(21 Dec 2014, 9:38 am)leestransportphotos Personally I hope the Pacers are withdrawn pretty soon, and we get some 158's they are my favourite Northern train, and I'd love to see them in the North East

(30 Dec 2014, 7:38 pm)northern156 158s won't happen. Some occasionally go to Heaton for overhauls and major exams but putting them into service would require a lot of crew training.

If you're saying 142s should be gone, this will do nothing but decrease the chances of 158s to be in the north east - 142s are used pretty well across the Northern region, Manchester, Preston, Leeds etc all heavily use them as well as 158s.

I've heard a rumour that ex-London D87 tube stock are going to be totally remade into 2, 3 and 4-car DMUs which would be used for 142 replacements. However this is just a rumour I've heard.

Would like to throw it into the topic that I quite like 142s. The engine sounds on some are brilliant and more importantly, they're unique - I'm hoping a few will be preserved when they eventually go.

(30 Dec 2014, 8:27 pm)MarcTheA4 I read somewhere 142s are modelled after buses or something, don't get me wrong - but I think it's the Leyland National?

(30 Dec 2014, 7:38 pm)northern156 Would like to throw it into the topic that I quite like 142s. The engine sounds on some are brilliant and more importantly, they're unique - I'm hoping a few will be preserved when they eventually go.

(30 Dec 2014, 8:56 pm)Dan Peasant! Absolute blasphemy! 

(30 Dec 2014, 8:56 pm)Dan Peasant! Absolute blasphemy! 

(12 Jan 2015, 7:28 pm)northern156 Just a heads-up for everyone. Please share this around so as many people as possible can see it!

http://www.northernrail.org/JP2015?utm_campaign=Flat_fare_B+v2&utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=
Northern Rail are running a promotion/offer which gives you the chance to buy an all-route Northern Day Ranger for just £10 (I don't think these are ordinarily available) or you can get a weekend ranger for £17.50.
To do this you have to collect two tokens from a list of specially selected newspapers (these papers are on a list on the website above). The three I have noticed for the North East are the Morpeth Herald, Hartlepool Mail and the Sunderland Echo.

You must get these tokens from the above newspapers printed before the 23rd January 2015, complete the form and buy your ticket from any staffed ticket office (ie Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Hexham, Carlisle etc).

Travel is available between 24 January and 15 March 2015 (excluding 14 - 22 February).


Note this is for the whole Northern Rail network which runs from Carlisle, Newcastle, Morpeth and all the way south to Crewe, Nottingham, Doncaster, Cleethorpes and also serving York, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield etc etc.
This ticket will not be valid for travel to get to the likes of York from the North East. The only ways you can get to Yorkshire via Northern Rail are via the Settle & Carlisle line to Leeds, or the Cumbrian Coast route through Workington and Whitehaven to Lancaster.

Otherwise you will have to buy a ticket for the route you'd like (for example, Newcastle to York or Carlisle to Preston).


This is £10 for adults (16 and over) or £5 for children. As stated you can get a Weekend ranger for £17.50 or £8.50 for children.
Please check the T&Cs on the above link.

Where did you find out the Ticket was not valid on them lines mate?

(13 Jan 2015, 1:47 am)Y961 XBU And how many tokens is it per paper?

(13 Jan 2015, 2:53 pm)Y961 XBU One thing i forgot to ask is can you only get this Promotional Ticket once?