The government takeover of Transpennine Express has shone a light on a similar service closer to Harrogate.

Northern, which operates trains to Harrogate and Knaresborough between Leeds and York, was effectively nationalised back in March 2020.

The then Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, brought the company under government control from March 1, 2020, amid years of cancellations and delays.

Northern has been operated by the government’s DfT OLR Holdings Ltd for the last three years.

So, what can passengers of Transpennine Express learn from Northern’s performance since then?

Northern performance

The Office of Rail and Road collects annual statistics on the performance of rail companies.

Most recent annual figures, published in July 2022, show Northern managed 465 stations at the end of March 2022 compared to 478 before it was brought under government control.

It also shows that the percentage of trains cancelled was 3.3% compared with 4.1% in the 2019/20.

The figures are caveated by the fact that 2020/21 was effected by the coronavirus pandemic, when fewer people travelled by train and the country was put into lockdown three times.

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Meanwhile, the percentage of trains on time between April 2021 and March 2022 was 67.0% compared with 76.3% in the previous year and 55.1% in 2019/20.

The number of passenger complaints has also dropped since 2019/20 from 34.249 to 14,379 in 2021/22.

Perhaps the most striking figure is the number of delay compensation claims.

In 2019/20, this stood at 364,689 and fell to 22,836 the following year. In 2021/22, the figure was 98,934.

The number of passenger delay compensation claims at Northern since 2018/19. Data: Office for Rail and Road.

More recent figures show similar results.

In April 2023, 65.6% of trains were on time, while 2,545 services were cancelled in full.

Brian Dunsby, of the Harrogate Line Supporters Group, said the group was pleased with the way that Northern has performed since going under public ownership.

He said:

“We believe that the Harrogate line services have performed very well since it came under public control in 2020 – especially so considering the recent pandemic and the industrial action that followed.

“The services that we lost for six months during the cut backs in 2022 have all been restored and they are very well used.

“The latest timetable just issued starts on May 21, 2023, and it includes all the vital services needed to operate a half-hourly frequency between Harrogate and Leeds and between Harrogate and York – from early morning until late evening.  So we are very happy – provided that they do actually operate as planned.

“The three-car Class 170 trains are much larger and  more comfortable, much quieter and faster than the previous Class 150 series and the even older Class 140 series trains. The passenger loading does appear to be increasing – but not to the point of being over-crowded.

“We do hope that Northern Trains continues to keep up the latest scheduled timetable.”

Need for a reset

For politicians in the north, the decision to put Transpennine into government hands was necessary.

Lord McLoughlin, chair of Transport for the North, said Transpennine needed “a reset” to improve.

He said:

“We welcome the decision announced by the Secretary of State to bring the contract under Operator of Last Resort (OLR) for TransPennine Express.

“The TfN Board’s position on this issue has been clear for some considerable time, that services need to significantly improve. While we have seen some improvements over recent months, to achieve the performance levels passengers expect and deserve, and that the northern economy needs, there is a need for a resetting of the operation.

”We will now look forward positively to discussing with our members and working with the government to ensure the best way to achieve a service that meets the expectations of those living and working in the north.”

Rail services in Harrogate and Knaresborough are set to be affected by a fresh wave of strikes this week.

Train drivers’ union ASLEF will walk out on Friday, May 12, prompting train operator Northern to cancel all services.

RMT members will strike on Saturday, May 13, leading Northern to operate only hourly services on a small number of key routes between 7am and 7pm.

Further information is available here.

Although there is no strike action on Sunday, May 14, services are expected to start later in the morning than normal due to what Northern has described as “fleet displacement”.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, said:

“It is disappointing to see the return of industrial action to the rail network.

“Whilst all strikes disrupt someone, these particular dates will have a significant impact on people travelling on our network to celebrate the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool.

“Given the context in which the UK is hosting this international event – on behalf of the people of Ukraine – this is particularly unfortunate.”

Northern’s guide to upcoming services

A statement on ASLEF’s website blamed the action on “failure of management to offer a fair deal on pay”. It added:

“Most of the drivers have not had a pay increase at all since 2019 and with inflation still well over 10% and the cost of living spiralling, this is not acceptable.”

Further ASLEF action, known as ‘action short of strike’ will take place for five consecutive days from May 15 to 20.

Northern is urging people to check train times before they travel’ as early morning and late night services may be affected.

ASLEF members are also due to walk out on May 31 and June 1 on which there will be no Northern services.

New timetable

This month’s strike action comes ahead of Northern introducing its new summer timetable on Sunday, May 21.

Customers who make regular journeys on the same train times are advised to check before they travel as some services may have been re-timed.

More information is available here.

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All Creatures Great and Small star Samuel West has poked fun at the number of brightly coloured warnings that greet commuters at Harrogate train station.

People using the stairs to cross platforms are greeted by a raft of brightly coloured messages imploring them to do everything from use the handrails to keep to the left.

West, who plays Siegfried Farnon in the Channel 5 remake of the drama series about vets, expressed his sensory overload on social media after a recent visit to the station.

The actor and narrator tweeted to his 104,000 followers:

https://twitter.com/exitthelemming/status/1642619635194372100

The post has attracted 4,500 likes and 249 retweets.

One person replied that it looked like a “seriously bossy set of steps” while another described it as “a sensory nightmare”.

Somebody else said:

“A frustrated copywriter finally given a platform… so to speak!”

Several commented they would be too worried about tripping to read all the messages.

A spokesperson for rail operator Northern said:

“We carry out regular inspections of the stations across our network and we’ll certainly take this into consideration.”

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The decision to reduce Harrogate’s number of nighttime fire engines was based on faulty information, it has been revealed.

North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Zoe Metcalfe controversially reduced the number of appliances from two to one in her recent three-year fire service blueprint for North Yorkshire.

One of the main concerns during consultation was that if a second fire engine was required to come from Knaresborough in an emergency, it could get held up at Starbeck level crossing.

At a Harrogate Borough Council meeting in September last year, Ms Metcalfe allayed fears by saying firefighters knew the train times and could ring ahead to Network Rail if they needed to cross urgently.

Ms Metcalfe addresses Harrogate Borough Council in September last year.

But in response to a freedom of information request, Ms Metcalfe’s office has now admitted this was “incorrect”.

Tina James-McGrath, a staff member at the commissioner’s office, said the information was provided by a now-retired “member of the senior leadership team” at North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and it was then “relayed in good faith by the commissioner”.

Ms James-McGrath added:

“It has since transpired as a result of investigating your query further, that the information provided to the commissioner was incorrect.”

She said Harrogate and Knaresborough fire stations “have an awareness of train times, but this can be difficult to predict” and the fire stations “will not call Network Rail when working at an incident on or close to a train line where working crews may be put at a safety risk”.

Ms James-McGrath also acknowledged “ad hoc freight trains also use the line and there is no process for emergency services to phone ahead”.

Starbeck signallers, she added, will delay lowering the barriers when possible “if they do see an emergency vehicle approaching reasonably close to the crossing” but “once the barriers are down the signaller must wait for the train to pass before they can raise the barrier”.

The proposed closure of Bogs Lane and Kingsley Road to through traffic would only add to the traffic at the crossing, she said, adding:

“Network Rail also noted that the traffic flow is at saturation point now and appreciates that the closure of the nearby road is not going to help this or the emergency services.”

‘The difference between life and death’

Pat Marsh, a Liberal Democrat borough and county councillor who raised concerns about Starbeck level crossing with Ms Metcalfe last year, said she was “greatly saddened by the response”, adding:

“I am really worried about the hold-ups that are happening at Starbeck crossing.

“I personally have seen ambulances waiting five minutes for the barriers to lift, this can be the difference between life and death.

“We need everyone round the table ASAP to discuss this very serious issue to ensure the safety of our local residents. People who really know and understand the issues.”

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Paul Haslam, a Conservative borough and county councillor, said:

“The critical issue for me is that Network Rail update the technology at the Starbeck crossing so that the barriers are down for significantly less time which improves traffic flow, reduces idling and makes access easier should we have the misfortune to need the emergency services.

“I have lobbied together with [Conservative MP for Harrogate and Knaresborough] Andrew Jones on this for a number of years. It needs fixing! The more voices shouting for this change the better.”

The Stray Ferret asked Ms Metcalfe’s office whether the information about Starbeck crossing was checked and whether she would consider reviewing her decision or agreeing to Cllr Marsh’s request for an urgent meeting but it did not respond.

Rail workers and teachers will be on strike in the Harrogate district today as part of the latest wave of industrial action.

More than 400,000 workers in various sectors took part in strikes yesterday in the biggest day of industrial action since unrest began last year.

They included the first of two planned teachers’ strikes by members of the National Education Union. Picket lines are expected to form outside schools in the district again today.

Today also sees RMT members at 14 train operators, including Northern, stage the first of four planned 24-hour strikes. The next one is due on Saturday.

Northern, whose services include those passing through Harrogate and Knaresborough, will run an amended strike timetable on the affected days, with a 12-hour operation on selected routes from 7am to 7pm.

Northern’s guide to services in the days ahead.

Tricia Williams, chief operating officer at Northern, urged customers to check before they travel.

Ms Williams said:

“We’re expecting the skeleton services we can run to be very busy – so customers should plan ahead and check before they travel.

“Given the reduced timetable only runs until 7pm, I’m very keen to stress that people should check their ‘last train home’ on those dates – so that customers don’t find themselves stranded at the wrong end of the line as a result of this action by the RMT.”

Junior doctors staged a picket line on Wetherby Road near Harrogate District Hospital on Monday as part of a 72-hour strike that finished yesterday.

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Train passengers in the Harrogate district are set for two days with no services next week due to strike action.

Members of train drivers’ union the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (ASLEF) are set to walk out on Wednesday and Friday in a dispute over pay and conditions.

Northern, which operates services between Leeds and York, has confirmed no trains will run on the days of strike action.

The company has also urged passengers not to travel as no rail replacement services will be operated.

It said in a statement:

“There will be no rail replacement buses on strike days for Northern services and some Northern stations may be closed or have reduced hours due to the limited staffing and services.

“Advanced tickets have been withdrawn from sale for strike day.”

The operator added that some services on the day after strikes may be also be affected.

Meanwhile, LNER, which runs services to London King’s Cross from Harrogate, said it would be running a limited timetable on the days of strike action and urged passengers to check their journeys before travelling.

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Union bosses said the planned walkouts were a result of a pay proposal made by train operators which it said could not be accepted as it represented a “real terms pay cut” amid soaring inflation.

Mick Whelan, general secretary of ASLEF, said: 

“The proposal is not and could not ever be acceptable but we are willing to engage in further discussions within the process that we previously agreed.”

Besides train drivers, teachers, nurses and ambulance workers are all set to strike in the Harrogate district in the next two weeks.

No trains will run from Harrogate and Knaresborough to Leeds and York for five days this week.

RMT Union members will walkout from today until Saturday (December 17) in a dispute over pay and conditions.

The strikes will be the latest to hit the Harrogate district rail network this year.

Northern, which operates services from Harrogate and Knaresborough towards Leeds and York, has warned passengers not to travel as no replacement bus services will be running.

Services will resume on Sunday (December 18), but Northern has urged passengers to check before they travel.

Meanwhile, no LNER services from Harrogate to London King’s Cross will run until Sunday.

A table issued by Northern warning passengers of days with industrial action.

It said in a statement:

“On strike days, only travel by rail if necessary and if you do travel, expect severe disruption and plan ahead – especially the first and last trains of the day.

“If you do decide to travel, there will be very limited services running across the whole rail network so remember to check your entire journey as other train service providers may be affected.

“There will be no rail replacement buses on strike days for Northern services and some Northern stations may be closed or have reduced hours due to the limited staffing and services.”

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A transport leader has branded the performance of trains by the Harrogate line operator as “dire”.

Lord McLoughlin, chair of Transport for the North, today called on the government to urgently intervene to help end the current “unacceptable” levels of performance on the rail network in the north of England.

His comments come after new figures showed more than a third of Northern trains fail to run on time. Northern operates the Harrogate and Knaresborough line between Leeds and York.

In mid-summer, only 62% of Northern trains arrived on time. The figure increased marginally to 64% for the period from August 21 to September 17.

A press release by Transport for the North, which is a partnership of public and private sector representatives campaigning for better transport infrastructure in northern England, said services by Northern and other rail operators in the north “have been of a poor quality for far too long now”.

Lord McLoughlin, chair of Transport for the North, said:

“The current situation on the north’s rail network is simply unacceptable.

“It’s completely inexcusable that communities in the north of England are having to experience such a dire level of service. It requires an urgent intervention as it’s undermining businesses and holding back economic growth.”

He added “far too many trains” were being cancelled and “too many are cancelled at short notice causing chaos for commuters and local communities”.

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Lord McLoughlin, who is a Conservative peer, added:

“We want to see the operators given the freedom to negotiate a solution to Rest Day Working by themselves, and for a rail academy for the north to be fast-tracked, and for current devolved structures, such as the Rail North Partnership Board, to be strengthened and play a bigger role working with our partners across the north.”

The Stray Ferret asked Northern if it wanted to respond to Lord McLoughlin’s comments but we did not receive a response.

Rail operator Northern has told passengers to expect six days of disruption during the next wave of strikes.

The RMT union has scheduled strikes on Saturday, November 5, Monday, November 7 and Wednesday, November 9 as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

Northern, which operates the line passing through Knaresborough and Harrogate, today advised people not to travel by train on those days.

It also warned that “services are also expected to be affected”  on November 6, 8 and 10 November.

The company added disruption would occur “especially in the morning, so please check before you travel”.

The RMT previously announced a strike on November 3, however, this was cancelled and Northern said trains will be operating as usual that day.

The company said in a statement:

“On strike days, only travel by rail if necessary and if you do travel, expect severe disruption and plan ahead — especially the first and last trains of the day.  Remember to check your entire journey as other train service providers may be affected.

“Advanced tickets will be withdrawn from sale, until an alternative strike timetable is in place.”

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