Get 1980s trains shunted over from north east
NORTHERN Rail is finally bringing in more trains for passengers... but they’re second-hand Pacers from the north east.
In a bid to make up the shortfall of carriages which has led to chronic overcrowding on the tracks around Greater Manchester, Northern is about to boost its fleet of – largely unpopular – Pacers.
The call is bound to court controversy among passengers who were promised a phased reduction in the Pacer, also known as the ‘nodding donkey’ or ‘cattle truck.’
Constructed from a bus body attached to a freight train base and built in the 1980s with an intended life-span of 20 years, the operator is still running more than 100 of these rumbling beasts.
They make up 26 per cent of the 397-strong fleet but Northern has promised their removal by 2020.
However, it looks like passengers reeling from a fresh fare increase are in fact set to be gifted more Pacers before there are less, albeit on a temporary basis.
That’s because their north east hub is about to take delivery of refurbished Class 158 trains – also known as Sprinters – leaving some of their Pacers going spare.
They will be used to ‘temporarily’ bolster services in the north ahead of the delivery of brand new trains in the spring.
Northern was unable to tell the M.E.N. how many extra Pacers would be moved over, although the north east is set to receive eight refurbished Sprinters.
Anthony Smith, chief executive of travel watchdog Transport Focus, said: “This temporary solution must just be that.
“Having a train rather than no train is better but passengers have already waited a long time for promised improvements.”
Mr Chandarana, stakeholder manager, said Network Rail’s delayed infrastructure had led to an ‘horrendous’ shortage of trains.
This meant their plans for new electric stock had been delayed and as they had already passed on many diesel trains to other operators, led to a lack of carriages.
As a result, the phasing out of the much-maligned Pacers has also been delayed, although the commitment to get rid of them by 2020 still stands.
A spokesman for Northern said: “Manchester and the wider north west will, from spring, start to benefit from the introduction of our brand new trains.
“On some routes in the region, from spring, we will also introduce the first of our Flex trains – new dual fuel units which can run on electrified and non-electrified lines.
“The Pacers being replaced by the Class 158s will be used selectively across the north of England to help ease overcrowding for a limited period until they are retired later in the year.”