Northern appoints new manager to run Allerton depot in Merseyside

Bartie, from Flint in Flintshire, currently works for the train manufacturer CAF and will join the team in January 2024.

Bartie, who goes by the name Gaz, is no stranger to Northern, having spent 11 years with the train operator from 2011 to 2022, when he held various roles including depot supervisor, project support manager and contract & performance manager.

Jack Commandeur, engineering director at Northern, said: “Gaz’s experience at CAF and his previous track record at Northern - not least of all being part of the team that re-opened Allerton back in 2011 - make him a natural fit for this post.

“He’ll be a great addition to the engineering leadership team and we look forward to him starting in January.”

Commenting on his appointment, Bartie added: “I’m really pleased to be coming back to Northern – re-joining old friends and colleagues across the business and working together to ensure we deliver the company’s ambitious plans for the future.”

Allerton is one of five TrainCare Centres managed by Northern – the others being Neville Hill in West Yorkshire, Newton Heath in Manchester, Hull Botanic Gardens in East Yorkshire and Heaton in Tyne & Wear.

It was rebuilt from a freight train maintenance facility in 2011 and is now home to around 160 Northern colleagues in engineering and train presentation roles.

They are responsible for maintaining around a quarter Northern’s fleet of 360 trains, being the base for their electric Class 319, Class 323, Class 331 and Class 769 trains. The team at Allerton is supported by colleagues in outstations as well as those at Blackpool and Barrow-in-Furness.

On Sunday 10 December, rail timetables across the North of England will change in line with the rest of the National Rail network. Customers are encouraged to use the ‘Check My Timetable’ feature on the Northern website for more information about their local station.

Northern is the second largest train operator in the UK, with 2,500 services a day to more than 500 stations across the North of England.