[Archive] Northern (Arriva Rail North)

[knutstransport]

RE: Northern (Arriva Rail North)
Full Northern franchise agreement has been released: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/sy...eement.pdf

Observations I've made:
- As well as the widely reported cascades there are additional 150s coming from GWR in April 2019 (when the Direct Award ends) which include 2 x 3 car 150s. A further 24 150s will be reformed in to 3 car sets, the 150/2 carriages which are used as centre carriages will have their toilets removed.
- 18 x 2 car 170s (or equivalent trains to 170s) are to join the fleet in 2022.
- 12 x 319s will join the fleet but 5 will only be on temporary leases until the final batch of 331s are introduced.
- Platform lengthening plans indicate 3 car 150s will be used on the Penistone and Knottingley lines and that 4 car 150s will be used on Liverpool to Manchester via Warrington stoppers.
- Platform lengthening plans mention 5 carriage trains with carriages 23m in length will need to be accommodated on the Clitheroe, Southport and Kirkby lines from 2019 - possibly an indication of 3 car 158s transferring west given the 153s are being released? (Southport to Leeds is to get 3 car 170s from Scotrail along with Leeds to York via Harrogate.)
- The 150s, 155s, 156s and 319s will not be getting new seats but will be getting re-padded seats with new seat covers. All those classes will lose some seats due to accessibility improvements.
- All 158s will be refurbished to 'Northern Connect' standard, not just the ones being used on North East Northern Connect routes. They will gain 4-5 seats as part of the refurbishment.
- The 323s will leave Northern at the end of 2018. There won't be any released by Northern in time for Midlands electrification schemes.
- The new CAF trains will have 124 seats per 2 car set, 204 per 3 car set and 284 per 4 car set.