TfN urges region to take a fresh look at train travel after pandemic

Transport for the North (TfN) is urging people across the region to take a fresh look at train travel following a number of improvement works carried out on the network during the pandemic.

Calls for more people in the North to reconsider train travel come as roads in the region are busier than at any time in the past 18 months, with many of the region’s cities facing daily, lengthy traffic jams as more people return to workplaces after the coronavirus pandemic.

As TfN also hosts its first Community Rail Week and ‘Go Green by Train’ campaign, the sub-national transport body argues there are more reasons than ever to consider rail travel.

David Hoggarth, Strategic Rail Director at Transport for the North, said:

“The train offer we have now in the North is not the train offer many will remember from before the pandemic.

“During the pandemic, Northern and TransPennine Express have completed the introduction of 145 new trains on to the network with flexible ticket offers, reliable wi-fi and air conditioning. What’s more, as we emerge from the pandemic, services are being re-introduced in a phased basis more tailored to demand and we are now seeing much better reliability.

“The pandemic gave everyone time to think – to re-assess our travel needs – and to give greater consideration to the environment when we do make the decision to travel – and in this context, rail is without doubt a sensible option if you are travelling between areas across the North.”

Recent research from the rail industry and University College London neuroscientists has also suggested that commuting to work by train offers psychological benefits in terms of wellbeing and brain function, providing further evidence to support the choice to travel to work via rail.

Couple this with the fact the Rail Delivery Group has calculated, on average, a train can remove up to 500 cars from the road – and the fact train operators themselves are lowering their own emissions – choosing the train over the car makes more sense than ever, David Hoggarth; he continues:

“We’ve known for a long time that rail travel is a great transport option, now is a great opportunity for people to embrace the benefits of making the change from road to rail.

“Transport for the North is working with the rest of the rail industry to promote this viable and sustainable transport option, with a shared aim – to improve passenger experience and play a pivotal role in achieving wider environmental efforts.

“Switching from the car to the train and other forms of public transport can play a key role in driving down carbon emissions, and TfN is working to raise awareness of the contribution that choosing rail can make in helping to protect the world we live in.”