Latest news with #AlexHornby
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Northern announces changes to train timetables from Sunday, May 18
Northern has announced changes to its train timetables from Sunday, May 18. The new timetables will see changes to some key routes and additional services across the network. The arrival of additional electric trains into Northern's fleet means that customers travelling between Leeds and Skipton/Doncaster, and between Blackpool and Manchester Airport, will benefit from longer trains with extra capacity. Major engineering work as part of the Transpennine Route Upgrade at Huddersfield station will result in the Leeds to Huddersfield, and Bradford to Huddersfield, services being replaced by an hourly Northern service from August 30 onwards. Alex Hornby, commercial and customer director for Northern, said: "Customers will really start to feel the benefit that these extra carriages will bring, with more seats available to take advantage of on some of our busiest routes across the network. "We've also been able to reinstate some early morning and late evening journeys that have previously been lost in places as a result of long-term engineering work coming to a finish, which is fantastic news. "Whilst the majority of our train times will be similar to what they are now, I'd still encourage customers to plan ahead and check before you travel." To view the updated timetables, please visit
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Top gun Maverick swoops in to end pigeon chaos
Two birds of prey will patrol the skies above three railway stations in an attempt to bring an end to a "pigeon problem". The Harris Hawks, called Maverick and Zulu, have been introduced in Beverley and Driffield, East Yorkshire, and Filey, in North Yorkshire, as part of a three-month trial. Train operator Northern, which run the stations, said the birds were being used to deter pigeons and prevent them from nesting, rather than for hunting. Alex Hornby, commercial and customer director, said: "We have tried plastic owls and recorded hawk noises but they weren't an effective deterrent." He added: "The pigeons are a real nuisance for our customers and cause headaches for the station staff who have to clear up after them." Northern said it had been "locked in a long-running battle" with pigeons because of damage and corrosion caused by droppings. Last year, the roof at Driffield station was smeared with fire gel, which appears as ultraviolet light to pigeons and tricks them into thinking a surface is too hot to land on. However, instead of solving the issue, the birds flocked to other parts of the station. Northern has previously asked customers to stop feeding birds and avoid leaving food lying around. Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Rail users urged to stop feeding pigeons 'My husband built a railway in our back garden' Northern's service improvements 'could take years' Station sets up owl decoys for pigeon poo problem Northern Trains
