Northern

We have partnered with the app komoot, to map out new walking and cycling routes which start and end at stations along two of the most scenic routes in the North of England. 🚵🌱 Passengers who travel on the Buxton Line can now use the app to navigate six walking trails in the Peak District National Park, setting off and returning to stations in Disley, New Mills, Newtown, Whaley Bridge, Chapel-en-le-Frith or Buxton. Covering more than 38 miles in total, they weave through vast moors, limestone valleys and gritstone cliffs. On the most challenging route, explorers start at Chapel-en-le-Firth station, make their way past Castle Naze and scale Black Edge so they can enjoy some spectacular views from the summit before looping round Combs Reservoir. In the North East, detailed guides have been created for five hiking routes and six cycling routes, which start and finish at stations on the Northumberland Line. As described on komoot they open up “a breathtaking world of sleepy coastal towns, undulating dunes, sandy beaches and wooded valleys” but also allow people to visit historic sites like Seaton Delaval Hall and Bothal Castle. There are family-friendly routes, like the Cramlington Art Trail, and ones which pose more of a challenge, such as the 12-mile circular hike between Ashington and Newbiggin-by-sea. Alex Hornby, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “We’re really proud of this new partnership that promotes sustainable travel and making the most of the areas we serve. We’re sure our customers will find it really helpful to use the komoot app to guide them along walks and bike rides which feature some stunning scenery.” Read more about this story here 🥾➡️ https://lnkd.in/eDZaDKXG

New facilities designed to give customers with accessible needs the confidence to travel by train have been installed at dozens of stations across the North of England. Passenger Assistance Points have been introduced over the last year at 31 stations across the network and further Meeting Points at a number of stations too. Each point is located close to the ticket office, where customers should check in first. They are then invited to take a seat in the designated area so a member of staff can meet them when it is time to go for the train. As part of a trial, another nine Meeting Points have been installed at unstaffed stations, including Headingley, Horsforth and Hornbeam Park. Disabled customers can wait in the marked area so they can be seen by a conductor when a train arrives and then be offered assistance. Northern’s Accessibility User Group (NAUG), which represents people with a wide range of disabilities, worked with the operator to develop and deliver the project. Anthony MARK Cutter , who chairs NAUG, said: "I am particularly interested to see how the new Meeting Points work in unstaffed stations. I hope they will give more people the confidence to travel and use passenger assistance. Alex Hornby, Northern’s commercial and customer director, said: “Making stations and services across our network more accessible remains a priority and we are constantly reviewing feedback from customers who want to share their experiences so we can continue to make improvements." Robin Gisby, Chief Executive of DFTO, said: “Northern has taken another step forward to improve accessibility and ensure its passengers can travel with confidence. The new meeting points at staffed and unstaffed stations provide a better customer experience and connect more passengers to the network.” Northern is currently working with the Office for Rail & Road (ORR) to improve the travel experience for people with additional access needs. Read more about which stations have meeting points here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e-qzmDUJ

It was great to have Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire paying a visit to the prototype of our new train simulator last week and even having a try at the controls. These new simulators will help ensure our staff in training will have lots of experience in the different scenarios the railway can bring.

A war memorial honoring one hundred and seventeen men from the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Carriage & Wagon Depot who lost their lives during the First World War, has gone on permanent loan to the Bury Transport Museum. The memorial was previously located at Newton Heath but as a working TrainCare Centre, visits to the memorial were only previously possible via special arrangement. Now relatives of those men whose names appear on the memorial will be able to spend time visiting it in the museum. It was originally located at Newton Heath depot and was installed not long after the war ended. After the original building closed in 1928, it moved to Newton Heath Town Hall but was eventually dismantled and lost until a British Rail employee rediscovered it in Manchester Piccadilly station’s undercroft in the 1990s. Given the historical significance, the memorial was safely stored at East Lancashire Railway for 20 years before being rededicated and unveiled at Newton Heath TrainCare Centre in 2019. The latest move, which was prompted by major roof repairs to Newton Heath TrainCare Centre, is also part of a desire for greater public access to the memorial. Tricia Williams, managing director of Northern Trains, said “The memorial is very special to all of us at Northern and has been the focus of our local Remembrance commemorations to honour those railway workers who gave their lives during the First World War. We’re delighted that members of the public will now have greater access to view to the memorial and grateful to the team at East Lancashire Railway for providing a fitting home at Bury Transport Museum.” Read more about the story here 👉 https://lnkd.in/edfSCi9K

Craig Neild, one of Northern’s longest-serving employees, retired last week from his role as an outstation fitter at Manchester Piccadilly after 53 years of service. He began his career with British Rail in August 1971 on a four-year apprenticeship at Longsight Electric depot. After over 15 years at Newton Heath, he joined a small team of fitters in Manchester. Craig said there are a lot of quick fixes, liked tripped circuit breakers or headlight bulbs that need to be replaced, but some serious faults cannot be dealt with on the track so the train needs to be cancelled and taken back to the depot. He said, "I always took pride in the role I played, keeping the trains running and keeping the passengers happy. Everyday was different and I was always learning as a lot’s changed since I first started. They had just got rid of the last of the steam engines back then.” After saying goodbye to colleagues last Monday, he looks forward to gardening, dog walking, and plane spotting following a holiday with his wife. Andy Jukka, Projects and Outstation Traincare Centre Manager at Northern, said: ”We are going to miss Craig as he heads off to enjoy his well-earned retirement. Throughout his career, he always turned up to work with an excellent attitude, determined to fix faults and keep trains running for passengers, but also used his wealth of experience to help colleagues at every opportunity." From all of us at Northern, we would like to thank Craig for his 53 years of outstanding service. Read more about the story here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e_Xf3sWN

Following the expansion of Northern's mobility scooter programme, a further eight stations on the network are now ‘mobility scooter-friendly’. This means 179 stations across 28 routes across the Northern network are now mobility scooter friendly. The mobility aids can now be used by customers with a permit at Chesterfield, Deansgate, Headbolt Lane, Prescot, Rainhill, Salford Central, Salford Crescent and Kent’s Bank. Maxine Myers, accessibility improvement manager at Northern, said: "We are constantly evolving this scheme and have listened to feedback from customers and members of our accessibility user group to open up more opportunities for people who use a mobility scooter to travel. " The scheme is free and registered passengers are given a personalised sticker that must be placed on the pre-assessed vehicle. Users are also provided with a card in case their scooter does not have a suitable place to display the sticker. Alex Hornby, customer and commercial director at Northern, said: “We are determined to give everyone the confidence to travel by train. Despite the progress we are making, we are not complacent and will continue to deliver more improvements in our efforts to build a better railway for all." Anyone travelling on a mobility scooter must obtain a permit from Northern, to ensure the model can be used to safely board services and it will not tip over or become stuck on the train. Read more about the story here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eRkpftP8

We are committed to making rail travel more accessible for all. In April, Northern will launch a trial in Lancashire designed to boost confidence among older and disabled passengers using the North of England's rail network. This new initiative allows customers traveling between Preston and Colne to inform conductors of their assistance needs up to ten minutes before departure at unstaffed stations. The scheme works by sending alerts to the conductor of the train as requests are made, rather than them only being notified at the start of the journey. Customers can alert the conductor up until the ten-minute point using QR codes at stations along the line. Northern’s Customer Experience Centre is also available to provide guidance and advice. Alex Hornby, commercial and customer director at Northern, said: “Our conductors and station colleagues will always help people who need their support. This trial is about helping our colleagues to be prepared and explore the impact that 10 minutes notice has in terms of the speed of their response, which will enable us to keep trains running on time.” Requests can be made for all stations on the line with QR codes on posters at unstaffed stations. Robin Gisby, chief executive of DFTO, said: “Improving accessibility is a key priority for the railway. Everyone has the right to travel independently and older and disabled people require the same flexibility in their travel planning." Read more about the story here🚆 👉 https://lnkd.in/ejaFKUSu

🎉 Exciting news for Bradford City of Culture 2025. Yesterday, we unveiled 'The Bradfordian', a specially wrapped train at Bradford Forster Square. The event was attended by West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin and Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe leader of Bradford Council, for the new train art that celebrates the Bradford district’s city of culture status and three of its most famous creatives. The Brontë sisters, the critically acclaimed poets and novelists who grew up in Haworth, feature on a new train vinyl which also includes depictions of local landmarks like Bradford City Hall, Cartwright Hall, Alhambra Theatre and the statue of author J B Priestley. Mayor Tracy Brabin said: “The vibrant artwork on this train is a fitting tribute to Bradford and our region’s thriving creative industries.” The train will be seen by tens of thousands of people in the coming months as the Class 331 covers hundreds of miles on a daily basis while travelling across West Yorkshire. The Bradfordian will also be used by some of the Northern customers travelling to theatre and dance performances, live music events, film screenings and art exhibitions that are being held across the district this year. Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern in Yorkshire, said: “The City of Culture celebrations are already putting Bradford on the map and making a real difference to local people by boosting a sense of pride." Read more about the story here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dpM9Twmu

New artwork inspired by iconic British Railway posters has been revealed today at Yorkshire's Northern stations. 🎨 Eleven art students from East Riding College have designed vibrant posters for Beverley station, celebrating the town and promoting nearby destinations like Sheffield. The teenage artists were guided by members of the Yorkshire Coast Community Rail Partnership to gain inspiration for their work, and also to gain confidence in train travel. As part of this year's Rail 200 celebrations, the artwork offers a modern twist on classic British Railways adverts from the 1930s and 1940s to encourage visits across Yorkshire. Kerry Peters, regional director for Northern, said: “We’re seriously impressed with the quality of the artwork that has been produced as part of the Railway 200 celebrations. These talented students and their families can feel a real sense of pride when they see their posters displayed at their local stations in the coming months." Read more about the story here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dpM9Twmu

Le Feast, a growing chain of coffee shops in the North West, has been expanding across our Northern network since 2011. 💛☕ Since opening in a former broom cupboard at Poulton-le-Fylde station in Lancashire, Jason Cotillard and Jeremy Clark’s business has expanded to three other locations across the network: Blackpool North, Rochdale and Bolton. Le Feast employs 25 people, serving 150,000 hot drinks and preparing 25,000 sandwiches a day, with an annual turnover exceeding £1.5 million across their outlets. The business prides itself on its use of local suppliers, including Brid’s Cross Brewing, Lancashire Crisps, Rivington Meats, Bury Lane Bakery and Urban Coffee. They also serve fresh cakes baked at home by Stella Cakes, a business set up by a former employee of Le Feast, and Danny’s Cakes, a business ran by a local bus driver and part-time baking enthusiast. Founders, Jason and Jeremy said: “The rail network works for us, it gives us guaranteed footfall and we can get to know our customers. We really enjoy being part of a station community, getting to know the staff and on-board traincrew as well as the community groups and volunteers that help care for the station." Robert Ellams head of property at Northern, said: “It has been great to see Jason and Jeremy’s business grow and we hope to see more Le Feast outlets across our network in the months and years ahead.” Read more about this story here 👉 https://lnkd.in/enzcB2xa