Exclusive:'Customers are responding': Is Northern finally on the right track as passenger numbers jump?

The now Prime Minister’s criticisms followed years of well-documented challenges for the railway operator, which was taken into public control in 2020 on the back of persistent punctuality and reliability problems.

The poor state of its ageing fleet, in particular the notorious ‘cattle-truck’ Pacer trains built from the shells of 1980s buses which were finally phased out in 2020, also became emblematic of the organisation’s long-running issues.

But while the company is still not problem-free - a long-running ongoing dispute with the RMT train union about working hours has resulted in reduced Sunday services - there are some genuine signs of positive progress.

Northern’s recently-published annual results for 2025/26 detail a 10 per cent increase in passenger revenue to £437m through almost 100 million customer journeys, a substantial reduction in cancellations from eight per cent to 3.5 per cent and plans for hundreds of new trains.

Alex Hornby, who joined Northern as its commercial and customer director shortly after Burnham’s criticisms in November 2024 having previously been group managing director for bus company McGill’s, tells The Yorkshire Post that it has been a team effort to improve the situation.

He says as well as factors such as increased office working in major cities, the rise in passenger numbers is directly connected to performance improvements.

“We are increasing customer confidence in the railway,” he says. “We are, by and large, delivering the railway now that we are promising to deliver. Cancellations are reduced, delays are reduced, and we've set out on revamping how we talk to and listen to our customers, and that is clearly having an impact.

“As well as customers noticing that trains are more reliable, the perception of value for money has also improved.

“That's helped by the national fare first freeze but also our continued efforts to do more around cheaper advance ticketing and easier access to ticketing as well. Over 80 per cent of our transactions now are done digitally, so people are able to buy their tickets and plan their journeys very easily on their mobile phone, which obviously just reduces the barriers to travel.

“There's lots happening, but obviously the key thing is the performance of the railway is improving and customers are responding to that.”

Hornby says “attention on the basics” has been key to improving performance.

As well as looking at staffing levels, recruitment processes and improving reliability, an improvement plan has involved moving from a structure covering three large regional areas to six smaller ones which mirror the locations covered by different regional mayors.

Hornby says: “That is really important because it means then that decisions are being made much more locally, and it allows us to be much more forensic around how we're covering journeys, how we're making sure that staff coverage and fleet coverage is right.

“At the same time, we are totally transforming how we recruit and train colleagues. So we are attracting colleagues now in plentiful numbers to the railway.

“Our conductors are really highly rated by our customers, and rightly so.”

Hornby adds: “There are there are a number of our lines which are always producing 90 per cent plus reliability with less than 1 per cent cancellations.

“One thing that Northern has suffered from in the past is it is seen as a monolith, and any bad news floats to the top but might actually only be implicating one small aspect of the network.

“The Wharfedale line, Leeds to Ilkley, is one of the most reliable railway lines in the country. You can't get between Ilkley and Leeds faster, other than if you had a helicopter.

“What Northern often has suffered with in the past is that it hasn't communicated and dealt with issues on that local basis because a railway is local by its nature, and our railway certainly is.”

The company is now in the midst of attempting to deliver its ‘30 by 30’ plan to provide an additional 30 million passenger journeys by 2030,thereby reducing its reliance on taxpayer subsidies to balance the books. The company received a £695m subsidy in the last financial year, £18.5m higher than the previous year due to factors like pay rises and extra rolling stock costs.

Hornby says he is confident the 30 million target can be achieved, with an extra nine million journeys already delivered since the target was set last year – with a new faster services between Sheffield and Leeds responsible for an additional 100,000 journeys.

"’30 by 30’ should increase customer revenue by nearly £200m. These are big numbers which will reduce that need for subsidy.

"But while there are a number of lines that a commercial operator wouldn't choose to run, we know that the railway plays an important part in the economic and the social health of the North of England."

So what would Hornby say to sceptical passengers who haven’t set foot on a Northern train for a few years but might persuaded to try a journey again?

“You'll find that we're more dependable as a service. I think you'll find our trains themselves are better and more comfortable. Our older trains are refurbished to the standard of our new trains, and I think sometimes our customers would struggle to tell the difference between the two.

"What we're trying to do as well is not just ensure that the train is comfortable, but ensuring that people get that kind of friendly northern service because the human factor can often be the thing that stays with people. I’d like to think people will be pleasantly surprised.

"‘30 by 30’ is a growth strategy but it is not a rail demand issue, it is more about rebuilding confidence. If we do that well, the extra journeys will take care of themselves. I really believe the results so far show we are on track with delivering that and there is more to come."