchester Victoria/Liverpool Lime Street – Hull Paragon York – Scarborough South Route Liverpool Lime Street/Manchester Airport – Cleethorpes	2005–06
	Bi-mode multiple units
Hitachi AT300	802 Nova 1		125	200	19	5	North Route Liverpool Lime Street – Newcastle Newcastle – Edinburgh Waverley Leeds/York – 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

Trains No Longer Used

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
CAF	Mark 5A Nova 3		Coach	125	200	52			2017–18
			Driving Trailer			14