Yellow vests introduced for staff at three major northern stations

Passengers travelling through the North’s three biggest and busiest train stations are getting a helping hand as staff switch to a new shared colour scheme so it's easier to seek help while making rail journeys.

Station staff at Leeds, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly are now wearing yellow vests to make them easier to spot for anyone who needs support, directions or advice.

The new move sees customer service staff from Network Rail, Northern, TransPennine Express and station support staff wearing the same thing for the first time.

It's been devised to make customer assistance more visible, consistent and reassuring across some of the North’s most important transport hubs.

Today (Wednesday 26 August) a social media campaign has also been launched to raise awareness of the new uniforms ahead of the busy August bank holiday weekend.

More than 69 million passenger entries and exits were recorded last year across Manchester Piccadilly (27.4 million), Leeds (27.3 million) and Liverpool Lime Street (14.4 million).

Whether passengers need directions, accessibility support, reassurance during disruption, help finding a platform or simply someone to ask, the shared yellow vests will help customers quickly identify colleagues who are there to assist.

The scheme brings together station, train operator and support teams under a simple visual identity while keeping each organisation’s existing role and responsibilities in place.

It reflects a shared commitment to making stations feel easier to use, more accessible and more welcoming for everyone as the railway moves closer to Great British Railways.

David Dubaj-Downs, Network Rail head of customer and station transformation, said:“Stations are busy places, and we know customers sometimes need quick reassurance about who they can go to for help. By bringing colleagues from Network Rail, Northern, TransPennine Express and others together in one shared colour, we want to make that easier. If you need support, information or a friendly face, just look for yellow.”

Alex Hornby, Northern’s commercial and customer director, said:“This is about putting customers first and creating one railway that is easier for customers to navigate. Many people passing through these stations are regular commuters, but others may be visiting for the first time, travelling with children, carrying luggage or needing extra help. A simple, consistent colour will make our teams more visible when customers need us.”

Adam Fairclough, deputy customer experience director and head of customer experience for TransPennine Express, said:“Our customers tell us that confidence and clarity matter, especially at large stations. This shared approach will help people feel more confident asking for help and will support better teamwork between the organisations who keep stations running every day.”

The colour change was recently introduced at Leeds, Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly as part of a wider focus on improving the customer experience and accessibility at major rail hubs in the North.