North TransPennine

TransPennine Express

185108 at Manchester Piccadilly on 1 April 2016
Overview
Franchise(s):	TransPennine Express 1 April 2016 – 31 March 2023
Main route(s):	North West England, Yorkshire and Humber, North East England, Scotland
Fleet size:	61 units
Stations operated:	19
National Rail abbreviation:	TP
Parent company:	FirstGroup
Website:	www.tpexpress.co.uk

TransPennine Express (legally known as First TransPennine Express Limited) is a British train operating company owned by FirstGroup operating the TransPennine Express franchise. It runs regular express regional railway services between the major cities of Northern England as well as Scotland.

The franchise operates all its services to and through Manchester covering three main routes. The service provides rail links for major towns and cities such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield, Hull, Leeds, York, Scarborough, Middlesbrough and Newcastle.

TransPennine Express is one of the few UK train operating companies running 24 hours a day, including through New Year's Eve night. Trains run between York, Leeds and Manchester Airport at least every three hours every night of the week.

The TransPennine Express brand was launched in the early 1990s by British Rail's Regional Railways sector. It became part of Regional Railways North East and on 2 March 1997 was privatised with Northern Spirit and its successor, Arriva Trains Northern maintaining the brand.

In 2000, the Strategic Rail Authority announced that it planned to reorganise the North West Regional Railways and Regional Railways North East franchises operated by First North Western and Arriva Trains Northern. A TransPennine Express franchise would be created for the long-distance regional services, the remaining services being operated by a new Northern franchise.