frodshamfella
Established Member
On a number of Saturday's after shopping or going to a Museaum in Liverpool city centre, I've returned to Liverpool Lime Street to find this service cancelled. No big deal you may say there is another at 17.04 half an hour is time enough for a coffee.
Except if you want to alight at Acton Bridge Station like me. So then the next train in 17.34.....so an hour plus the time you have arrived at the station in advance of the anticipated 16.34.
Now quite often what happens LNW add an extra call on the 17.04 ( London Midland did the same ) . Which is fine a bit of joined up thinking , everyone happy . However just before Christmas on a particulary windy and wet Saturday this did not happen. I phoned London Northwestern at about 16.00 as I had checked departures on my phone and saw the cancellation. I spoke to a very polite and apologetic chap said ' no there was no extra calls being made on the following service ' , he could see my point and could tell my frustration .....however that was that.
So I did arrive at the concourse about 16.45 just in case something had changed, these additional station calls are often quite last minute. No change , so I went to the information desk, again helpful guy, he knew that extra calls have been added on past occurrences . The chap phoned LNW and was told no, plus the 17.04 would be 8 carriages and Acton Bridge's platform was not long enough .
By this time I was getting fed up and went to the pub. So what was buzzing around my head was, was the next train going to have 8 carriages or was that just an excuse to shut me up ? If it was it is a thoroughly rare occurrence as the Birmingham to Liverpool service is always 4 carriages ( even though at times a long train is more than necessary ) . Indeed the only time I have seen an 8 coach service was another Saturday when London Midland was operating the route when an extra call was added at Acton Bridge, the train seemed to fit fine on the platform from memory. However even if it could not, it's not uncommon to be told to move along to the front or whatever.
So a somewhat frustrating trip home , I wouldn't mind we don't have a great service at Acton Bridge Station so we really can't afford to loose a train calling !
Except if you want to alight at Acton Bridge Station like me. So then the next train in 17.34.....so an hour plus the time you have arrived at the station in advance of the anticipated 16.34.
Now quite often what happens LNW add an extra call on the 17.04 ( London Midland did the same ) . Which is fine a bit of joined up thinking , everyone happy . However just before Christmas on a particulary windy and wet Saturday this did not happen. I phoned London Northwestern at about 16.00 as I had checked departures on my phone and saw the cancellation. I spoke to a very polite and apologetic chap said ' no there was no extra calls being made on the following service ' , he could see my point and could tell my frustration .....however that was that.
So I did arrive at the concourse about 16.45 just in case something had changed, these additional station calls are often quite last minute. No change , so I went to the information desk, again helpful guy, he knew that extra calls have been added on past occurrences . The chap phoned LNW and was told no, plus the 17.04 would be 8 carriages and Acton Bridge's platform was not long enough .
By this time I was getting fed up and went to the pub. So what was buzzing around my head was, was the next train going to have 8 carriages or was that just an excuse to shut me up ? If it was it is a thoroughly rare occurrence as the Birmingham to Liverpool service is always 4 carriages ( even though at times a long train is more than necessary ) . Indeed the only time I have seen an 8 coach service was another Saturday when London Midland was operating the route when an extra call was added at Acton Bridge, the train seemed to fit fine on the platform from memory. However even if it could not, it's not uncommon to be told to move along to the front or whatever.
So a somewhat frustrating trip home , I wouldn't mind we don't have a great service at Acton Bridge Station so we really can't afford to loose a train calling !
