Blackpool - Manchester First Class

[RJ21]

I was told of an interesting one last night by my dad, he was travelling from Blackpool to Manchester and was onboard a service operated by TPE for Northern, the guard was excessing people who were sat in the first class area of the 185. As far as I understand it while TPE do still offer fares (which does still include a 1st class fare) for the routes they operated until 1st April in the NW and their trains and staff are still in use on those routes they would be operating under Northern's fares policy which currently doesn't appear to have any provision for first class fares at the moment.

So the question is, where does this leave those 15 seats on the handful of 185s still in use in the NW?

 

[gray1404]

Which time train was your Dad on and on what date? I've just checked the national rail timetable and some of those Northern services are advertised as having 1st Class accommodation, some have not. So it would depend which time train he was on in order to determine if an excess could be charged.

 

[RJ21]

It was Saturday evening, would have been after 17:00 given the time he turned up at home, looking at RTT it must have been 1U74 which as you said does advertise both first & standard. Perhaps Northern have quietly decided to retain that, quite why defeats me as few people have ever used the provision beyond Preston.

 

[RJ21]

To go futher, I see that Northern through their website offer 1st class fares where there is a connection at Preston onto TPE, but also on the services which are booked as being through workings by 185s.

Definitely a departure for them from the previous use of hired in units with 1st class seating.

 

[island]

A TOC's "fares policy" is neither here nor there; the question is whether the train in question is indicated by the National Rail Timetable to contain first class accommodation.

 

[snail]

I was told of an interesting one last night by my dad, he was travelling from Blackpool to Manchester and was onboard a service operated by TPE for Northern

1. Northern operate the trains with their own staff though the rolling stock is provided by TPE.
2. On the Northern operated 185s I usually travel on during the week from Manchester the conductor almost always announces that first class is for first class ticket holders only.

 

[Anvil1984]

In the franchise changeover bumph given to Norther Rail staff it states

From Day One, First Class will only be available on those transferring TPE services formed of Class 185 units.

 

[RJ21]

Thanks, that clears up that question, I'll pass the info along.

 

[Starmill]

1. Northern operate the trains with their own staff though the rolling stock is provided by TPE.
2. On the Northern operated 185s I usually travel on during the week from Manchester the conductor almost always announces that first class is for first class ticket holders only.

Your point 2 will be because it is - it is listed in the timetable.

Northern operate the trains, but some trains have either hired rolling stock, hired crew, or both. Many of the trains don't need either.

It's completely wrong to say that Northern don't have any First Class fares anyway, they do so in many cases where it's appropriate, for example Manchester to Crewe or Sheffield to York.