Todmorden Curve

[Baxenden Bank]

Forthcoming changes to the Transdev Burnley & Pendle 'Witch Way' service include:

New fast buses at rush hour... In response to customer research, we'll run 3 quicker journeys each way (Mon to Fri), calling at limited stops between Burnley and Rawtenstall and then completely non-stop to Manchester, Shudehill and then on to Chorlton Street. It'll only take just over an hour between Burnley bus station and Shudehill on these new fast journeys!

Also extended through to Skipton. No need to re-open the line between Colne and Skipton now!

Extended to Colne & Skipton via the M65 every 30 mins Mon to Sat... Every other Witch Way journey will now head beyond Burnley, non-stop along the M65 to Colne, Barnoldswick and Skipton. This will mean much faster trips from Skipton and Colne to Burnley compared to now, and the first through transport link from the towns to Manchester for many years.

Revisions introduced 1 May 2016.

 

[yorksrob]

Also extended through to Skipton. No need to re-open the line between Colne and Skipton now!

I think you're getting over-excited.

 

[Baxenden Bank]

I think you're getting over-excited.

About the chances of the rail line being re-opened? or the prospect of the bus service between Burnley and Skipton being halved in frequency (back to pre Pennine shut down frequency), and not serving intermediate points?

 

[Deerfold]

About the chances of the rail line being re-opened? or the prospect of the bus service between Burnley and Skipton being halved in frequency (back to pre Pennine shut down frequency), and not serving intermediate points?

There will still be 4 buses an hour between Burnley and Skipton, but 2 of them will be fast, missing out Nelson - you'll have to change to a Mainline bus at Colne to get to those (or get the slow service).

 

[Baxenden Bank]

There will still be 4 buses an hour between Burnley and Skipton, but 2 of them will be fast, missing out Nelson - you'll have to change to a Mainline bus at Colne to get to those (or get the slow service).

I hope you're correct, but the news section of the Transdev website (abbreviated by myself below) suggests the Mainline will terminate at Barlick. No reference of extensions to Skipton. Of course the 280/X80 is also due to be reduced in some unspecified way - no longer serving Barlick or Earby.

M1: Padiham – Barnoldswick every 30 minutes for most of the day Mon-Sat
M2: Clitheroe – Colne every 30 minutes for most of the day Mon-Sat
M3: Accrington – Trawden every 30 minutes for most of the day Mon-Sat
M4: Burnley – Keighley every 30 minutes for most of the day

The Barnoldswick-Skipton section will now be served by an extended, faster Witch Way X43

Of course, that is the problem of publishing 'news' without the detail to back it up - in this case in the form of timetables.

 

[Deerfold]

I hope you're correct, but the news section of the Transdev website (abbreviated by myself below) suggests the Mainline will terminate at Barlick. No reference of extensions to Skipton. Of course the 280/X80 is also due to be reduced in some unspecified way - no longer serving Barlick or Earby.

Of course, that is the problem of publishing 'news' without the detail to back it up - in this case in the form of timetables.

The registration on VOSA refers to the M1 going to Skipton. As the route number has been updated on this registration I'm hopeful, but errors are not unknown on there.

It sounds (from reading elsewhere, mostly on the Dalesbus site) as if the 180 is dead in the water, with hopes that most of the X80s will survive. I'm not sure if the 280 is commercially strong enough for an hourly service to survive without the linking 180s.

 

[Deerfold]

Sadly, Transdev have confirmed that they will only run 2 bph to Skipton (Witch Way) and 2 slow buses an hour between Burnley and Barnoldswick.

The 180/280/X80 has been taken on, largely unchanged (except for the short runs on a Sunday) by Preston Bus from today, with yesterday seeing neither company run.

Only today have Transdev updated their website to mention the loss of the Preston to Skipton service.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Sadly, Transdev have confirmed that they will only run 2 bph to Skipton (Witch Way) and 2 slow buses an hour between Burnley and Barnoldswick.

Well, there is no rail alternative for Transdev to worry about...just take it or leave it, if you don't want to drive.

Incidentally, Barnoldswick station was the only station on the Midland Railway branch line from Earby (1 mile 64 chains in length) and that station closed on 27th September 1965.