TransPennine Express
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185108 at Manchester Piccadilly on 1 April 2016 | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Franchise(s): |
TransPennine Express 1 April 2016 – 31 March 2023 |
| Main route(s): | North West England, Yorkshire and Humber, North East England, Scotland |
| Fleet size: | 65 units |
| Stations operated: | 18 |
| National Rail abbreviation: | TP |
| Parent company: | FirstGroup |
| Website: | www.tpexpress.co.uk |
TransPennine Express (legally known as First TransPennine Express Limited) [1] is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup operating the TransPennine Express franchise. It runs regular express regional railway services between the major cities of Northern England as well as Scotland.
The franchise operates all its services to and through Manchester covering three main routes. The service provides rail links for major towns and cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield, Hull, Leeds, York, Scarborough, Middlesbrough and Newcastle.
TransPennine Express is one of the few UK train operating companies running 24 hours a day, including through New Year's Eve night. Trains run between York, Leeds and Manchester Airport at least every three hours every night of the week.
History
The TransPennine Express brand was launched in the early 1990s by British Rail's Regional Railways sector.[2] It became part of Regional Railways North East and on 2 March 1997 was privatised with Northern Spirit and its successor, Arriva Trains Northern maintaining the brand.[3]
In 2000, the Strategic Rail Authority announced that it planned to reorganise the North West Regional Railways and Regional Railways North East franchises operated by First North Western and Arriva Trains Northern. A TransPennine Express franchise would be created for the long-distance regional services, the remaining services being operated by a new Northern franchise.[4]
In July 2003, the TransPennine franchise was awarded to a joint venture between FirstGroup and Keolis, and the services operated by Arriva Trains Northern and First North Western were transferred to First TransPennine Express on 1 February 2004.[5] On 11 November 2007, the services from Manchester to Edinburgh and Glasgow via the West Coast Main Line formerly operated by Virgin CrossCountry were transferred to First TransPennine Express.[6]
In August 2014, the Department for Transport announced FirstGroup, Keolis/Go-Ahead and Stagecoach had been shortlisted to bid for the next franchise.[7] In December 2015, FirstGroup was awarded the franchise with TransPennine Express taking over on 1 April 2016. The franchise will run until 31 March 2023 with an option to extend for two years.[8][9][10]
As part of a recasting of the franchise map by the Department for Transport, services from Manchester Airport to Blackpool North, Manchester Airport to Barrow in Furness and Oxenholme to Windermere were transferred to the Northern franchise on 1 April 2016.[11]
Services
North TransPennine
Five trains per hour on the core route between Manchester and Leeds on the Huddersfield Line. This is made up of the following services:
- 1tph between Liverpool Lime Street and Newcastle Central via Manchester Victoria.
- 1tph between Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough via Manchester Piccadilly.
- 1tph between Manchester Airport and York. This is also a 24-hour service.
- 1tph between Manchester Airport and Middlesbrough.
- 1tph between Manchester Piccadilly and Hull.
Most services between Manchester Airport and Newcastle run early morning/late evenings.
The Manchester to Liverpool section is supplemented by East Midlands Trains' hourly service from Norwich to Liverpool and a Northern Rail hourly Manchester Airport to Liverpool express service (via Newton-le-Willows rather than Warrington Central), giving four fast services per hour between Manchester and Liverpool. Similarly, the service between Leeds and Newcastle is augmented by an hourly CrossCountry service.
South TransPennine
An hourly service operates from Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes via Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Sheffield, Doncaster and Scunthorpe. The Manchester to Sheffield sector is supplemented by East Midlands Trains hourly Liverpool to Norwich service, giving a half-hourly service of fast trains between Manchester and Sheffield. Additional services to/from Manchester Airport start or terminate at Sheffield or Doncaster and some services to/from Cleethorpes start or terminate short at Sheffield.
TransPennine North West
TransPennine North West uses sections of the Styal Line, Manchester to Preston Line and West Coast Main Line.
The following services now operate:
- 1tph between Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Waverley (alternating). Most of these services use Class 350s (some Edinburgh services run in 8 car formations) however a number of peak services are still run by Class 185s via Bolton/Wigan North Western and Bolton/Chorley.
Future services
A twice-hourly service between Manchester and Newcastle will be phased in between December 2016 and December 2017, made up of the existing service from Liverpool and a reinstated service from Manchester Airport. Trains between Liverpool and Newcastle will be extended to Edinburgh via the East Coast Main Line, giving a twice-hourly service between Leeds and Edinburgh together with an hourly CrossCountry service. Trains to/from Scarborough will be rerouted via Manchester Victoria and Newton-le-Willows to provide a half-hourly fast service between Liverpool and Manchester. It is also planned to operate a six train per hour frequency between Manchester and Leeds, up from five today.
Direct Liverpool to Glasgow services via the West Coast Main Line will be reintroduced from December 2018, and the number of services from Manchester Airport to Scotland will increase. [12]
Rolling stock
TransPennine Express inherited a fleet of 51 three-car Class 185 Desiros, 10 four-car electric Class 350 Desiros, and 4 two-car Class 170 Turbostars from First TransPennine Express. Once new rolling stock is delivered, 22 of the Class 185 units will be returned to Eversholt Rail Group with 29 units (87 vehicles) retained.[13]
Current fleet
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Cars per Set | Routes operated | Built | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | |||||||
| 170/3 Turbostar |  |
DMU | 100 | 160 | 4 | 2 | Manchester Airport–Cleethorpes Until July 2016 |
2000 |
| 185 Desiro |  |
DMU | 100 | 160 | 51 | 3 | All TransPennine routes 4 are loaned to Northern on a daily basis[14][15] |
2005–06 |
| 350/4 Desiro |  |
EMU | 110 | 180 | 10 | 4 | Manchester Airport–Edinburgh/Glasgow | 2013–14 |
Future fleet
A total of 44 brand new five-car trains will be delivered to TransPennine Express.[16]
| Class | Image | Type | Top speed | Number | Cars per Set | Routes operated | In service | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mph | km/h | |||||||
| 802 [17][18][19] |  |
Bi-Mode MU | 125 | 201 | 19 | 5 | North TransPennine services | 2019[17] |
| TBC | TBC | 125 | 201 | 13 | North TransPennine services | 2018[13] | ||
| TBC | EMU | 125 | 201 | 12 | Liverpool/Manchester Airport-Scotland[13] | 2018[13] | ||
Managed stations
TransPennine Express services run over a large area of northern England and southern Scotland. Many of the largest stations they serve are managed by other train operating companies or Network Rail.
TransPennine Express manages the following 18 stations:[11][20]
Some stations from the former First TransPennine Express franchise were transferred to Northern. These include Arnside, Barrow-in-Furness, Birchwood, Burneside, Carnforth, Grange-over-Sands, Kendal, Staveley, Ulverston, Warrington Central and Windermere.[11]
Depots
Siemens maintains the Class 185 and 350 fleets at Ardwick depot in Manchester with a smaller facility in York. Hitachi will maintain the AT300 fleet at Doncaster Carr and Craigentinny.[21]
References
- ↑ Companies House extract company no 9111801 First TransPennine Express Limited
- ↑ Collections Online - Objects
- ↑ "Northern Spirit is brand new name for Regional Railways North East" Rail issue 332 3 June 1998 page 7
- ↑ The Trans-Pennine Express rail franchise Archived 20 October 2004 at the Wayback Machine.. Yorkshire & The Humber Transport Activist's Roundtable Briefing Note October 2001.
- ↑ "SRA Announce Preferred Bidder For TransPennine Express Franchise" (PDF) (Press release). Strategic Rail Authority. 28 July 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2003.
- ↑ New Cross Country Franchise Consultation Document Department for Transport June 2006
- ↑ Shortlist for Northern and TransPennine operators revealed Department for Transport 19 August 2014
- ↑ "FirstGroup awarded TransPennine Express franchise". Rail Technology Magazine. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ↑ "Arriva and First chosen for Northern and TransPennine franchises". International Railway Journal. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- ↑ "FirstGroup plc welcomes award of TransPennine Express rail franchise". 9 December 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
- 1 2 3 Stakeholder Briefing Document and Consultation Response Department for Transport 27 February 2015
- ↑ "New TransPennine Express franchise launches - First TransPennine Express". First TransPennine Express Trains. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- 1 2 3 4 "TPE New franchise presentation for TfGM".
- ↑ TransPennine Express invitation to tender
- ↑ Northern Rail 31st SA - Remapped services Track Access Rights
- ↑ "FirstGroup awarded TransPennine Express franchise". Rail Technology Magazine. 9 December 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.
- 1 2 New bi-mode trains for TransPennine Express | Global Rail News
- ↑ Hitachi scoops 95-car TPE train deal Rail 1 April 2016
- ↑ http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/traction-rolling-stock/single-view/view/hitachi-awarded-transpennine-express-multiple-unit-contract.html Hitachi awarded Transpennine Express multiple unit contract
- ↑ "Safe and sound train stations". First Transpennine Express. October 2011.
- ↑ Hitachi awarded TransPennine Express multiple unit contract Railway Gazette International 31 March 2016
External links
Media related to TransPennine Express at Wikimedia Commons
| Preceded by First TransPennine Express TransPennine Express franchise (First and Keolis joint venture) |
Operator of TransPennine Express franchise 2016 - 2023 |
Succeeded by incumbent |
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