Hull Trains is an open access operator in England owned by FirstGroup. It operates long-distance services between Hull/Beverley and London King's Cross. It has a track-access agreement until December 2029. At the end of March 2020, Hull Trains temporarily suspended all services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hull Trains has now announced they will resume service from 21 August 2020.
History
In 1999, there was only one through train per day each way between Hull and London King's Cross, GNER'sHull Executive. In May 1999, former British Rail managers Mike Jones and John Nelson lodged an application to operate an open access service through their Renaissance Trains business. A joint venture was formed with GB Railways taking an 80% shareholding and Jones and Nelson each holding 10%. In December 1999, a four-year track access agreement was granted by the Office of Rail Regulation with operations commencing on 25 September 2000. In September 2002, the access agreement was extended for ten years. In August 2003, GB Railway's shareholding was included in the sale of the business to FirstGroup. In June 2008, Hull Trains was rebranded as First Hull Trains, adopting FirstGroup's corporate blue, pink and white colours. In January 2009, the access rights were extended until December 2014, and in February 2010 was further extended until December 2016. It was later extended until December 2019. In August 2014, FirstGroup purchased the remaining 20% shareholding. In 2015, it resumed trading as Hull Trains. In March 2016, First Hull Trains obtained approval for a further 10 year open access agreement until 2029, allowing them to proceed with ordering five Class 802 electro-diesel multiple-units which had been announced by the operator on 3 September 2015.
Services
Hull Trains operates up to five daily return services between Hull and London King's Cross on weekdays and a twice daily service between Beverley and King's Cross. On weekends there are five daily services between Hull and King's Cross only. Hull Trains commenced running three services per day on 25 September 2000. In December 2002 a fourth daily service commenced, in May 2004 a fifth, in May 2005 a sixth, and later a seventh. On 4 February 2015, one service per weekday was extended from Hull to Beverley in each direction. In December 2015, one service was extended to Beverley on weekends. In May 2019, a further service in each direction was extended from Hull to Beverley.
Expansion proposals
In 2008, First Hull Trains applied for track access rights to run services between Harrogate and London King's Cross via York under the First Harrogate Trains banner and from Cleethorpes to King's Cross via Lincoln and Spalding. In January 2009, the Office of Rail Regulation released its decisions on the ECML route planning and rejected First Harrogate Trains' application.
Rolling stock
Current fleet
In September 2015, Hull Trains announced a £60 million order for five new 5-car bi-mode high-speed trains from Hitachi with seating for 320 people. In its proposed track access application, Hull Trains confirmed that these would be Class 802s. In August 2019, Hull Trains announced they would branding their new trains as the 'Paragon' fleet. The first unit entered service on 5 December 2019 with the Class 180 fleet not seeing service again following service suspension on 19 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Class 802 units, Coach A is standard seating with wheelchair accommodation, Coach B and Coach C are both standard seating, Coach D is both standard and first class seating and Coach E is completely first class seating with wheelchair accommodation. The units do not have a cafe bar compared to the Class 180 units in response to customer requests for a trolley service for more seating.
Past fleet
Hull Trains began operations with 3-car Class 170Turbostars hired from sister GB Railways company Anglia Railways. There was at least one occurrence of an Anglia Railways Class 86 and Mark 2 set operating as far as Doncaster. When the Strategic Rail Authority changed its policy on allowing train operating company assets to be hired out, Hull Trains needed to acquire its own fleet. It ordered four 3-car Class 170 Turbostars, the first entering service in March 2004. These were intended only as an interim solution as four 4-car Class 222 Pioneers were ordered at the same time, but because the former were part of a speculative order already placed by Porterbrook they would be available in time. The Class 170 Turbostars entered service in March 2004. It was planned that after being replaced, they would then be used on new services, but these services were never introduced, so the Class 170 trains were transferred to First ScotRail. The Class 222 Pioneers entered service from May 2005. In January 2007, a Class 222 Pioneer was damaged when it was dropped off a maintenance jack; it would ultimately take two years to repair. After making do with only three trains, in January 2008 a Class 86 was hired from the AC Locomotive Group to haul a set of Mark 3s hired from Cargo-D for weekend London King's Cross to Doncaster services. The first set of Class 180 Adelante units entered service with First Hull Trains in April 2008, which allowed the current locomotive-hauled fleet and Class 222 Pioneer trains in the fleet at the time to be transferred elsewhere. Later in 2008 another two were leased to release the Class 222 Pioneers for transfer to East Midlands Trains in 2009. The Class 180s helped First Hull Trains gain more capacity by an extra carriage, but when the units first arrived they were plagued by technical difficulties, and a period of poor reliability for the company followed. However, First Hull Trains has improved reliability dramatically since their introduction. The units have also been given a refresh internally with new seat covers and a deep clean. New catering facilities for first class have also been provided, and externally the units have been repainted in FirstGroup's neon blue livery. Following further reliability problems being encountered with the Class 180s, an InterCity 125 HST set was hired from Great Western Railway in February 2019. In April 2019, Hull Trains introduced another HST to their network following more reliability problems. Both of these HST sets returned to GWR in December 2019.
Depots
Maintenance of the Class 180 Adelantes was undertaken at Old Oak Common Depot alongside First Great Western's fleet until this depot closed in 2018. Two sets were stabled and serviced each night in Hull sidings by Hull Trains staff with fuelling and emptying of toilet tanks being undertaken at Arriva Rail North's Botanic Gardens TMD. The third service set was stabled at either Bounds Green or Old Oak Common as service requirements dictated. A day fitter was based at Hull from Bombardier at Crofton TMD. The Class 802s are maintained by Hitachi at Doncaster.
