Sounds like a throwback to the famous 'Club Trains' which used to run between Manchester and Blackpool many years ago, perhaps that's where they pinched the idea from.
There is a far more recent precedent, however: First North Western hired in top and tail class 31s with mark 2 sets to work a Blackpool to Manchester to Chester diagram round about 2004/2005.
Topping and tailing saves running round and perhaps they don't even employ shunters anymore but isn't it a rather extravagant way of working?
It seems to be the accepted way of operating loco-hauled passenger trains these days, for the additional flexibility that it offers: Arriva Trains Northern, First North Western, Wessex Trains, First Great Western and Scotrail have all adopted this practice as their method of working at various points in the past decade. It's even an accepted practice for a number of railtour operators now, such as West Coast and DRS, where it would not have been in the past.
Arriva Trains Northern through wired their mark 2 carriages for blue star multiple working with class 37s to allow the loco on the rear to provide power instead of being constantly at idle.
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Didn't Arriva Trains Northern and First North Western for a while operate loco hauled trains?
Yep: First North Western with Fragonset class 31s and mark 2s between Blackpool, Manchester and Chester as mentioned above, and Arriva Trains Northern with class 37s on the Settle and Carlisle, both in around 2004.
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