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Alliance Blackpool service to be run by Grand Central and start in 2021

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ainsworth74

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I think we're beginning to get off the topic here a little bit. Rightly or wrongly Grand Central have decided that there is money to be made and the ORR have decided to give them rights to run. The decision is made and the service is due to start shortly.

If you wish to discuss whether the service should exist, whether its a good idea, whether Blackpool warrants these sorts of services please do so on a different thread.
 

Bald Rick

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Having spent a lot of time in Blackpool and the Fylde generally in the past year, my view is that Blackpool is definitely improving as a destination. The regeneration has been done rather well, and whilst there is much more to do I can see how it could now become more popular as a place for weekend trips from London as somewhere different to Brighton / Bournemouth / Margate. I was there over a Christmas, and the place was positively busy, which surprised me. Whilst one example doesn’t prove anything, Premier Inn are constructing a 300 bed hotel in Talbot Square opening in a couple of months - they must have seen a market. A sustained marketing effort and cheap fares could work wonders for London - Blackpool traffic.
 

Kettledrum

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The main one will be that they are already owned by DB and they can avoid leasing charges by using them.
Maybe some of the long line of unused DB 90s at Crewe will move out of the undergrowth that they inhabit now.

It's often difficult to get locos back into service when they have been stored a long time, and there would be big reliability issues, so I assumed these wouldn't be used and it would have no effect on the unused DB 90's at Crewe?
 

61653 HTAFC

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Nor will people from the SE or Midlands go to Blackpool for the Pleasure Beach - Alton Towers and Thorpe Park are rather better venues and nearer too.
I think you underestimate the "Coaster Enthusiast" community a bit there: just as railfans from the SE will get up at stupid o'clock to get to somewhere like Grosmont, there are plenty who won't simply go to their nearest amusement park, or even the one with the best reviews- they'll go to the one with coasters they haven't ridden yet. They're a lot like track-bashers in that sense!

This won't "make bank" for GC but it'll help. For all its problems, Blackpool still punches above its weight for entertainment options, and while it has lost much of the glamour of the past, it now plays up to the 'kitsch' angle more.
 

Clip

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Having spent a lot of time in Blackpool and the Fylde generally in the past year, my view is that Blackpool is definitely improving as a destination. The regeneration has been done rather well, and whilst there is much more to do I can see how it could now become more popular as a place for weekend trips from London as somewhere different to Brighton / Bournemouth / Margate. I was there over a Christmas, and the place was positively busy, which surprised me. Whilst one example doesn’t prove anything, Premier Inn are constructing a 300 bed hotel in Talbot Square opening in a couple of months - they must have seen a market. A sustained marketing effort and cheap fares could work wonders for London - Blackpool traffic.

Not only premier inn bu the Please beach have just finished constructing a 5 star hotel next to their other one and theres a 5 star hotel being built in the old sands venue - im guessing all that money being spent is obviously a waste because they dont know what theyre doing eh?

The council also has a fund for small shop owners to tart up their shopfronts in the town too to make it more appealing now when they tear down wilkos theres another hotel going there - just taken them a while longer.

I wonder how often the naysayers have been to blackpool lately and seen the transformation
 
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xotGD

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Presumably they will get a slice of the north west to Blackpool revenue, whether or not they actually carry any of the passengers.
 

Whistler40145

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Will GC have designated diversionary routes for use during planned or emergency engineering work and would clearance be required for Mk 4 stock to use the diversionary routes?
 

ChiefPlanner

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Will GC have designated diversionary routes for use during planned or emergency engineering work and would clearance be required for Mk 4 stock to use the diversionary routes?

Generally part of the stock acceptance process , and the Track Access agreement. Obviously need clearance to answer these 2 questions.
 

Bald Rick

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I think you underestimate the "Coaster Enthusiast" community a bit there: just as railfans from the SE will get up at stupid o'clock to get to somewhere like Grosmont, there are plenty who won't simply go to their nearest amusement park, or even the one with the best reviews- they'll go to the one with coasters they haven't ridden yet. They're a lot like track-bashers in that sense!

This won't "make bank" for GC but it'll help. For all its problems, Blackpool still punches above its weight for entertainment options, and while it has lost much of the glamour of the past, it now plays up to the 'kitsch' angle more.

And Blackpool does have, IMO, the best coaster in the country (Ikon).
 

johnnychips

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Belgian Railways (NMBS) used to - may still do - offer trips which included a combined rail journey and a discounted entry fee for an attraction. So maybe Grand Central could offer a combined rail and Pleasure Beach ticket!

(The biggest theme park in Belgium is the unfortunately-named ‘Plopsaland’ near Mechelen, I think).
 

Bald Rick

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Belgian Railways (NMBS) used to - may still do - offer trips which included a combined rail journey and a discounted entry fee for an attraction. So maybe Grand Central could offer a combined rail and Pleasure Beach ticket!

(The biggest theme park in Belgium is the unfortunately-named ‘Plopsaland’ near Mechelen, I think).

Maybe they could, but then you’d expect them to have done it already with Northern and TPE.
 

The Ham

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Maybe they could, but then you’d expect them to have done it already with Northern and TPE.

Doing it with Northern would likely only attract those who would already be going there, to a lesser extent TPE. Whilst Grand Central would more likely attract people from further away and so may not be quite so likely to be going anyway.
 

Bald Rick

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Doing it with Northern would likely only attract those who would already be going there, to a lesser extent TPE. Whilst Grand Central would more likely attract people from further away and so may not be quite so likely to be going anyway.

I’m not sure I agree with that.
 

Polarbear

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Belgian Railways (NMBS) used to - may still do - offer trips which included a combined rail journey and a discounted entry fee for an attraction. So maybe Grand Central could offer a combined rail and Pleasure Beach ticket!

(The biggest theme park in Belgium is the unfortunately-named ‘Plopsaland’ near Mechelen, I think).

Whilst the idea has merit, the numbers really have to stack up before either party will get involved in such joint ventures.

Stagecoach introduced a new express bus route between Chester & Liverpool about 5 years ago. It called at Ellesmere Port railway station, with the aim of creating a fast link from there to the Cheshire Oaks retail outlet. There was supposed to be joint ticketing “coming soon” when the service first commenced, but it soon became clear that no one wanted to commit to the venture.

The bus service was withdrawn last September due to relatively low useage.
 

Aictos

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I recall seeing 90's top & tailing initially 7 Mk4's somewhere.

Why can’t they use the MK4 DVTs?

Surely that’s more economical then top and tailing 90s because you’re dragging a loco around which adds cost whereas a DVT while it can’t have seating added surely would be very helpful for luggage etc?

And the Mk4 DVTs already work with Class 90s so no mods needed.
 

LOL The Irony

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Why can’t they use the MK4 DVTs?

Surely that’s more economical then top and tailing 90s because you’re dragging a loco around which adds cost whereas a DVT while it can’t have seating added surely would be very helpful for luggage etc?

And the Mk4 DVTs already work with Class 90s so no mods needed.
Again, I only recall seeing it, so don't take it as gospel as I could be wrong.
 

Aictos

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Again, I only recall seeing it, so don't take it as gospel as I could be wrong.

Well using both 90s at the same time would help the acceleration greatly I think?

But who knows? I hope DVTs are used as it makes sense.
 

43096

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Why can’t they use the MK4 DVTs?

Surely that’s more economical then top and tailing 90s because you’re dragging a loco around which adds cost whereas a DVT while it can’t have seating added surely would be very helpful for luggage etc?

And the Mk4 DVTs already work with Class 90s so no mods needed.
You would need an extra TOE if they were to run without a DVT - locos can only couple to Mark 4 TOE and DVT vehicles.
 
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