First TransPennine Express

First TransPennine Express
	A Class 185 Desiro at Scarborough in 2011
Overview
Franchise(s)	TransPennine Express; 1 February 2004 – 31 March 2016;
Main route(s)	North West England, Yorkshire and Humber, North East England, Scotland
Fleet size	67 units; (6 units were subleased from Northern Rail)
Stations called at	90
Stations operated	30
Parent company	FirstGroup (55%); Keolis (45%)
Reporting mark	TP
Predecessor	First North Western/Arriva Trains Northern
Successor	TransPennine Express

First TransPennine Express[1] was a British train operating company jointly owned by FirstGroup and Keolis which operated the TransPennine Express franchise. First TransPennine Express ran regular Express regional railway services between the major cities of Northern England as well as Scotland.

The franchise operated all its services to and through Manchester covering three main routes. The service provided rail links for major towns and cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield, Hull, Leeds, York, Scarborough, Middlesbrough and Newcastle. Previously, all services called or terminated at Manchester Piccadilly,[2] but, as of May 2014, a new service running between Newcastle and Liverpool Lime Street, calling at Manchester Victoria was announced, and launched as part of the Northern Hub plan.[3]

When the franchise was re-tendered, FirstGroup and Keolis tendered separately. The franchise was awarded solely to FirstGroup.[4] The new franchise drops the 'First' branding and is simply known as TransPennine Express.

History

Previous logo

Passenger journeys on First TransPennine Express in millions from 2011 to 2016 (financial year, rolling annual average)[5][6]

The TransPennine Express brand was launched in the early 1990s by British Rail,[7] and maintained by the privatised operator Northern Spirit and its successor, Arriva Trains Northern.[8]

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.[9]

In July 2003, the TransPennine Express 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.[10]

The franchise was due to end on 31 January 2012, but in August 2011 the Department for Transport awarded First TransPennine Express an extension until March 2015.[11] Included was a clause to allow the date to be brought forward to April 2014 to coincide with the end-date of the Northern Rail franchise. In March 2013 the Secretary of State for Transport announced the franchise would again be extended until 1 April 2016.[12]

The continuation of the franchise was not certain. Local transport authorities and consultancies proposed merging Trans-Pennine services into other franchises to increase efficiency on the rail network.[13] The Manchester Airport to Scotland service could be transferred to the InterCity West Coast franchise after the electrification of lines around Manchester by 2018. The south Trans-Pennine route between Manchester and Cleethorpes could be transferred to East Midlands Trains who operate an hourly service on the Manchester to Sheffield section.[14]

In June 2014 the DfT confirmed two separate franchises in the north of England, one providing intercity rail services and a second providing local rail services. At the time proposals were made to transfer services including York to Scarborough and Doncaster to Cleethorpes services to the Northern franchise and transfer the Nottingham to Liverpool portion of the Norwich to Liverpool service operated by East Midlands Trains to the TransPennine franchise.[15]

In August 2014, the Department for Transport announced FirstGroup, Keolis/Go-Ahead and Stagecoach had been shortlisted to bid for the next franchise.[16] On 9 December 2015, FirstGroup was awarded the franchise in its own right with TransPennine Express taking over on 1 April 2016.[17][18][19]

Services

North TransPennine

First TransPennine Express 185140 approaching Northallerton with a service bound for Manchester Airport.

As a result of timetable changes in May 2014, five trains per hour instead of four operated on the core route between Manchester and Leeds on the Huddersfield Line. This was made up of the following services:

1tph between Liverpool Lime Street and Newcastle via Manchester Victoria
1tph between Liverpool Lime Street and Scarborough via Warrington Central and Manchester Piccadilly
1tph between Manchester Airport and York via Manchester Piccadilly. This was also a 24-hour service.
1tph between Manchester Airport and Middlesbrough via Manchester Piccadilly
1tph between Manchester Piccadilly and Hull.

Most services between Manchester Airport and Newcastle ran early morning/late evenings.

Under Arriva Trains Northern, Newcastle services continued to Sunderland. When First TransPennine Express first took over the franchise it extended the Manchester to Hull service to Bridlington, a decision later reversed.

In May 2014 an hourly service between Liverpool Lime Street and Newcastle Central was introduced. It ran non-stop between Liverpool and Manchester Victoria and onward to Newcastle via Leeds reducing journey times between Liverpool and Manchester by 15 minutes and Liverpool to Leeds by 25 minutes.

South TransPennine

170303 at Manchester Piccadilly

An hourly service operated from Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes via Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Sheffield, Doncaster and Scunthorpe.

TransPennine North West

TransPennine North West used sections of the Styal Line, Manchester to Preston Line, West Coast Main Line, Furness Line and Windermere Branch Line. These services were formerly operated by First North Western with the exception of the Scottish routes, which were previously operated by Virgin CrossCountry from Manchester Piccadilly.

Following timetable changes in May 2014 the following services operated:

1tph between Manchester Airport and Blackpool North. Some services also ran to/from Barrow-in-Furness and Windermere which are detached/attached at Preston. A number of peak services start or terminate at Preston.
1tph between Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central or Edinburgh Waverley (alternating). Most of these services used 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.

With the completion of the first stage of the North West electrification programme, the Scottish services were operated from 8 December 2013 by newly arrived Class 350 electric units and rerouted to stop at Wigan North Western after joining the West Coast Main Line close to Newton-le-Willows. Most stops at Bolton and Chorley were withdrawn as a result. With a number of peak services still operating via Bolton/Chorley or Bolton/Wigan North Western.[20]

North Route

	3:53	Edinburgh Waverley ( St Andrew Sq.)
	2:34	Morpeth
	2:14	Newcastle
	2:07	Chester-le-Street
	2:00	Durham
	1:47	Darlington
	2:35	Redcar Central
	2:21	Middlesbrough
	2:13	Thornaby
	2:02	Yarm
	1:37	Northallerton
	1:34	Thirsk
	2:03	Scarborough
	1:53	Seamer
	1:36	Malton
	1:12	York
	1:54	Hull
	1:36	Brough
	1:30	Gilberdyke
	1:24	Howden
	1:18	Selby
	1:09	South Milford
	1:08	Garforth
	0:48	Leeds
	1:04	Cottingley
	1:01	Morley
	0:47	Batley
	0:40	Dewsbury
	0:46	Ravensthorpe
	0:43	Mirfield
	0:38	Deighton
	0:29	Huddersfield
	0:28	Slaithwaite
	0:27	Marsden
	0:19	Greenfield
	0:17	Mossley
	0:13	Stalybridge
	0:00	Manchester Victoria
	0:02	Manchester Oxford Road
	0:00	Manchester Piccadilly
	0:06	East Didsbury
	0:08	Gatley
	0:14	Manchester Airport
	0:16	Newton-le-Willows
	0:20	Lea Green
	0:38	Liverpool Lime Street
Times shown are best times from Manchester Piccadilly or Manchester Victoria.

South Route