Arriva and FirstGroup win Northern and TransPennine rail franchises

Transport secretary says the award will ‘help the north realise its full economic potential’ and make a ‘real difference to customers’Fleets of better, faster trains, thousands of extra seats and improved rail services across the north have been promised as the winners of two major rail franchises were announced.Smart ticketing will be introduced and free Wi-Fi will be rolled out by the end of the decade. German firm Arriva takes over the Northern franchise from April 201