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

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james60059

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Will they be route cleared via the West Midlands should the Trent Valley route be out of action for whatever reason?.

I wish GC all the very best on the WCML, and hope they're as successful as their ECML operations. I for one will certainly be having a trip to BPN, might even do a round trip NUN - BPN - EUS - NUN if her indoors wants me out from under her feet :lol::lol:
 
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wensley

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Is it known who will run the catering on these services? Who runs it on their ECML services?
Currently done with in-house staff and RG supplying the stock on the ECML.

Will they be route cleared via the West Midlands should the Trent Valley route be out of action for whatever reason?.
The West Mids is on the list but it's a pretty busy bit of railway so will be interesting to see how that pans out!
 

Karl

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Will they be route cleared via the West Midlands should the Trent Valley route be out of action for whatever reason?.

I for one will certainly be having a trip to BPN, might even do a round trip NUN - BPN - EUS - NUN if her indoors wants me out from under her feet :lol::lol:

You can't beat a good day out in Blackpool. A good walk along the prom and then down to the end of North Pier for a listen to 'I do like to be beside the seaside' from the organist in the Sunset Lounge whilst sat in the classic wooden deckchairs! Lovely :)
 

paul1609

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You can't beat a good day out in Blackpool. A good walk along the prom and then down to the end of North Pier for a listen to 'I do like to be beside the seaside' from the organist in the Sunset Lounge whilst sat in the classic wooden deckchairs! Lovely :)
I'm there tonight it's absolutely freezing and the town is a run down dump that doesn't compare to any of the Yorkshire or North Wales resorts.
I'd struggle to think of a town that was so obviously past its prime in the south Sheerness or Canvey Island possibly?
 

Iskra

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You haven't been to Morecambe then... :)

I have and I'd rather to go to Morecambe, which has at least seen a bit of investment and has been tidied up recently. I wouldn't send my worst enemy to Blackpool!*

*Although I may trial the GC service for rail enthusiast purposes only.
 

87015

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Have they got Avanti to dispatch it from Euston? Would seem against the ban they had on allowing route learning access.
 

Aictos

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You haven't been to Morecambe then... :)

Or Sheerness, the only place I’ve visited in that I was only there a few mins and couldn’t wait to leave as it’s that depressing and rundown.
 

Karl

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Oh Jesus Christ Almighty. Get a life chaps. There's nothing better than coming back from Blackpool smelling of fish and chips and a couple of sticks of rock in your pocket! Enjoy the fun!
 

paul1609

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Or Sheerness, the only place I’ve visited in that I was only there a few mins and couldn’t wait to leave as it’s that depressing and rundown.
In all fairness to Sheerness it markets itself as an industrial port not a tourist attraction as Blackpool seems to think it still is.
 

Baxenden Bank

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Oh Jesus Christ Almighty. Get a life chaps. There's nothing better than coming back from Blackpool smelling of fish and chips and a couple of sticks of rock in your pocket! Enjoy the fun!
I'll correct that one for you: Oh Jesus Christ Almighty. Get a life chaps. There's nothing better than coming back from Blackpool smelling of sick and a couple of rocks of crack in your pocket! Enjoy the fun
 

underbank

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Blackpool and Morecambe didn't stand a chance when bus loads of undesirables were being sent there to live in the cheap run-down bedsits. Prisons, social services and local councils all conspired to get rid of their "problem" people and move them to the cheaper areas of the country. The drugs, crime and other anti social problems in Blackpool and Morecambe aren't caused by people born there - they just became dumping grounds from other areas of the country.
 

underbank

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I’ve seen them for myself, they are extremely quiet with a handful of people onboard. They get some usage after Preston but not much.

Shh! Don't tell everyone. Back in the 70s/80s, we used to get a local DMU to/from Preston and use the Blackpool<>Euston inter city trains because they were usually sparsely filled compared with the London<>Glasgow which were usually rammed even back then. I'm looking forward to doing the same again when the new Blackpool services start. The Pendos are nearly always rammed and pretty uncomfortable due to the seat spacings etc. Definitely looking forward to the GC services, but please don't tell everyone or they'll end up rammed too!
 

38Cto15E

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If you do go to the area for a cheap break (as I have done a couple of times this winter) buying a Plusbus ticket is worth it because it includes the trams as well as buses.
St Annes is very nice and the Travelodge can be very cheap,also it is very close to a Spoons.
I have been using Avanti from Rugby but Nuneaton will be better for me, plus you get to speed through Warrington and Wigan as well as Crewe.
 

Clip

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In all fairness to Sheerness it markets itself as an industrial port not a tourist attraction as Blackpool seems to think it still is.

I guess with 2, 5 star hotels being built along with a new premier Inn on the seafront as well as visitor numbers being up last year again along with overnight stays. I guess those with money building hotels must be wrong and its not a tourist destination.
 

Ianno87

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I guess with 2, 5 star hotels being built along with a new premier Inn on the seafront as well as visitor numbers being up last year again along with overnight stays. I guess those with money building hotels must be wrong and its not a tourist destination.

The countless families descending to Blackpool for days out all year round must also be wrong and confused as well...
 

Aictos

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In all fairness to Sheerness it markets itself as an industrial port not a tourist attraction as Blackpool seems to think it still is.

Well it actually is, you've got the Blackpool Lights, The Sandcastle Complex, The Pleasure Beach Theme Park, Blackpool Tower need I go on that to me is a tourist attraction not some godforsaken hellhole in Kent.
 

ainsworth74

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I think we've probably exhausted this line of discussion. Some people think Blackpool is a lovely place to spend some time others think it's akin to the black hole of Calcutta. Time to agree to disagree I think as we're getting rather off-topic now. Please lets take any further chat about Blackpool (or other seaside resorts) and their merits or otherwise to a new thread.

Thanks,
ainsworth74
 

Aictos

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Regards to the routes that GC will be taking, would they be routed via Weedon or via Northampton? And what diversionary routes would they sign?
 

wensley

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Regards to the routes that GC will be taking, would they be routed via Weedon or via Northampton? And what diversionary routes would they sign?
Via Weedon except the first Up on a Sunday which is via Northampton.

Diversions to include the West Mids / Colwich - Crewe via Stoke and Kidsgrove / Earlestown and Newton-le-Willows.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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They seem to be timed via Weedon, but I expect they will take any of the electric diversion routes used by Avanti.
That should mean Northampton, various West Midlands routes, Wilmslow, Macclesfield and Chat Moss.
Avanti hasn't yet used Bolton, but I suppose it is a possibility.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Virgin did it on electric using 390s earlier in 2019! So I'd suggest it's a perfectly reasonable diversionary route for Grand Central.

That was the initial test train wasn't it?
For regular diversions they use Chat Moss in order to serve Wigan.
GC won't have that constraint.
 

Aictos

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Via Weedon except the first Up on a Sunday which is via Northampton.

Diversions to include the West Mids / Colwich - Crewe via Stoke and Kidsgrove / Earlestown and Newton-le-Willows.

Thank you so is via Northampton quite full at the moment?
 

ainsworth74

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That was the initial test train wasn't it?
For regular diversions they use Chat Moss in order to serve Wigan.
GC won't have that constraint.

No I travelled with Virgin Trains along with several other Forum members between Preston and Crewe via Bolton and Piccadilly. This would have been in April 2019.
 

Chester1

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Its interesting that they have leased the Mark IVs until December 2026. Virgin's open access application for Liverpool switched to Voyagers once Avanti annouced it was replacing them. That delays the Virgin service until December 2022. I am sure Eversholt would have been happy with a 3 year lease of the Mark IVs which would be better than no lease. I guess that Mark IVs have lower running costs because of Voyagers fuel consumption and Grand Central have been granted 110mph paths while Virgin need tilt to have any chance of getting the paths they want.

I am looking forward to the service I will try to make a detour to Preston next time I go to London!
 

totally

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Looking at the timetable, the 0810 from Blackpool to Euston (M-F) takes considerably longer than any other train. Anybody know why that is?
 
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