Supporting the Northern Powerhouse

Changes happening now in the North

Below are press releases from rail companies in the North promoting changes and improvements happening in the area.

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Grand Central urges passengers to reserve festive travel now
Long-distance train operator Grand Central has confirmed its trains will run again from early December and has urged...
Network Rail and White Ribbon UK partner to tackle domestic abuse
Network Rail, the owner and operator of Britain’s rail network, has been approved as a White Ribbon UK-accredited...
Over £50 000 donated to community projects
Transpennine Express have donated tens of thousands of pounds to community projects and charities across the North of England...
Bombardier signs contract extension for Arriva CrossCountry
Global mobility solution provider Bombardier Transportation has announced today that it has signed a three-year extension to...
EMR opens new secure cycle hub at Market Harborough station
The indoor hub was jointly funded by EMR, the Department of Transport and Harborough District Council through a programme...
Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern test negative for COVID
Independent laboratory results show that Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern trains are testing negative for Covid-19 over...

Big Changes in 2020

Passengers, communities and businesses in the North will benefit from big changes happening on our railway.

New trains

220 new Nova carriages by May 2020 on TransPennine Express
New trains on Merseyrail from 2020 that can carry 50% more passengers
Refurbished trains on the West Coast by the end of 2020
65 new Azuma trains on LNER will be rolled out by June 2020
101 new Northern trains worth £500m and 243 refurbished trains coming throughout 2019 and 2020
Five new trains for Hull Trains passengers, worth £60 million from late 2019

Stations, tracks, depots

Merseyrail infrastructure upgrades including track, platforms, power supplies and depots at Kirkdale and Birkenhead North
Northern has installed more than 600 touch screen ticket machines, making it easier to get the right ticket
New stations opening at Warrington West and Horden
TransPennine Express will continue introducing mobile touch screen information points at all stations

Communities

Merseyrail working with 7,000 students in 2020 on rail safety and careers within the rail industry
First TrenItalia committing to £70 million for free on train Wi-Fi and 5G capability
Northern launched All Right, a railway suicide prevention scheme
LNER planted more than 2,800 trees in partnership with the Carbon Trust

Major upgrade work

£13 billion commitment to transform transport in the North
£460 million programme of investment, managed by Merseytravel
Over 100 platforms will be extended at more than 70 stations
Extra platform at Leeds station

View all the big changes happening across Britain

People across the North support rail companies’ proposals for change

The rail industry recognise the need for big changes, that's why together we submitted proposals for a radical alternative to the current franchising system to the independently-chaired Williams review looking into the future of Britain's railway. We proposed for a more customer focussed, joined-up and accountable railway.

Find out more about our Big Plan for change