Northern Rail

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Franchise(s):	Northern 12. December 2004 – September 2013
Main Region(s):	North West, North East, Yorkshire and Humberside
Other Region(s):	None
Fleet size:	273
Stations:	529 (471 operated)
Parent company:	Serco Group / NedRailways
Web site:	www.northernrail.org

Northern Rail is a train operating company that has operated local services in the north of England since 2004. The franchise was won by a consortium formed of NedRailways (the English unit of Nederlandse Spoorwegen, the state-owned train operating company of the Netherlands) and Serco, an international operator of public transport systems. This consortium had already won the contract to operate the Merseyrail network earlier in 2003.

Serco-NedRailways was announced as the 'preferred bidder' for the Northern franchise by the SRA on 1 July 2004, and signed the agreement to operate the franchise on 19 October. However, the new operators did not actually commence ownership and take over from the previous incumbents (First North Western and Arriva Trains Northern) until 12 December 2004. Most of the former Arriva long-distance routes were separated out into the Transpennine Express franchise, won by First and Keolis; Northern was left with a mix of commuter routes around Manchester and West and South Yorkshire, rural branch lines, and some longer-distance stopping services (e.g. York-Blackpool via Manchester Victoria). Some services are supported by Passenger Transport Executives.

The franchise is planned to run for a maximum of 8 years and 9 months, depending on how well Serco-NedRailways perform. As the media have reported throughout, the franchise does not require them to purchase new trains, but there have been rumours of a large fleet of Chinese-built diesel multiple units being purchased at a cost of £650,000 per carriage - a substantially lower price than their European competitors.^{[citation needed]} The franchise agreement commits only to a 15% reduction in delays before 2009 and to a new 'incentive/penalty régime' and 'local focus on performance'.

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.

[edit] Routes

[edit] Rolling Stock

[edit] Current fleet

Class	Image	Type	Top speed		Number	Unit numbers	Routes operated	Built
			mph	km/h
Class 142 Pacer	Image:142009 Manc Pic.JPG	Diesel multiple unit			80	142001, 003 – 005, 007, 009, 011 – 058, 060 – 068, 070 – 071, 078 – 079, 084, 086 – 096	local routes	1985
Class 144 Pacer	Image:Northern-144023-01.jpg	Diesel multiple unit			23	144001 – 023		1986 - 1987
Class 150 Sprinter	Image:Northern-150145-01.jpg	Diesel multiple unit	75	120	42	150133 – 150, 201, 203, 205, 207 – 208, 211, 215, 218, 222 – 225, 228, 268 – 277		1985 - 1987
Class 153 Super Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	75	120	20	153301, 304, 307, 315 – 317, 319, 324, 328, 330 – 332, 351 – 352, 357 – 360, 363, 378		1987 - 1988
Class 155 Super Sprinter	Image:Northern-155346-02.jpg	Diesel multiple unit	75	120	7	155341 – 347		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		1987 - 1989
Class 158 Express Sprinter		Diesel multiple unit	90	145	19	158752 – 759, 787, 901 – 910		1989 - 1992
Class 321	Image:Northern-321901-02.jpg	Electric multiple unit	100	160	3	321901 – 903	Leeds - Doncaster	1988 - 1991
Class 323		Electric multiple unit	100	160	17	323223 – 239	Manchester Piccadilly - Glossop/Hadfield Manchester Piccadilly - Crewe Manchester Piccadilly - Hazel Grove Manchester Piccadilly - Macclesfield/Stoke-on-Trent Deansgate - Manchester Airport	1992 - 1993
Class 333	Image:Northern-333015-03.jpg	Electric multiple unit	100	160	16	333001 – 016	Wharfedale and Airedale lines	2000

[edit] External links

• Northern Rail official website
• A train in the new Northern Rail livery, picture by Tony Miles
• Serco-NedRailways official website

Categories: Articles with unsourced statements | Post-privatisation British railway companies