Arriva Rail North - BArriva Rail North - B Arriva Rail North Rolling Stock Arriva Rail North inherited the rolling stock operated by Northern Rail, namely Class 142, 144, 150, 153, 155, 156 and 158 diesel multiple units and Class 319, 321, 322, 323 and 333 electric multiple units. To operate services transferred from the TransPennine Express franchise, four Class 185 units were sublet from that franchise to Northern, with this later reducing to two units. As of the May 2019 timetable change, these sublet units were returned to TransPennine Express. To provide additional peak time capacity on the Calder Valley Line, one Class 180 unit was sublet from Grand Central to Arriva Rail North per weekday. Class 37/4 locomotives and Mark 2 carriages were hired from Direct Rail Services for Cumbrian Coast line services until December 2018. The first Class 142 train, 142005, was withdrawn from service on 12 August 2019, with the remaining Class 142s withdrawn in November 2020 by Northern Trains. At the end of the franchise, 63 units had been withdrawn from service. Arriva Rail North Fleet at End of Franchise Arriva Rail North Shunting Locomotive
Stock movements 1952–1962 Diesel Multiple Units
Local and commuter services across the North 1985–1987
Local and commuter services in Yorkshire 1986–1987
Local and commuter services across the North 1985–1987
Local and commuter services across the North Also used to boost capacity on peak time services 1987–1988
Manchester Victoria–Leeds Local and commuter services across Yorkshire 1987–1988
Local, commuter and regional services across the North 1987–1989
Regional express and commuter services in West Yorkshire Northern Connect services in the North East Halifax-Hull Chester-Leeds via Manchester Victoria Wigan Wallgate-Leeds via Manchester Victoria Leeds-Carlisle Leeds-York via Garforth Leeds-Morecambe 1989–1992
Leeds–York via Harrogate Sheffield-Hull/Bridlington Hull-Scarborough 2003–2005
Calder Valley Line peak time services (One unit was subleased from Grand Central) 2000–2001
Liverpool Lime Street–Wilmslow/Manchester Airport via Warrington Central Manchester Airport–Barrow-in-Furness/Windermere via Wigan North Western Oxenholme–Windermere Chester-Leeds via Manchester Victoria Barrow in Furness-Preston Blackpool North-York Leeds-Nottingham Leeds-Lincoln via Sheffield 2018–2019 Arriva Rail North Electric Multiple Units
Electrified commuter services in Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Lancashire
Electrified commuter services in West Yorkshire 1991
Electrified commuter services in West Yorkshire 1990
Electrified commuter services in and around Greater Manchester and Merseyside 1992–1995
Leeds–Doncaster Liverpool Lime Street–Blackpool North Blackpool North-Manchester Airport via Chorley Blackpool North-Hazel Grove via Chorley Liverpool Lime Street–Wigan North Western Liverpool Lime Street–Crewe via Manchester Piccadilly Liverpool Lime Street–Warrington Bank Quay Crewe-Manchester Piccadilly via Stockport 2018–2019
Electrified commuter services in West Yorkshire 2000–2003 Arriva Rail North Past Fleet Former train types operated by Arriva Rail North include: Arriva Rail North Locomotive Hauled Stock
Replaced by Class 156 units 1960–1965 2018
2013–2017
DBSO 1979 Arriva Rail North Diesel Multiple Units
Replaced by Class 150, Class 156, Class 158 and Class 170 units. 1985–1987 2019–2020
Replaced by Class 150, Class 156, Class 158 and Class 170 units. 1987–1988
Replaced by Class 195 and Class 331 units. (Four subleased from TransPennine Express to operate Manchester to Blackpool / Cumbria services) 2005–2006 2019 Arriva Rail North Electric Multiple Units
1987–1990 2018–2020 Arriva Rail North Driver-Controlled Operation The Department of Transport and Arriva Rail North had specified that the franchise must ensure that at least 50% of the aggregate Train Mileage of Passenger Services provided in each reporting period was operated as driver-controlled operation (DCO). DCO is defined as "operation of a train by a driver alone without the need for a conductor (or any other Franchise Employee)." The franchise further specified that "Where ... a Passenger Service is operated as Driver Controlled Operation the Franchisee shall ... plan for an additional Franchise Employee (that is, in addition to the driver) to be present on such Passenger Service." The RMT Union were unhappy about this change, as roles undertaken by guards would instead be undertaken by drivers (such as releasing the doors once the train has stopped at a station). Although Northern had said they would be willing to guarantee that a second member of staff would be on board, the use of DCO could theoretically make it possible to run a train without a guard, and as a result, the union called industrial action over the change. On 28 November 2018, Transport for the North announced that it did not support the removal of an additional franchise employee on Northern services, was willing to consider all options that would facilitate an agreement, and urged both Northern and the RMT Union to return to negotiations, suspending strike action. On 29 November, RMT announced that it had offered to suspend industrial action under the condition that trains would never run without a guard on the train, however, on 30 November, the union confirmed that it would continue industrial action as planned. On 6 February 2019, the RMT announced that following "a guarantee of a conductor on all trains, including the new fleet, for the duration of the current franchise" it had suspended further industrial action on Arriva Rail North, bringing an end to consecutive strikes on Saturdays since 25 August 2018. Arriva Rail North Criticism Arriva Rail North also had issues staffing Sunday trains, partly due to no agreement between the driver's union ASLEF and Arriva Rail North for drivers in the former First North Western franchise area to work Sundays. This led to both 'planned cancellations' (announced the day before) and short notice cancellations due to staff shortages for several months. There were also a significant number of cancellations on weekdays and Saturdays due to staffing issues, especially during school holidays. This led to local figures, including Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, calling for Arriva to be stripped of the Northern franchise. Arriva Rail North Depots Arriva Rail North's fleet was maintained at Allerton, Botanic Gardens, Heaton, Newton Heath and Neville Hill depots. In 2017, a new stabling depot opened at Blackburn King Street, with space for up to thirty diesel multiple units. A new depot opened in Wigan in December 2019, with space for 32 trains. The depot has been adapted from a freight yard at Springs Branch railway sidings in Ince-in-Makerfield and has cost £46 million to convert. Arriva Rail North had depots for its train crew at Barrow-in-Furness, Blackburn, Blackpool North, Buxton, Carlisle, Darlington (drivers), Doncaster, Harrogate, Huddersfield, Hull, Liverpool Lime Street, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Victoria, Middlesbrough (conductors), Newcastle, Sheffield, Skipton, Wigan Wallgate, Workington and York.
Arriva Rail North Notes ^ One unit was leased from Grand Central ^ The Castlefield Corridor is a heavily-used section of track in Manchester city centre from Deansgate to Manchester Piccadilly station. Approximately 15 trains per hour passed through this section of track which mostly consisted of only two lines. Proposals to upgrade Manchester Oxford Road station to better manage flow of trains and two new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly were expected to be delivered when the Northern franchise was tendered in 2015 - however these proposals were shelved in 2018. As of 2020, no infrastructure upgrades to support growth had occurred and Network Rail declared the corridor 'congested' in September 2019. ^ One morning peak time service from Hebden Bridge to Leeds, and one return trip in the evening peak, from Monday to Friday ^ Eight Class 319/4 units were converted to Class 769 as part of the Northern franchise. 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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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