Northern commuters encouraged to return to rail

Train operator, Northern, is encouraging more commuters to return to the network following 18 months of improvements to region’s railways since the pandemic began.

Since the pandemic began in March 2020 and many commuters across the UK began working from home, Northern has completed a number of improvement projects for the benefit of passengers on its services. Upgrades include the introduction of over 100 new trains and refurbishment of older carriages, as well as improvements to a number of the region’s stations. Ticketing options have also been updated to allow fares to better reflect changes people have made to travel habits during the pandemic, such as flexible and blended home- and office-based working.

Latest figures from the rail operator suggest that around 40% of commuters have returned to Northern services, which is above the national average for rail operators nationwide. However, recent data from Transport for the North (TfN) has found that rail travel has recovered slower than other modes of transport, with rush hour traffic levels on the North’s roads returning to pre-pandemic levels.

Tricia Williams, Chief Operating Officer at Northern, said:

“We have delivered a programme of investment during the past 18 months that has seen the full introduction of 101 new trains, the completion of the refurbishment of our older trains, and significant improvements at stations across the North – including the installation for more than 170 Amazon and InPost lockers to provide more convenience for our customers.”

“We’ve also transformed the way in which customers can pay for their travel.

“Great value fares – and Flexi Season tickets which reflect changes to people’s commuting habits – are available through our mobile app. And with more than 600 new ticket vending machines, as well as improvements to web purchasing, buying a ticket is now easier and more convenient than ever before.”

To help continue to support passengers back on the railway, Northern has also this week launched a new advertising campaign aimed at commuters. The new campaign follows TfN’s ‘Go Green by Train’ campaign, encouraging rail use as a more environmentally friendly mode of transport compared to driving.

Tricia Williams concluded:

“Whether you’re coming back to the railway to get to your workplace, a meeting or to study, we’ve made fantastic improvements to make sure that, whatever the reason for travel, you can go do your thing.”