Pacer trains have finally gone for good

Passengers using rail services in the High Peak and Tameside will no longer have to endure the outdated 1980s-built Pacer trains.

That's because the fleet of old trains, which people have complained about for many years for not being fit for purpose, have made their final journey after just over 35 years on the Northern network.  

The last Pacer completed its swansong journey on Friday evening (27 November), travelling from Kirkby and arriving in Manchester Victoria at 5.45pm. 

The Pacers have been frequently used for services which call at stations including New Mills Central, New Mills Newtown, Furness Vale, Whaley Bridge, Chapel, Dove Holes, Buxton, Stalybridge, Ashton-under-Lyne, Hyde Central, Hyde North, Guide Bridge and Fairfield. 

Among the complaints of passengers who have had to make journeys for years on the Pacers - often described as 'buses on rails' - have been bouncy suspension, noisy engines, too warm or too cold, strong smells and diesel fumes. 

The Pacers were introduced in the 1980s across the north of England and were intended as a cheap stop-gap on lines where passenger numbers were declining. 

When Arriva Rail North, a subsidiary of the state-owned German railways, won the Northern franchise in 2016, it promised to get rid of all Pacers by 2020. But problems with the manufacture of their replacement meant the Pacer had to delay retirement. 

Northern was then brought under government control back in March, which saw the firm's franchise stripped from operator Arriva Rail North following years of major disruption. 

Northern's fleet of 102 Pacers have travelled more than 300 million miles, equivalent to 630 trips to the moon and back.

Retirement of the Pacer fleet began in the summer of 2019 and the trains have been gradually removed from service, allowing more new and refurbished trains to be introduced.

The new trains feature free Wi-Fi, air-conditioning, at-seat power and customer information/media screens with real-time information. They are also more spacious and fully accessible, with spaces for wheelchairs and cycles.

Chris Jackson, Regional Director at Northern, said: “The Pacers have kept millions of northerners on the move and, while they have served us well and provided some communities with rail services they may have otherwise lost, it is time to give them a well-earned rest.

“Northern has overseen significant modernisation in recent months and the retiring Pacers have made way for a fleet of 100 brand-new trains which are already servicing people across the north of England.”

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “The Pacer fleet has connected communities on the Northern network for over 30 years, but today marks the sun finally setting on trains that have become loved by some, but hated by many.

“This marks a new era of transport in the north, with passengers enjoying a brand new fleet of trains, delivering more modern services and creating a more reliable network across the north.”

Main image:

(Left to right) Becky Styles, Northern's Community and Sustainability Manager; Northern's Managing Director Nick Donovan; Driver Jason Ward; and Northern's Regional Director Chris Jackson with the Pacer train.