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Northern timetable changes May 2019

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darloscott

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It would be great if the departure from Castleford could be moved to the opposite half hour, as it would then provide a more even service from Castleford to Wakefield and Mirfield to Huddersfield, which might help to attract more passengers. Extending to Glasshoughton / Pontefract might also work subject to there being time in the schedule / paths available
I dare suggest it doesn't even get close to covering it's costs as it is without adding another unit & crew into it.
 
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Harvey B

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If they were going to extend it anywhere, I think that York via Burton Salmon would be a much better bet than Ponte.
If Northern could get sufficuent fleet (second hand or new) to pull it off why don't they do a Leeds to York Via Castleford service and bring that second platform back into use
 
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yorksrob

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If Northern could get sufficuent fleet (second hand or new) to pull it off why don't they do a Leeds to York Via Castleford service and bring that secomd platform back into use

Lack of fleet and paths I suspect.
 

YorkshireBear

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Services to castleford never go to York, they either go to Sheffield or Knottingley (with some trains extending down to Goole) from Leeds. One improvement I can suggest for that line is to put some refurbished 150s on that line as it seemed like it was Pacer dominated when I travelled on the line last week

I know they don't now. Hence the suggestion as the railway is all there.

That will happen soon enough as once pacers go 150s will be the most substandard stock avaliable.
 

Andyh82

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The castleford service is a shame. It seems to want to try to be the start of some improvements to non leeds West Yorkshire rail network. But lack of advertisement and I'd say lack of useful ultimate destination, York? Pontefract via glasshoughton (for escape and other leisure) makes it not quite right. A shame if it is left to fail.
What’s the definition of failing though, unlike a new commercial bus service, is it not a franchise commitment, so it’ll continue whatever.

There is zero publicity for this, or any of the new connections though.

Is it still 153 operated since it extended to Castleford?
 

yorksrob

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What’s the definition of failing though, unlike a new commercial bus service, is it not a franchise commitment, so it’ll continue whatever.

There is zero publicity for this, or any of the new connections though.

Is it still 153 operated since it extended to Castleford?

Sometimes 142.
 

Glenn1969

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But not as much since it got cut back to Kirkgate because I know some people used to use it for long distance connections at Westgate
 

johntea

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Sadly as a Castleford resident I can't really see many reasons why someone from Castleford would need a regular service directly to Mirfield/Deighton/Huddersfield, nice pubs I suppose ;)

It also isn't much quicker than just changing at Leeds as you'll often arrive at Platform 17 and be able to sneak onto a Platform 16 TPE just about to depart a lot of the time!
 

Killingworth

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The Northern timetable changes for December are almost ready to be revealed, possibly could be this week, but on past form we'll be kept on tenterhooks for a few more weeks. (TPE for South Pennines are on RTT.) Hints about the Whitby route sound certain and there may be one or two less skips on Hope Valley. Time for new thread.
 

yorksrob

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Sadly as a Castleford resident I can't really see many reasons why someone from Castleford would need a regular service directly to Mirfield/Deighton/Huddersfield, nice pubs I suppose ;)

It also isn't much quicker than just changing at Leeds as you'll often arrive at Platform 17 and be able to sneak onto a Platform 16 TPE just about to depart a lot of the time!

I find it a rigmarole going all the way into Leeds and out again, just to go towards Manchester.
 

johntea

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I find it a rigmarole going all the way into Leeds and out again, just to go towards Manchester.

I wonder if there would ever be the feasability of Northern running a Leeds to Manchester via Castleford stopper, probably as wishful thinking as Castleford to York though!
 

yorksrob

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I wonder if there would ever be the feasability of Northern running a Leeds to Manchester via Castleford stopper, probably as wishful thinking as Castleford to York though!

I think that there are other, easier ways to get an adequate service between Normanton and Leeds. Cass wouldn't gain much as it's already half hourly.

IMO, if they were going to do anything new with the service, extending to York would provide the big connectivity benefits for the five towns.
 

Jamesrob637

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Has Levenshulme gained a fifth train per hour? There is a ex-Buxton which stops there northbound at XX:50 ish, but it omits Heaton Chapel.
 

Jamesrob637

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The usual caviats apply: times subject to change, nothing is yet confirmed, etc, etc. But with this in mind, here is the December 19 timateble for Heaton Chapel: http://www.railwaydata.co.uk/timetables/Dec19/timetable.php?table=90

That's useful for December '19 onwards but the reason I posted in this somewhat older thread was I wondered if, when Heaton Chapel regained its fourth hourly train into Manchester, Levenshulme gained a fifth. But upon closer inspection, it appears that an ex-Stoke stops at Heaton Chapel only and an ex-Buxton stops at Levenshulme only. Therefore, travelling between the two is a little less frequent than before (not that I ever do it) and both stations have four trains per hour.

Except for one hour; 1pm. The ex-Stoke doesn't even stop in Stockport! Wonder why that is? Freight?
 

Greybeard33

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Except for one hour; 1pm. The ex-Stoke doesn't even stop in Stockport! Wonder why that is? Freight?
Yes. The 1258 from Stoke departs a couple of minutes later than the standard xx56 in order to leave a path for a freight ahead of it (light engine, 1057 Hams Hall to Longport, which passes Kidsgrove at 1300, only 3 minutes ahead of the standard Northern path). The Northern service then skips Stockport to make up time and regain the normal path to Piccadilly.

From December that freight path is no longer scheduled. The Northern service will depart Stoke one minute earlier and stop at Stockport.
 

mspljd1990

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Does anyone know why Northern have opted to have the Leeds - Nottingham service call at all the stops between Leeds and Sheffield on the Wakefield line?
 

Killingworth

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Does anyone know why Northern have opted to have the Leeds - Nottingham service call at all the stops between Leeds and Sheffield on the Wakefield line?

As far as I can see from December they only stop at Meadowhall, Barnsley and Wakefield Kirkgate, as now. Is there one that stops anywhere else?
 

northernchris

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Does anyone know why Northern have opted to have the Leeds - Nottingham service call at all the stops between Leeds and Sheffield on the Wakefield line?

If this relates to today it's due to the engineering work at Wakefield Kirkgate so the Nottingham is an extension of the Leeds - Rotherham - Sheffield service
 

mspljd1990

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That'll explain. I was on the Leeds to Sheffield service today.

Might also explain why I saw a Grand Central train pulling into Leeds when coming out!
 

johntea

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It seems the Castleford - Huddersfield service now parks up at the extreme end of the platform rather than having to pull back out of the station then back in! Still very lightly loaded though, when the amount of staff on a service equals the amount of passengers on a service surely that isn't too sustainable long term! :D
 

YorkshireBear

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It seems the Castleford - Huddersfield service now parks up at the extreme end of the platform rather than having to pull back out of the station then back in! Still very lightly loaded though, when the amount of staff on a service equals the amount of passengers on a service surely that isn't too sustainable long term! :D

I still want this service to be a success but sense the numbers won't add up.
 

superkev

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It seems the Castleford - Huddersfield service now parks up at the extreme end of the platform rather than having to pull back out of the station then back in! Still very lightly loaded though, when the amount of staff on a service equals the amount of passengers on a service surely that isn't too sustainable long term! :D
I'm sure it would do much better if it went through to York.
K
 

yorksrob

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Does anyone know why Northern have opted to have the Leeds - Nottingham service call at all the stops between Leeds and Sheffield on the Wakefield line?

They could certainly do with having one of the fasts stop at Normanton each hour to provide half-hourly throughout the day.
 
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