Northern Rail Reviews 

We live in Sheffield. My husband regularly takes the train to Manchester for medical check ups.

Saturday 15th August there was a fire on the route around the Dore and Totley area. This is our stop, as it happens, so it’s rather annoying, but these things happen.

Husband was told he could go to another station in Manchester and get an alternative train to Leeds and then back to Sheffield.

Not ideal. He couldn’t walk to a different station due to his back issues (he had just come from a chiropractor!). He’d already struggled his way up to Piccadilly. A taxi would be even more expense! But, as I said, these things happen. I said I’d pick him up at Sheffield if he could just get there.

Miraculously, it was announced that the Sheffield line was opening and would take passengers as far as Grindleford! Perfect! It’s a twenty five minute drive to Grindleford, and hubby wouldn’t have to leave Piccadilly!

So, I set off, get parked up at Grindleford, and wait… Then husband calls me to say everyone has been kicked off in Chinley!!! Which, for anyone who doesn’t know Chinley, it is a beautiful, picturesque little village in the middle of absolutely nowhere!!

They’d have been better kicking them out at New Mills. At least at New Mills they have options. There are two stations!

But no. Dozens of people stranded in Chinley! They told them all to wait because a coach would come to pick them up!

I told my husband, don’t move, I’m coming. If the coach turns up, don’t bother getting on it. I’ll come and get you.

I should also note that it was our wedding anniversary and both of us were thoroughly fed up at this point. What should have been a four hour round trip to Manchester in the afternoon ended up being an all day event. It was after six PM by the time I made it to Chinley, and the coach STILL hadn’t arrived!! There were families with small children, elderly, hikers, commuters all stranded in the middle of nowhere waiting for their coach.

My husband and I finally made it home after seven.

And apparently I am NOT eligible for compensation or a refund because the tickets were scanned!!! 😂😂😂

Sure, they were scanned, but if you’re going to boot my husband out in the sticks with no way of getting back, it’s not really what I paid for, is it?

I understand that sometimes these things happen. Safety is the first and foremost concern, and fires are obviously very serious. My issue is that there is no plan B. They just abandon their passengers and wash their hands.

And the Train app I bought the tickets from refuse to compensate me because my tickets were scanned! This journey ended up costing a fortune in fuel for the car, ruined my wedding anniversary, and caused no end of upheaval on our end, but because he made it to Chinley, they apparently did their bit!

Sod off the lot of you!!!

Train got cancelled and got told I’d be entitled to a refund. Contacted them the same day and they said I had to email their department about it and they said they reply in 14 days. Never got a reply and emailed them again and still no response, until it had been 28 days and I could no longer get a refund. Robbing b*stards.

I boarded a train from Morecambe to Manchester which was booked through the Northern Rail app. We got to Lancaster okay even though the first train looked like it hadn't been cleaned for years, then when we got on the Lancaster to Manchester train,it was very late setting off, then they changed the announcements to say it would terminate at Preston. Nobody explained why. When I got to Preston, it seems that the majority of trains were cancelled due to an electrical fault. It was how it was handled that way the problem. We could hardly hear the announcements and the staff kept directing us to different platforms where it was also cancelled. It ended up with so many people waiting, and no alternative transport was provided. We were just told try again tomorrow. Who is meant to pay the hotel bill?

Again a huge let down from NR. Booked train r journey to York (race day) from
Sherburn , 2 carriages arrived late and were already full. Next train 30mins and was told only 2 carriages so they will be full too. Poor staff. This is a common problem happening over and over again. Over 40 people unable to travel left stranded with arrangements made. Fighting to get refunds is terrible plus most of us need up paying £ to
Get to York. Poor NR staff having to deal with irrate people. Poor service again and again and have no refund still

Excellent help and support boarding train from Leeds to Blackpool.

Particular thanks to Shelly & Angela.

Graham H.

Booked return tickets from Eccles to Liverpool on 11/7/26 to watch the England v Fiji rugby match. This turned into a nightmare journey as each successive train was completely full with passengers packed like sardines and I was refused entry by staff. I eventually got a later train but stood all the way in 33c heat ! I missed half the match. Upon returning to Lime street it was the same scenario!! Each train full. Massive queues and angry passengers unable to travel. I had to take a different train (which was delayed 30 minutes) and get off at Irlam, then take a taxi to complete my journey. I emailed customer service as I at least wanted a refund of my fare for this fiasco, but no response!! Disgraceful and not fit for purpose.

Update: No response to my email sent to Northern rail !

I Travelled for the first time on Northern to Middlesbrough then onto the Whitby train,The train was delayed as it hit many red light signals, Nothing the driver could avoid, I got a message on phone saying I would miss my connection from Trainline, I got very annoyed so booked my return straight away! A few mins later the conductor came round saying we are trying to hold up the Whitby train and if not we may arrange taxis to Whitby! We got to Middlesbrough and they had held up the Whitby by around 10 mins! What a fantastic customer service by Northern trains! Cheers Mark! 👍👍👍👍

It’s sad that in 2026 people are still racist
I was traveling to Leeds for a medical appointment I was prevented from boarding the train and was shouted out in a very very disrespectful and rude manner. A formal complaint was made from me and I hope you will solve this and train your staff not to be racist. If I had choice I will never use your services. Your trains service are awful and your trains are dirty and your staff is rude and not professionally trained.

Absolutely disgraceful. There was no information at the station where we started the journey. The train we wanted was randomly cancelled. The next one, an hour layer, was 15 mins late.
The train is absolutely packed, kids are screaming and no one is vacating the priority seats.

I booked a single train journey then immediately realised it was the wrong way. Grand total £ 2.50. So tried to reverse it using the app, unable to. So then tried swapping it for another journey I am planning for another £2.50 ticket in six weeks time. Charge to do so £10. Outrageous profiteering.

Still waiting for a refund of my ticket 15 days after my train was cancelled. I emailed with proof of my ticket. The guy replied saying the train was not cancelled. So I sent a screenshot of their app as proof it was cancelled. They didn’t reply and then said they hadn’t received my email.
Clearly they want to keep my money.
I guess I’ll have to wait the 40 days and then take it to the rail ombudsman. This could all be resolved so easily but I guess they want to make it such hard work that they hope I won’t bother.
I will get my money back out of principle even if it takes 50 emails. And never use their garbage service again.

“I am absolutely furious with today’s service. My 15:47 train from Horwich Parkway to Manchester Airport was delayed to 16:31, then cancelled at Manchester Piccadilly with no direct replacement. I had to rush through Manchester Piccadilly to get to my destination. This is a total joke—3rd-class service. I rely on these trains for work, and the constant delays and cancellations are completely unacceptable. UK trains are never on time!”

“Absolutely terrible service every day.”

“Worst train service I’ve ever used.”

“Delays and cancellations are constant.”

“Completely unreliable, daily frustration.”

“Service is consistently awful.”

“Never on time, always disappointing.”

“A daily nightmare for commuters.”

Shame on Northern Rail services.

The website is awful. I found it very difficult trying to buy an open return. The Website is so badly designed. Took me an hour and a phone call to sort it out.

Train from Carlisle to Newcastle was freezing.
The staff were really polite and helpful

£10 admin fee to change ticket date. Absolute disgrace.

A bit of wind and rain and all trains cancelled. Do they tell you straight away, no. They put on their app the train is delayed... then the expected time slowly starts creeping closer and closer to next train time before just disappearing.
They will know well in advance if the weather will cancel services, not mins before. Especially if the previous few have had to be cancelled.
Appalling service, being on a ticket via another supplier makes it hard to reclaim as well because no reason is given for cancellation.

Worst experience.

The most incompetent staff I’ve ever encountered. Whatever hiring pool you’re fishing in needs to be purged.

Shambles 1523 cancelled from Preston to colne. From platform 4cNo driver apparently

So the next train scheduled for 1623. Fair enough

Train there doors open every one gets on

1620. Announced that departing from platform 2. Note now we have 4c and 3c showing the 1624 departure.

It is actually departing from 2 so a mad rush to there by young and old.

Absolute carnage and chaos. New train packed.

Why make major changes 2 minutes before departure when some people had been waiting for over an hour.

Incompetence at Preston

Although only a very short journey from Leeds to Kirkstall Forge (Bradford Forster Square) it was a truly enjoyable last part of train journey. 9 carriages! Lovely clean train, comfy seats, very pleasant staff. Could certainly teach horrendous Cross Country Trains several lessons, especially the number of carriages required for comfort and especially safety.