43106
Member
In about September 2012, the Government announced a £9bn investment program of electrification. Some of the lines mentioned were...
1) Preston to Blackpool North,
2) Preston to Manchester Piccadilly, and...
3) Liverpool to Manchester Piccadilly
I assumed that 2) was via Bolton & Chorley and 3) was via Warrington Central.
However, on a recent trip between Edinburgh & Liverpool, I had a few surprises. I saw a 350 (livery unknown, as it was obscured by a 156) at Waverley on 13/4/12. I assumed it was extra stock for the Edinburgh - Bathgate - Glasgow route. (I also saw a 92 there, which was new to me). The line from Springs Branch Junction had been wired up, AND I saw a 319 on the line, though my Preston - Liverpool train was a 156.
On the way back on 15/4/15, it was still a 156 to Preston, but this time, I noticed a 350 doing a TPE Manchester - Glasgow service. I then discovered this service now goes via Wigan. I did try to look at Euxton Junction to see if the Chorley line had been wired up, but I missed it. I caught a TPE 350 to Edinburgh, which I found preferable to the 'normal' 175. This confirmed that the 350 I saw 2 days earlier was in TPE livery.
This exercise raises a couple of questions, namely...
1) Is the Manchester - Bolton - Chorley - Euxton line to be (or has been) electrified?
2) The electrification between Manchester & Wigan (route unknown) and Springs Branch were never announced at the time. Is/was there a reason for this?
3) The Manchester - Scotland TPE services go via Wigan, rather than Chorley. Is this going to be permanent, or will they switch back via Chorley?
4) The 350's used by TPE - were they cascaded from another TOC, or were they obtained separately?
Sorry this s a bit long-winded. I created this thread, as It didn't fully fit into the Manchester to Preston and/or Liverpool threads.
1) Preston to Blackpool North,
2) Preston to Manchester Piccadilly, and...
3) Liverpool to Manchester Piccadilly
I assumed that 2) was via Bolton & Chorley and 3) was via Warrington Central.
However, on a recent trip between Edinburgh & Liverpool, I had a few surprises. I saw a 350 (livery unknown, as it was obscured by a 156) at Waverley on 13/4/12. I assumed it was extra stock for the Edinburgh - Bathgate - Glasgow route. (I also saw a 92 there, which was new to me). The line from Springs Branch Junction had been wired up, AND I saw a 319 on the line, though my Preston - Liverpool train was a 156.
On the way back on 15/4/15, it was still a 156 to Preston, but this time, I noticed a 350 doing a TPE Manchester - Glasgow service. I then discovered this service now goes via Wigan. I did try to look at Euxton Junction to see if the Chorley line had been wired up, but I missed it. I caught a TPE 350 to Edinburgh, which I found preferable to the 'normal' 175. This confirmed that the 350 I saw 2 days earlier was in TPE livery.
This exercise raises a couple of questions, namely...
1) Is the Manchester - Bolton - Chorley - Euxton line to be (or has been) electrified?
2) The electrification between Manchester & Wigan (route unknown) and Springs Branch were never announced at the time. Is/was there a reason for this?
3) The Manchester - Scotland TPE services go via Wigan, rather than Chorley. Is this going to be permanent, or will they switch back via Chorley?
4) The 350's used by TPE - were they cascaded from another TOC, or were they obtained separately?
Sorry this s a bit long-winded. I created this thread, as It didn't fully fit into the Manchester to Preston and/or Liverpool threads.