Positive service/staffing/revenue changes recent few months Manchester-Leeds (TPE)

[speedy1]

I've noticed some pretty positive changes the past few months:

- More staff all around the station at Leeds, with those faded yellow vests. And more security staff.

- More recently, staff at Huddersfield cheerfully assisting elderly and disabled more directly: offering wheelchair assistance, lift assistance, helping with luggage to other platforms. Often 3+ members of staff on the gates too at Huddersfield

- Big revenue operation on TransPennine up until last week (seems to be trailing off now? Not sure). I think I saw RPOs on at least 50% of my journeys. Was great to see

- More contracted security bods during weekends to keep the Ale Trailers in check

(And obviously TRU related but staff have been on trains the last few days with leaflets explaining the closures and answering questions)

Wondering if this is some kind of change or trend, or some edict from Burnham? I could be totally wrong in imagining the changes, too

This is almost exactly in line with what I feel is required year round!

 

[Northerngirl]

Not exactly the same, but around Manchester and Liverpool ive noticed far more useful information from the staff on board, when it comes to delays and ticket acceptance, things like explaining that another train is passing through the junction so we will have to hold at this signal for a couple of minutes. Its so nice just to be informed even though its only a few minutes delay

 

[TheSmiths82]

I have never done an ale trail or been on a train on that route on a Saturday afternoon but do they sometimes cause problems? I admit a group I was with once got told off on the train to Rebellion Festival for being noisy, but to be fair there was about 100 in the carriage all going and somebody from Northern Ireland bought on a massive PA speaker so we all had a bit of a punk sing along on the train! If I was just a passenger minding my own business I would have been a bit put out about the rowdy punks!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Sep 2026 ==

Not exactly the same, but around Manchester and Liverpool ive noticed far more useful information from the staff on board, when it comes to delays and ticket acceptance, things like explaining that another train is passing through the junction so we will have to hold at this signal for a couple of minutes. Its so nice just to be informed even though its only a few minutes delay

Northern is very good at this too, on most trains now if we are stopped for more than two minutes the guard comes on the PA to explain we are just held up at a signal waiting for a platform to become free but we will be moving shortly. It makes a massive difference to people with anxiety.

 

[swt_passenger]

But might Huddersfield staff enhancements be temporary while the upgrade is in progress?

 

[speedy1]

I have never done an ale trail or been on a train on that route on a Saturday afternoon but do they sometimes cause problems?

Yes. Just the past few weekends I've witnessed: urination on the platforms (friends strategically providing cover), smashing glasses, littering, rushing on the train barging past alighting passengers, taking over 1st class knowingly, vaping on board. The extra staff is absolutely required

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Sep 2026 ==

But might Huddersfield staff enhancements be temporary while the upgrade is in progress?

I imagine so but that's what I'm asking too

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Sep 2026 ==

Not exactly the same, but around Manchester and Liverpool ive noticed far more useful information from the staff on board, when it comes to delays ..., things like explaining that another train is passing through the junction so we will have to hold at this signal for a couple of minutes.

That's good. I think TPE are particularly bad at this. I agree it's nice to be informed!

 

[Jim the Jim]

I too noticed a large number of staff at Leeds today. I wondered what they were all for!

 

[MichaelTrains]

I too noticed a large number of staff at Leeds today. I wondered what they were all for!

Two checking tickets on my service earlier.

They caught six or seven without a ticket.

 

[GordonT]

Perhaps regular comments on the forum regarding perceived customer care deficiences are filtering through to TOC influencers.

 

[Iskra]

I've noticed some pretty positive changes the past few months:

- More staff all around the station at Leeds, with those faded yellow vests. And more security staff.

- More recently, staff at Huddersfield cheerfully assisting elderly and disabled more directly: offering wheelchair assistance, lift assistance, helping with luggage to other platforms. Often 3+ members of staff on the gates too at Huddersfield

- Big revenue operation on TransPennine up until last week (seems to be trailing off now? Not sure). I think I saw RPOs on at least 50% of my journeys. Was great to see

- More contracted security bods during weekends to keep the Ale Trailers in check

(And obviously TRU related but staff have been on trains the last few days with leaflets explaining the closures and answering questions)

Wondering if this is some kind of change or trend, or some edict from Burnham? I could be totally wrong in imagining the changes, too

This is almost exactly in line with what I feel is required year round!

The staff in the vests are now Northern not TPE.

The revenue staff will have been more obvious during times when Northern/TPE have offered a reduced service due to TRU, as the staff will have been spread across fewer services.

That said, I did notice a higher number of revenue staff than normal yesterday on ‘the Triangle.’ There does also seem to be a lot of staff training going on too at the moment.

I also perceive that operator specific ticketing is being seen as less important, as the attitude now seems to be that it’s ultimately the same operator so doesn’t matter so much.

 

[Geeves]

Yes as Iskra says all the TPE platform staff at Piccadilly have been taken in house but are employed by Northern Vs TPE (Carlisle). There's also a push at Leeds, Liverpool and Piccadilly to harmonise the uniforms so your likely not to be able to tell at first glance who is Network Rail or Northern (TPE).

 

[GuyGibsonVC]

Leeds is a Network Rail managed station and there is big effort going into integration for GBR in terms of aligning to a more customer based approach.

The MD of Northern actually commented on this at a recent event.

 

[43367]

All staff at leeds station now wear the vests, with the exception of the LNER staff.
This includes dispatchers, cleaners, network rail station staff, passenger assist staff and barrier staff

Also the Transpennine agency staff that dispatch their trains have also transferred over to northern Conway will be in the new vests too.

The staff were always there, just more noticeable now, however, I feel there should be slight differences in the vests to display they grade, maybe a different colour for safety critical staff

 

[Northerngirl]

All staff at leeds station now wear the vests, with the exception of the LNER staff.
This includes dispatchers, cleaners, network rail station staff, passenger assist staff and barrier staff

Also the Transpennine agency staff that dispatch their trains have also transferred over to northern Conway will be in the new vests too.

The staff were always there, just more noticeable now, however, I feel there should be slight differences in the vests to display they grade, maybe a different colour for safety critical staff

Thats my only issue with it, they really could do with ie yellow for general staff and green for people who can actually help, I do wonder how many cleaners are getting asked about somthing wholy unrelated to their role

 

[Fokx]

The Transpennine agency staff that dispatch their trains have also transferred over to northern Conway will be in the new vests too.

They weren't agency staff at Leeds, they were in-house Transpennine Express staff unlike Manchester Piccadilly

 

[chiltern trev]

Yes as Iskra says all the TPE platform staff at Piccadilly have been taken in house but are employed by Northern Vs TPE (Carlisle). There's also a push at Leeds, Liverpool and Piccadilly to harmonise the uniforms so your likely not to be able to tell at first glance who is Network Rail or Northern (TPE).

What is the reference to TPE (Carlisle) please?

 

[185143]

They weren't agency staff at Leeds, they were in-house Transpennine Express staff unlike Manchester Piccadilly

The dispatchers most definitely were agency staff at Leeds.

 

[Geeves]

What is the reference to TPE (Carlisle) please?

Apologies Carlisle is the name of the company that formerly employed the TPE despatchers. They still employ the barrier staff at Piccadilly and Victoria plus other places