backontrack
Established Member
We already have a thread or two open about the Arriva Northern Rail franchise, but it's clear that there's a lot of stuff we haven't yet covered.
So I've created this thread. It's a place for cataloguing what we know about the 'improvements' and amendments Northern is making. The map is here: http://maps.dft.gov.uk/northern/index.html
So here goes:
Bradford and the Calder Valley
An extra train per hour will run from Bradford Interchange to Manchester Airport via Hebden Bridge.
A new hourly service will run between Leeds and Chester. We do know that this service will run through Hebden Bridge, but whether it will serve Bradford or Dewsbury is currently unclear.
Similarly, a new hourly service will be provided between Southport and Leeds and/or Bradford.
It seems likely that at least one of these will serve Bradford to fill the quota of 3tph between Bradford and Manchester. If this is the case, two of the services will be extensions of existing ones. It is difficult to predict which way round the Chester and Southport services will be, but given the wording of the franchisement map, it seems more likely at present that Southport will be given a service to Bradford, while the Chester service will run to Leeds via Dewsbury.
We know that Halifax, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden will benefit from new services. This means that Rochdale, Littleborough and the other stations between Todmorden and Manchester (and also Mytholmroyd and Sowerby Bridge) will retain their current frequency...with one exception.
Moston will see its 2tph frequency restored, meaning that it matches the other stations between Todmorden and Manchester. This is listed as part of the Liverpool/Manchester Airport services, so one of these will call here in all likelihood. It makes sense that services to Moston would also stop at Rochdale and Littleborough among others.
Therefore, it looks likely that Rochdale (and the other stops) will be skipped by one of the other services.
Bradford will have an hourly service to Hull and an hourly service to Nottingham via Wakefield Westgate. There will also be an hourly service from Halifax to Leeds, and the service from York to Blackpool North will remain.
Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire
There will be 2tph between Manchester, Stockport and Altrincham, Hale, Knutsford, Northwich and Greenbank.
Chester, Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows and possibly Runcorn East, Frodsham and Earlestown will receive a new hourly service to Leeds via the Calder Valley.
Warrington Central, Birchwood and Liverpool South Parkway will lose their hourly service to Scarborough (which will instead run via Manchester Victoria), but this will be replaced by a semi-fast 1tph service between Liverpool Lime Street, Warrington Central, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport, giving Warrington an aiport link as well as maintaining the status quo.
Services from Warrington Central to Liverpool Lime Street will stop at a new station: Warrington West.
The line from Liverpool to Manchester via Earlestown will see 2tph non-stop between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria, doubling the frequency. These services will be operated by TPE and will run to Newcastle and Edinburgh respectively. The Northern services will also continue at 2tph. One of these will be a stopping service while the other will continue to Bradford Interchange via the Calder Valley.
Macclesfield, Cheadle Hulme, Poynton and Bramhall will receive a 2tph frequency to Manchester Piccadilly. New Mills New Town, Hazel Grove and intermediate stops will also benefit from 2tph and 4tph respectively into Manchester.
Blackburn, Darwen, Hall i' th' Wood and Bromley Cross will gain a 2tph off-peak frequency into Manchester via Bolton.
Trains will run from Wigan to Manchester via Atherton 4tph, from Wigan to Bolton 2tph, and from Wigan to Manchester Airport 1tph (replacing the existing TPE services when the Bolton/Chorley route is electrified).
The Hope Valley Line linking Manchester with Sheffield will have a full hourly timetable off-peak.
Ormskirk, Croston, Rufford and Burscough Junction will have a full hourly timetable off-peak.
Southport will retain 2tph to Manchester, with one of these trains extended to Leeds and/or Bradford via the Calder Valley. Like on all routes, Pacer trains will be replaced.
So I've created this thread. It's a place for cataloguing what we know about the 'improvements' and amendments Northern is making. The map is here: http://maps.dft.gov.uk/northern/index.html
So here goes:
Bradford and the Calder Valley
An extra train per hour will run from Bradford Interchange to Manchester Airport via Hebden Bridge.
A new hourly service will run between Leeds and Chester. We do know that this service will run through Hebden Bridge, but whether it will serve Bradford or Dewsbury is currently unclear.
Similarly, a new hourly service will be provided between Southport and Leeds and/or Bradford.
It seems likely that at least one of these will serve Bradford to fill the quota of 3tph between Bradford and Manchester. If this is the case, two of the services will be extensions of existing ones. It is difficult to predict which way round the Chester and Southport services will be, but given the wording of the franchisement map, it seems more likely at present that Southport will be given a service to Bradford, while the Chester service will run to Leeds via Dewsbury.
We know that Halifax, Hebden Bridge and Todmorden will benefit from new services. This means that Rochdale, Littleborough and the other stations between Todmorden and Manchester (and also Mytholmroyd and Sowerby Bridge) will retain their current frequency...with one exception.
Moston will see its 2tph frequency restored, meaning that it matches the other stations between Todmorden and Manchester. This is listed as part of the Liverpool/Manchester Airport services, so one of these will call here in all likelihood. It makes sense that services to Moston would also stop at Rochdale and Littleborough among others.
Therefore, it looks likely that Rochdale (and the other stops) will be skipped by one of the other services.
Bradford will have an hourly service to Hull and an hourly service to Nottingham via Wakefield Westgate. There will also be an hourly service from Halifax to Leeds, and the service from York to Blackpool North will remain.
Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire and Lancashire
There will be 2tph between Manchester, Stockport and Altrincham, Hale, Knutsford, Northwich and Greenbank.
Chester, Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows and possibly Runcorn East, Frodsham and Earlestown will receive a new hourly service to Leeds via the Calder Valley.
Warrington Central, Birchwood and Liverpool South Parkway will lose their hourly service to Scarborough (which will instead run via Manchester Victoria), but this will be replaced by a semi-fast 1tph service between Liverpool Lime Street, Warrington Central, Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport, giving Warrington an aiport link as well as maintaining the status quo.
Services from Warrington Central to Liverpool Lime Street will stop at a new station: Warrington West.
The line from Liverpool to Manchester via Earlestown will see 2tph non-stop between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria, doubling the frequency. These services will be operated by TPE and will run to Newcastle and Edinburgh respectively. The Northern services will also continue at 2tph. One of these will be a stopping service while the other will continue to Bradford Interchange via the Calder Valley.
Macclesfield, Cheadle Hulme, Poynton and Bramhall will receive a 2tph frequency to Manchester Piccadilly. New Mills New Town, Hazel Grove and intermediate stops will also benefit from 2tph and 4tph respectively into Manchester.
Blackburn, Darwen, Hall i' th' Wood and Bromley Cross will gain a 2tph off-peak frequency into Manchester via Bolton.
Trains will run from Wigan to Manchester via Atherton 4tph, from Wigan to Bolton 2tph, and from Wigan to Manchester Airport 1tph (replacing the existing TPE services when the Bolton/Chorley route is electrified).
The Hope Valley Line linking Manchester with Sheffield will have a full hourly timetable off-peak.
Ormskirk, Croston, Rufford and Burscough Junction will have a full hourly timetable off-peak.
Southport will retain 2tph to Manchester, with one of these trains extended to Leeds and/or Bradford via the Calder Valley. Like on all routes, Pacer trains will be replaced.
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