Northern’s ‘30 by 30’ plan

At Northern, we want rail travel to work better for the people who rely on it every day - and for those who could, with the right improvements, choose it more often. Which is why we've created '30 by 30' - a plan built on customer insight with clear steps to grow rail use by 30 million extra journeys by 2030, roughly a third more than today.

Whether you’re heading to work, visiting family, or exploring the North, we want our services to fit in with your life.

The rail industry is in a period of reform as we move towards Great British Railways. But we’re not waiting for reform to deliver improvements now. '30 by 30' is our commitment to act, invest and improve today.

What '30 by 30' actually means: A plan shaped by insight from people across the North 

Together with TransPennine Express, we spoke to over 4,000 rail users and non‑users across the North. This research provided us with a clear picture of what people think about rail travel today – and what would encourage them to travel by train more often.

What we learned showed a significant opportunity for growth:  

At least 30 million additional journeys by 2030 if we address the issues people told us about and change the perceptions that hold them back.

Those insights shaped three priorities:

Better value and simpler ticketing

Many people told us they believe car travel is cheaper and easier, even though parking costs and congestion often mean that isn't true.

We’re acting on this by:

• Making value for money clearer
• Improving how tickets are explained and sold
• Making tickets simpler - such as the recent fare reform in Greater Manchester, which saw us simplify fares to just two - anytime and off-peak
• Offering more attractive season tickets and flexible options
• Getting modern ticketing, such as Pay As You Go, available in more places

We aim to make the train feel like the go-to, great‑value choice.

More reliable journeys

Customers were clear - performance matters most. That means fewer cancellations and more trains arriving on time.

We are improving reliability across our network. Our target is:

• 90% of trains arriving within 3 minutes of schedule
• Fewer than 2% of services cancelled

We have committed to improving our customers' experience during times of disruption through the Smarter Information programme.

A timetable built around how people travel today

Convenience came through strongly in our research. People want services that reflect modern travel patterns — and they want their feedback to shape improvements.

We’re responding by:

• Designing timetables around how, when and where customers travel, like the introduction of a new fast service - the Northern Yorkshire Flyer - between Sheffield and Leeds, after listening to what customers need
• Challenging operational barriers that get in the way of convenience
• Holding regular discussions with customers, local representatives, local mayors and transport officials
• Working on closer integration with buses, trams and local transport - we have taken the lead in setting up the DFTO and Bee Network ticket acceptance policies to improve the customer experience during times of disruption.
• Reopening the Northumberland Line after over 60 years to connect communities with education, work and leisure

This is about making whole journeys smoother, not just the train part.

Why it matters to you

Reaching this goal is more than just a numbers game - it will mean:

• Easier, more reliable day‑to‑day travel
• Better connections across towns and cities
• Clearer value and simpler ways to buy the right ticket
• Services shaped around customer needs

And for the places we serve? It means stronger local economies, easier access to jobs, education, leisure and family, and a transport network built for the future. 

Built together with the North

Since launching the plan, we’ve held 25 discussions with mayoral and local authorities, alongside industry focus groups and local partners. Their feedback has strengthened our plans.

‘30 by 30’ is a live plan, and we will update it based on further customer insight, research and local feedback.

It has already supported several improvements across our network, and it has been recognised as industry‑leading in recent articles and podcasts.