Our new franchise started on 1 April 2016 and marked the dawn of an exciting new era for TransPennine Express. We’ve been given the vital role of connecting the North and Scotland, helping to make them greater than ever before.
Achieving this relies on transforming into a vibrant and modern rail operator that connects people, places and ideas.
44 new state of the art intercity trains
220 new carriages introduced by 2019
Fully refurbishing all existing trains
Using intercity trains on all long distance services (more than 80% of total vehichle miles) by 2019
New 125mph rolling stock supporting reductions in journey time across the region
13m more seats in our timetable every year by 2019
More than double existing capacity on Sundays
20,000 extra peak seats per day giving an 80% increase into 5 largest cities in the North
55% increase in connections between 7 largest cities on the network by 2019
New direct services from Liverpool to Glasgow from December 2018
Extension of TransPennine Express services beyond Newcastle to Edinburgh from December 2019
16 additional services per day from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Manchester by 2019
6 trains an hour between Manchester and Leeds – over 100 services a day
Offering a 'weekday' service, 7 days a week by December 2017
An integrated network with better connections with local rail, bus and tram
£6.8m to complete platform extensions at 13 stations
£2.8m investment in customer information systems at stations
£1.4m Hull station retail development
£18m investment in stations across the north
Introducing Automatic Selective Door Operation so longer trains can call at stations
Paperless tickets via mobile available on all routes
Integrated ticketing with local smart card schemes
More through ticketing with bus, Manchester Metrolink and other tram or light rail systems
Discounted fares available for 16-18 year olds and for job-seekers
Online direct debit season ticket purchase and further group travel discounts
Bookings available up to 26 weeks in advance for Anglo-Scottish services
Delay Repay when things go wrong; automatic compensation for registered customers
30 new ticket vending machines at stations across the network