Arriva Rail North - Arriva Rail North May 2018 Timetable Recast - B

Arriva Rail North - B

Arriva Rail North May 2018 Timetable Recast

The franchise was widely criticised for implementing a new timetable in May 2018 which resulted in widespread delays and cancellations. Network Rail and Northern announced an independent inquiry to learn lessons and identify route alterations in readiness for the next timetable change in December 2018.

In an attempt to counter operational problems, Northern implemented an emergency timetable on 4 June 2018 – it stemmed some delays and cancellations but was still problematic compared with performance before the timetable change.

Punctuality was particularly bad in the North West due to the delay in the Blackpool–Preston electrification scheme, and the number of trains per hour through Manchester increased, with more trains using the Ordsall Chord which became operational in December 2017. Network Rail only informed train operating companies in January 2018 that the electrification scheme would be delayed until November.

Northern had planned for the scheme to be complete as scheduled by May 2018 (it had already been postponed from Autumn 2017) and had trained drivers to operate new routes with electric rolling stock. Consequently, an alternative timetable had to be drafted up, and many train drivers were not sufficiently trained to drive the existing diesel rolling stock; this resulted in widespread cancellations.

Furthermore, the additional services through the Manchester corridor resulted in increased congestion, and this had a knock-on effect. Performance statistics published by the Office of Rail and Road in October 2018 showed that from April to June 2018, the franchise recorded the lowest PPM – measured by train service departing within 5 minutes of its scheduled time – of any quarter since punctuality records began on the Northern Rail franchise in 2009.

Performance later in 2018 continued to be poor, with many passengers protesting and a reduced service on Saturdays due to industrial action. In October 2018, it was announced that Manchester Oxford Road station, the busiest station managed by Arriva Rail North with over 8 million passengers, was the most delayed station in the United Kingdom in 2018 – this was attributed to the chaos following the May 2018 timetable.

Between 14 October and 10 November 2018, Northern recorded the worst monthly performance on record, with more trains late than on time. Less than 40% of services arrived on time (defined as services arriving within 59 seconds of the planned arrival time) and only 71.9% departed within 5 minutes of the scheduled departure time.

By November 2018, Arriva were re-evaluating their future involvement in the franchise due to a combination of declining passenger numbers as a result of the chaotic May 2018 timetable change and increasing compensation claims as a result of falling punctuality. Both had pushed the franchise into financial losses and faced a £282 million government subsidy shortfall which was due to be passed onto the franchise.

Since the franchise commenced in April 2016, and despite an increase of 1,500 more weekly services transferred to Northern's operational remit, Northern had achieved no growth in passenger numbers. Between April and June 2018, the franchise suffered a 2.4% decline in passenger numbers compared with the previous year. Of the 22 train operating companies in the United Kingdom to record a fall in passengers, Northern were one of only three franchises to record a year-on-year drop in passenger numbers in 2017–18.

Statistics published in December 2018 showed that between April 2017 and March 2018, many Arriva Rail North managed stations recorded a drop in passengers – this period did not include the May 2018 timetable change or the increased Saturday strikes by conductors.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, also reported that the failing railways in the region were resulting in increased congestion on the roads and Metrolink system, as passengers were abandoning the rail service as it had become less reliable since May 2018. To counter continuing poor performance and encourage improved punctuality, the window for which passengers could claim compensation for delayed services was reduced from 30 minutes to 15 minutes from 17 December 2018.

Minor changes were implemented in the December 2018 timetable change. However Northern said they did not expect a reliable service to be implemented until the May 2019 timetable change; it was expected that by this time there would be new rolling stock in service with the Class 195 and Class 331, newly electrified lines operational which would alleviate the shortage of diesel rolling stock in the Northern fleet and most notably operational flaws with the May 2018 timetable ironed out as part of better optimised timetable in May 2019.

Arriva Rail North May 2019 and New Trains

In May 2019, further Northern Connect services were introduced, namely the Chester to Leeds service and the revised Manchester Airport to Barrow/Windermere service, to run via Wigan North Western. Northern also introduced an hourly service from Hull to Scarborough, doubling the service frequency on the Bridlington–Scarborough section of the line.

However, the May 2019 timetable did not include some of the improvements included in the original franchise agreement, such as a half-hourly service from Greenbank, Northwich, Knutsford and Altrincham to Stockport and Manchester; the additional Macclesfield and Poynton to Manchester and Blackpool service; or enhanced Sunday services.

The Transport Secretary, Chris Grayling, responded that "both Northern and Network Rail feel the additional paths cannot be accommodated without adversely affecting the reliability of other services on the network".

In June 2019, the operator of last resort (managed by the Department for Transport) conducted due diligence into the franchise believing the both operational and financial performance to be "unsustainable". The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, overtly demanded that the franchise be terminated as Northern had not delivered legally-binding franchise requirements as agreed in 2016 when the franchise commenced – citing disproportionate number of cancelled services, inability to deliver a full Sunday service due to a lack of drivers and failure to deliver new services.

On 1 July 2019, the first nine units – seven Class 195 units and two Class 331 units – were introduced with a further 93 units to be introduced over the following 12 months. The initial roll-out commenced on three routes: Manchester Airport to Liverpool Lime Street and Barrow/Windermere and Leeds to Doncaster.

Arriva Rail North Overview

Arriva Rail North Franchise(s): Northern

1 April 2016 – 29 February 2020

Arriva Rail North Main Region(s): North West

North East

Yorkshire and the Humber

Arriva Rail North Other Region(s): East Midlands

Staffordshire

Arriva Rail North Fleet Size: 386 units

Arriva Rail North Stations Called At: 528

Arriva Rail North Stations Operated: 476

Arriva Rail North Parent Company: Arriva

Arriva Rail North Predecessor: Northern Rail

Arriva Rail North Successor: Northern Trains