Inside story: Northern Rail.

Northern Rail are a Train operating company that operates in the Midlands, Lancashire, Yorkshire, Merseyside and Manchester.  Northern Operates routes to places like Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield, York, Newcastle, Carlisle, Blackpool, Hull, Nottingham, Stoke on Trent, Crewe, Chester, Wigan and Preston.

Northern operates a fleet of trains which are one of the oldest in the country. This fleet consists of Class 142’s, Class 144’s, Class 150’s Class 153’s Class 155’s, Class 156’s and Class 158’s. These all operate on the non electrified routes in the area. The fleet also consists of Class 321’s, Class 322’s, Class 323’s and Class 333’s All of which are electric trains and operate on lines that are electrified.

For all of the plans to electrify many lines in the North west there are a number of plans to transfer the Class 319’s from First Capital Connect to Northern to operate service to Blackpool and Leeds.

Northern have been heavily criticised by the travelling public for the continued use of the class 142 and 144 pacer trains. Also the severe overcrowding on Northern services in the North west area. The problem with the Pacer trains is that they have extended past their intended life time and also no longer comply with modern safety standards. Commuters that have to use the service have taken to twitter to express their feelings using the #NorthernFail.

There is a scheme to bring a new electrified railway this area with new trains also to connect it to the currently planned High Speed 2. This however won’t begin until 2016.

The next Inside story will be Crossrail.

^TB