Hull Trains Carries Record Sports Crowds For Wembley Finals

Hull Trains carried record numbers of sports supporters in May after adding special non-stop services for two major finals in London.

The operator said 8,500 customers from Hull, Brough, Cottingham and Beverley travelled with Hull Trains across the two key sporting weekends involving Hull City and Hull KR. That amounted to an additional 17,000 journeys.

The first uplift came for Hull City’s Championship play-off final against Middlesbrough, which ended in victory for the Tigers. Hull Trains added almost 20 per cent more capacity for the weekend, creating nearly 3,000 extra seats for supporters heading to and from the capital.

Hull Trains has worked with Hull City for several years through a partnership aimed at boosting interest in the city.

The following weekend, the operator increased capacity again for Hull KR’s Challenge Cup Final, adding 14 per cent more space and more than 2,000 extra seats for rugby league fans travelling to London.

The support followed a recent Hull KR episode of the operator’s Moving Minds podcast with Gemma Oaten. The mental health podcast is recorded during real train journeys.

Hull Trains said the additional services showed the flexibility and resilience of its open access model. The company receives no government funding and generates its own revenue.

To help provide the extra capacity, Hull Trains worked with sister operator Lumo, which normally runs services between Scotland and London on the East and West Coast.

Players from both Hull City and Hull KR also travelled to London King’s Cross with Hull Trains, using the operator’s onboard service, including complimentary food and drink.

Hull Trains was recently named Operator of the Year at the Spotlight Rail Awards.

Nathan Rayne, Interim Service Delivery Director at Hull Trains, said:

“We’re incredibly proud of our local teams and the success of both Hull KR and Hull City is a real asset to our home city. We’re a long-term partner of both clubs, as well as Hull FC, so supporting fans as they travelled to both finals was something we were determined to do. Delivering these services is an example of the hard work and adaptability of our dedicated team and the feedback from fans has been outstanding. I’d like to thank everyone who chose to travel with us to champion their local clubs.”

Image: Hull Trains