Operations
The class were built specifically for local services sponsored by West Yorkshire PTE (since rebranded as Metro). As such, the fleet was painted in the crimson/cream West Yorkshire Metro livery, although three units (nos. 144011-013) were later repainted into Regional Railways livery. Units are used on services such as:
- Harrogate Line - York-Harrogate-Leeds
- The Wakefield part of the Huddersfield Line - Leeds-Huddersfield
- The Huddersfield branch of the Calder Vale line
- Hallam Line - Leeds-Barnsley-Sheffield
- Penistone Line - Huddersfield-Barnsley-Sheffield
- Pontefract Line - Wakefield-Pontefract
- York & Selby Lines - Leeds/York-Selby/Hull
They can also be found operating the Leeds-Morecambe services, services between Scunthorpe and Adwick to Sheffield and Lincoln and more recently from 2008, between Manchester Victoria and Leeds (usually via Brighouse) amongst others. Prior to 1994, they were also used on Leeds/Bradford-Ilkley and Leeds/Bradford-Skipton services. These lines were electrified in 1994, and passenger services were operated by Class 308 electrical multiple units. Due to the their similarities, services booked for a Class 144 can often be replaced by a Class 142, and vice versa.
Since privatisation, the fleet has been operated by several franchises. The first operator was Northern Spirit, which was later taken over by Arriva Trains Northern who refurbished the fleet between 2002 and 2004, with units emerging in a new silver and red Metro livery complete with refurbished interior. In December 2004, the fleet was transferred to the new Northern Rail franchise. Northern Rail has started to replace the silver and red Metro livery with Northern Purple and Blue. During 2009, 144001-013 were all repainted. As of April 2010, all Class 144s have been repainted.
Northern Rail have commenced a refurbishment programme to their fleet of Class 144 trains. 144006 is the first one to be so treated and this was also the first one to be refurbished in the joint Arriva Trains Northern/WYPTE Metro programme eight years ago in 2002.
The refurbishment features the following enhancements:
- Installation of 'easy to mop' flooring
- The bike area at one end has been extended by removing the bulkhead wall and extending the perch seat from three to four
- Repainted hand grips and stanchions
- New dado side panels and repainted wall ends
- Retrimmed seats in the purple Northern Rail moquette
- Repainted ceiling
- Repainted driving cab
Read more about this topic: British Rail Class 144
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