Northern calls on North East customers to get ready for new train times

Sunday 15 December will see the introduction of new timetables across the Northern network – and the UK’s entire railway – as part of annual plans to add new and improve existing services.

This year, Northern is focussing on delivering improved reliability and stability, having already introduced more than 2,000 extra services each week since the start of the franchise.

Anna Weeks, Regional Director at Northern, said: “Since 2016 we have introduced many new services across the region and are recording more customer journeys than ever before.

“Our December timetable change this year gives us the opportunity to take another look at those services – as well as those of other operators in the region – and develop a timetable that gives our customers improved reliability.

“We continue to work closely with Network Rail and others in the industry to deliver plans that will give our customers the best possible service.

“But we need all customers to make themselves aware of the changes by checking ahead before any travel. All timetables are now available online via the Northern website and National Rail Enquiries.”

Alongside the new timetables, Northern is to remove all Pacers from the North East and continues to introduce refurbished trains, with more than 60 percent of the 268-strong fleet at least part way through the process.

Anna added: “From Sunday 15 December all Pacers will be removed from our network in the North East as part of our drive to improve services for our customers. And our refurbishment programme, when complete, will give our customers a further step-change in their journey experience.

“Our fully refurbished trains – which represent a multi-million pound investment in rail in the north of England – will all feature Wi-Fi, air conditioning and at-seat charging. They will also be fully accessible and feature live customer information screens.”

Northern’s new timetables are introduced on Sunday 15 December, with new weekday timetables going live on Monday 16 December.

Customers can plan ahead by checking the new timetables online via the Northern website or by visiting National Rail Enquiries.