I couldn't agree more. One of the really nice things about plan C in particular is it simplifies the rail network in Manchester so much, with nice regular times to the same station from each destination. Driving a token Pendolino through platforms 13/14 is ridiculous, even outside of the peak. Bolton gets a very nice regular service from Picadillly, with good changes onto the London service, that is a much, much better plan for the meantime. Once HS2 phase 2B, or other significant improvements appear in Manchester, that's the right time to be looking at new services like this.
If it replaced both one of the existing Manchester-London services and the TPE Scotland service - thereby providing connections to Scotland for Stockport and one of Wilmslow or Macclesfield, and freeing up an Airport path, (which would allow the introduction of a second hourly stopper and therefore facilitate the removal of the random stops from the Northern and TfW fasts, simplifying the timetable significantly), all without needing more paths than currently - then I'd certainly be in favour of it.
Even then, though, say 90% of its passengers would be Manchester bound, and rather than having a nice long leisurely turnaround in the main shed at Piccadilly, it would get 90 seconds on platform 13/14 to tip out or load 11 carriages of passengers from a slow door cycle Pendolino, and southbound would have that many waiting on a cramped platform. Doesn't sound like a recipe for success...
But the bigger windows are being put in because the current service doesn't work. Filling them up again just takes us back where we were before.
Yes, that's the sort of thing I was thinking of - linking up a semi-fast London service south of Manchester to a Scotland (or even Windermere) service to the north.
Because, until the Windsor Link was opened in 1988, the Castlefield corridor predominantly had an intensive 'metro' service, with electric trains from Crewe, Hazel Grove, Wilmslow etc. running to Altrincham, on the line now taken over by the Metrolink.
I would dispute the suggestion that Hull Trains has ever been cheap. They are more aggressive than LNER, which means that they regularly charged more in good trading conditions, which they were well able to do because they served so many places without a suitable alternative London train. They're also more willing to pick up the bargain market where they can. Grand Central were different in the early days but nowadays again aren't really trading on low prices, but on convenience and service (not things I rate from their offer, but others certainly do). West Midlands Trains and Northern could be considered budget or 'no frills', but not Hull Trains or Grand Central. I'd suggest this is going well off topic however.
They’re not even permitted to stop at platform 13/14 at Piccadilly anymore due to dwell times of boarding and the platform curve requiring several dispatch staff
I very much agree with this sentiment that the Ordsall Chord was a waste of money in the end. Again, just because one physically could create new connections, doesn't mean they necessarily should. Whilst in London there is crossrail and thameslink, there are plenty of connections that don't exist that people are perfectly happy making via the tube, and the same goes with Central/Queen Street in Glasgow, New Street and Moor Street in Birmingham, etc. There is no reason why I wouldn't change at Victoria for a tram to Piccadilly if I was heading to the airport, for example.
Chat Moss already had a connection to Castlefield for like 2 centurys
Good luck stopping a Pendo at East Didsbury, Congleton, Oxford Road and Deansgate....
Pre-privatisation there was a daily morning up and evening down call at Congleton on Manchester-London services (1A17 08.09 up and 1H21 19.55 down, for example) ..... but I'm not sure that's likely to get reinstated today of course. Up platform 171m/187y, down platform 151m/165y, so definitely not long enough!
Platform 1: 196 metres (214 yards)
The Windsor Link has certainly been very useful in providing easier journey opportunities for travel between destinations north and south of Manchester. It has made a journey such as Sheffield to Blackpool so much easier with just one change at Piccadilly. It was such a inconvenience before then to have to walk across Manchester between Piccadilly and Victoria as part of many journeys via Manchester.
E Didsbury is only getting 1tpd in my plans(the Styal line is a viaduct from Manchester to Gatley so lengthening would be relatively easy, Oxford Road can be sorted under the old Northern Hub plans, Ringway may need remodeling for lengthening the platforms and I do not think Congleton may need work(I do not know the area so please correct me if I am wrong)
Why would anyone do massive remodelling of stations for 1tpd?
