First North Western

First North Western was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by First that operated the North West Regional Railways franchise from March 1997 until December 2004.

The franchise was awarded by the Director of Passenger Rail Franchising to Great Western Holdings. In March 1998 First bought the remaining 75.5% of shares it did not own to give it 100% ownership. First rebranded the franchise from North Western Trains to First North Western.

Services
First North Western operated a mix of urban and rural passenger services in North West England and North Wales, radiating out from Manchester to Birmingham, Chester, Holyhead, Liverpool, Blackpool North, Windermere and Sheffield.

First North Western operated services from Rochdale and Manchester Airport to London Euston from 1997 until 1999.

From May 2003 services from Manchester ceased operating south of Stoke-on-Trent and Crewe.

Rolling stock
First North Western inherited a fleet of Mark 2 carriages, Class 101, Class 142, Class 150, Class 156, Class 158, Class 309 and Class 323s.

To operate the services to London Euston Class 322s were hired from West Anglia Great Northern from 1997 until 1999.

First North Western ordered 11 two-carriage and 16 three-carriage Class 175 Coradias to replace the Mark 2 carriages and Class 101s.

Problems with the Class 175s saw locomotive hauled trains reinstated on North Wales services from June 2002, with EWS Class 47s and First Great Western Mark 2 carriages.

In February 2004 Class 31s were hired from Fragonset to top and tail Mark 2 carriages on Blackpool to Chester services.



Depots
First North Western's diesel fleet was maintained at Newton Heath Depot, the electric fleet at Lonsight Depot. The Class 175s were maintained at a purpose built depot in Chester.

Demise
In 2000 the Strategic Rail Authority announced that it planned to create a new TransPennine Express franchise transferring First North Western's Barrow-in-Furness and Windermere services, with the North Wales Coast Line services transferred to a new Wales & Borders franchise and the remaining services combined those of Arriva Trains Northern to form a new Northern Rail franchise.

On 28 September 2003 the North Wales Coast Line services transferred to Wales & Borders.

On 28 July 2003 the Strategic Rail Authority awarded the TransPennine franchise to First/Keolis with services operated by First North Western transferring to First TransPennine Express on 1 February 2004.

On 1 July 2004 the Strategic Rail Authority awarded the Northern franchise to Abellio/Serco with the remaining services operated by First North Western transferring to Northern Rail on 12 December 2004.