FNW London services

[MidnightFlyer]

I've heard of the Blackpool / Manchester-London trains run by FNW. Since I have absolutely no recollection of them, does anyone know the duration they lasted, stock used, calling points etc?

Cheers

 

[WestCoast]

The service were:

Blackpool North - London Euston - operated by 158s
Rochdale - Manchester Victoria - London Euston - operated by 158s
Manchester Airport - London Euston - operated by 322s

 

[Class172]

I have a feeling they were originally planning to use Class 180s, but when it was shelved, the order got transferred to sister company FGW. I may be completely wrong though.

 

[driver9000]

Yes, the 180s were originally ordered for North Western but were diverted to Great Western before they were delivered. Early drawings for them show them with NWT logos.

The Rochdale and Blackpool North services attached and detached at Warrington Bank Quay but didn't call for passenger traffic.

 

[tirphil]

I've heard of the Blackpool / Manchester-London trains run by FNW. Since I have absolutely no recollection of them, does anyone know the duration they lasted, stock used, calling points etc?

Cheers

For Manchester services north of Crewe, they called at Alderley Edge and Sandbach. They did not call at Crewe though. One of the problems for FNW with this service was that they would lose drivers to Virgin West Coast owing to the fact that they signed the road and Virgin paid better.

 

[driver9000]

As I remember, the London leg was worked by Chester drivers and Victoria guards.

I heard about a 156 making it to London as well as a 309.

The Blackpool service couldn't call at Preston.

 

[dk1]

For Manchester services north of Crewe, they called at Alderley Edge and Sandbach. They did not call at Crewe though. One of the problems for FNW with this service was that they would lose drivers to Virgin West Coast owing to the fact that they signed the road and Virgin paid better.

That is always the trouble for TOCs. The highest payer wins. No place for loyalty when it comes to the back pocket. Get the training done by the company that pays least (always got vacancies) pass out, then apply for the company that pays most.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Anybody got any calling points or timetable (PDFs) to hand?

 

[185]

The Blackpool and the Oldham/Rochdale/Vic coupled up at Warrington Bank Quay.

Was a walk on fare of £10sgl / £20 rtn.

At least five of the regular guards on it are now at FTPE.

 

[driver9000]

I have a timetable from Winter 1999 but won't be able to get at it until tomorrow....

 

[Lampshade]

Anybody got any calling points or timetable (PDFs) to hand?

Yes, watch this space.

EDIT: A ticket:

And a timetable (too big to embed without annoying people):

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/2857/tempg.jpg

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The Blackpool and the Oldham/Rochdale/Vic coupled up at Warrington Bank Quay.

Didn't they call/split at Newton-le-Willows?

Also call at Hartford and a Trent Valley station (eg Rugeley)?

The plan was to run from North Wales also but the whole operation was abandoned when they discovered a "black hole" in the accounts, and North Western Trains never recovered.

 

[merlodlliw]

I used to pay £25 return from Sandbach on the Standstead Express electric stock they used.

I dont think they used Chester Drivers, none stopped at Crewe, VT used the anti compi, for Preston/Warrington/Crewe/Stafford etc, so it ran Man Airport,Ald Edge,Sandbach,tamworth, Euston.

Vt killed it off with their £10 rtn fare & speed, I recall ads all over Euston station with this info.

They were muting a Nth Wales/London I agree, don't know about the accounts, but I recall VT £10 rtn between Picc & Euston stations only on VT

 

[Lampshade]

Yeah, Virgin killed off FNW's services with a £10 return - now they charge £279 :roll:

 

[Polarbear]

I had a very enjoyable run to London from Sandbach one day on a 309 on one of these services.

It rattled a bit going down the WCML (fast lines) but kept time all the way to London.

 

[Class172]

Slightly off-topic but when were the 309s withdrawn?

 

[ainsworth74]

Yeah, Virgin killed off FNW's services with a £10 return - now they charge £279

The advantages of a monopoly and ineffectual regulation...

Slightly off-topic but when were the 309s withdrawn?

End of 2000 me thinks.

 

[Class172]

End of 2000 me thinks.

Ah, thanks, I didn't realise they survived beyond privatisation - they stayed in BR colours surely??

 

[Lampshade]

Ah, thanks, I didn't realise they survived beyond privatisation - they stayed in BR colours surely??

All remained in North West Regional Railways livery with the exception of 309624 which was painted in Manchester Airport promotional livery.

http://www.therailwaycentre.com/Pages EMU/Recognition EMU/IllusEMU_309.html

 

[WestCoast]

Yeah, Virgin killed off FNW's services with a £10 return - now they charge £279 :roll:

Well, yes, but you do have to look at the bigger picture here. The service has improved, it's faster and there are higher frequencies on certain routes (although that is not a Virgin scheme). The off-peak return is £70 from Manchester to London and railcard holders always pay that fare. In addition, there are many cheap Advance tickets, if you can sacrifice flexibility.

Admittedly, they seemed like 'fun' services (interesting stock!) and they were innovative Open-Access before the likes of GC.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Good effort and all that - these trains called at Watford also. Loadings seemed very low as the journey times were extended.(especially after the first weeks of cheap tickets were annulled)

The original plan was for FNW to run also 4 tpd North Wales to London - the 175s supposedly being 125 capable - that was binned , but despite the poor loadings on the other services , OPRAF at the time was loath to cancell the requirement for a while.

On an amusing note - the route learning train,composed of a very battered DMU ran out of fuel on the up at Bletchley and was rescued by an 08 shunter to clear the line - another occassion the 322 failed at Euston - so I arranged to lend them a NLR 321 - the enterprising FNW crew walked to Camden CS and picked a unit , which they drove downhill to Euston. No-one challenfged their local knowledge - we got the 321 back the enxt day.

 

[Lampshade]

The original plan was for FNW to run also 4 tpd North Wales to London - the 175s supposedly being 125 capable - that was binned , but despite the poor loadings on the other services , OPRAF at the time was loath to cancell the requirement for a while.

This makes a lot more sense now, some of us had quite a time a few weeks back trying to second guess why 14 180s had been ordered.