nr758123
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Llandudno to Wakefield Westgate calling at just about everywhereI have a vague memory of some North Wales coast services running through to Wakefield in the early 1990s. Was this the case?
Llandudno to Wakefield Westgate calling at just about everywhereI have a vague memory of some North Wales coast services running through to Wakefield in the early 1990s. Was this the case?
Yes, I went all the way from Wakefield to Bangor at about that time.I have a vague memory of some North Wales coast services running through to Wakefield in the early 1990s. Was this the case?
There was a Manchester-Llandudno train which started all the way back in Hull, it occasionally produced a 142 when Neville Hill was short of Sprinters. Think this was back in the late 1980s when there was still an hourly loco-hauled on the Newcastle/York-Liverpool axis.Yes, I went all the way from Wakefield to Bangor at about that time.
There was a Manchester-Llandudno train which started all the way back in Hull, it occasionally produced a 142 when Neville Hill was short of Sprinters. Think this was back in the late 1980s when there was still an hourly loco-hauled on the Newcastle/York-Liverpool axis.
Hull - Lancaster too, IIRC. Also with 31/4s.In mid to late 80s there was also a through service from Hull to Carlisle if I remember coreectly. 31/4 and Mk1 stock. Anyone remember that?
Out of interest, What route did this take? Was it via Bentham or another less direct?Hull - Lancaster too, IIRC. Also with 31/4s.
Bentham.Out of interest, What route did this take? Was it via Bentham or another less direct?
One implication of the TPE extension to Wakefield is that TPE and the Rail North Partnership have presumably given up on their ambition to re-join the two halves of the split stopper in December 2020, recreating a sixth through Manchester to Leeds train per the franchise agreement. It would be poor PR to give Wakefield a new service, only to take it away again six months later.Although I have always thought a direct Wakefield to Manchester service would be popular. No idea if one ever run in the past. Seems odd for that part of West Yorkshire to be isolated from Manchester.
One implication of the TPE extension to Wakefield is that TPE and the Rail North Partnership have presumably given up on their ambition to re-join the two halves of the split stopper in December 2020, recreating a sixth through Manchester to Leeds train per the franchise agreement. It would be poor PR to give Wakefield a new service, only to take it away again six months later.
TPE have never operated trains from Liverpool to Manchester airport. Previously, Manchester Airport trains were Northern trains.The Crewe to Liverpool via Manchester Airport is the obvious one to be split - if that service is even 5 minutes into Manchester it causes mayhem. And even if it's on-time you have to pray Northern have a crew ready at Oxford Road. TPE would be delighted to see the back of it.
The express Liverpool to Manchester Airport service will remain. TPE previously operated this service and Liverpool losing a direct 'fast' rail link to Manchester Airport would be politically unacceptable. Northern allocate 6 coaches at peak times so clearly this route is one they feel is worthwhile pursuing and has revenue-earning potential (which the franchise desperately needs). Someone made a good point it may be worthwhile adding a couple more stops into this service (potentially Hunts Cross and Widnes) to reduce likelihood of it catching up to slower trains as well as capacity boost.
Also the Huddersfield train has been loaded onto RTT
HUD 0550/DEW 0601- KGX 0851 1A06
KGX 1803- DEW 2047/ HUD 2058 1D26/1D00 (this train appears to Divide at Leeds P6. I struggled to work out whether the split is from this train or the preceding one!)
Not until the Sunday working arrangements are sorted out.Extra trains from Manchester to Stoke and Chester on Sundays plus the Mon-Sat extras to Altrincham/Greenbank, or am I being hopelessly optimistic? Already at least 2-3 years late! Mind you, Sundays can't warrant even the existing timetable at present.
Think that has been added this afternoon
With several oddities including all the Manchester to Huddersfield stoppers being extended to Wakefield Kirkgate and the 3am Sheffield train being extended to Cleethorpes. Are some of these likely to be removed?
What an absolute shame that people will be able to get a train from Huddersfield at 06:14 and still have 7 minutes to get the 05:50 off Hudd at Leeds. Madness.
As for the return, I see the 18:03 from KGX is the one that gets to Leeds and splits off to give the Huddersfield portion. At least it doesn't sit at Leeds long enough to make it worth getting on a TPE.
More accurate would be 'A usable, hourly service for Bramhall, Poynton, Adlington, Prestbury and Congleton'Extra trains from Manchester to Stoke
The TPE services appear to run non-stop between Huddersfield and Wakefield Kirkgate, so I would expect the Northern service (which currently calls at Deighton and Mirfield) to be maintained. It currently only runs Mondays to Saturdays, whereas the proposed TPE Wakefield services are shown to run on Sundays too, so this gives a regular Huddersfield to Wakefield direct service on Sundays for the first time in, I suspect, many years.I assume this means the Huddersfield - Castleford shuttle is being split; with the Castleford - Kirkgate portion being worked by Northern as a separate item?
The TPE services appear to run non-stop between Huddersfield and Wakefield Kirkgate, so I would expect the Northern service (which currently calls at Deighton and Mirfield) to be maintained. It currently only runs Mondays to Saturdays, whereas the proposed TPE Wakefield services are shown to run on Sundays too, so this gives a regular Huddersfield to Wakefield direct service on Sundays for the first time in, I suspect, many years.
TPE have never operated trains from Liverpool to Manchester airport. Previously, Manchester Airport trains were Northern trains.
Where would you split the Liverpool to Crewe via Manchester? And what is it about this service in particular that makes you say it's problematic?
Prior to the Big Change, Liverpool's east bound services were, per hour:
1 x 3 carriage TPE via Chat Moss to Newcastle
1 x 6 carriage TPE via Warrington to Scarborough
1 x 4 carriage Northern stopper via CM to Mcr Victoria
1 x 4 carriage Northern stopper via Warr to Mcr Ox Rd
1 x 4 carriage Northern semi-fast via Warr to Mcr airport
1 x 4 carriage semi-fast East Mids via Warr to Norwich
It's worth noting that all the above suffered from overcrowding, so cutting isn't an option.
The Victoria stopper effectively got switched (bar a few a day) to Picc and got joined to a Crewe - Manchester service to arrive at the service spoken about above. Plus the two TPEs now run via Chat Moss.
The mythical Northern Connect services never materialised, so the changes haven't represented a great deal for Liverpool and its region.
Great Northern's changes for May are in RTT. Some interesting strengthening between Ely and Cambridge towards the end of the morning peak. Both the 0845 and 0948 departures from Ely (both of which have come from King's Lynn, and join with more carriages at Cambridge) now have their front carriages starting from Ely a few minutes ahead of the King's Lynn train, at 0842 and 0941 respectively. Nothing similar for the 0825 and 0917 departures from Ely.
The 0842 might even be 8-car, because it doesn't call at Waterbeach (the 0941 does call at Waterbeach). However, based on the current restriction codes, the 0842 8-car will be peak for Ely-Cambridge, whilst its partner, the 0845 4-car, will remain off-peak! If this doesn't change then I wonder how many people will actually switch to using the 0842 (since off-peak day returns on this route are cheaper than a season).
Waterbeach and Littleport platforms should be lengthend to 8-car by May, I believe.
Great Northern's changes for May are in RTT. Some interesting strengthening between Ely and Cambridge towards the end of the morning peak. Both the 0845 and 0948 departures from Ely (both of which have come from King's Lynn, and join with more carriages at Cambridge) now have their front carriages starting from Ely a few minutes ahead of the King's Lynn train, at 0842 and 0941 respectively. Nothing similar for the 0825 and 0917 departures from Ely.
The 0842 might even be 8-car, because it doesn't call at Waterbeach (the 0941 does call at Waterbeach). However, based on the current restriction codes, the 0842 8-car will be peak for Ely-Cambridge, whilst its partner, the 0845 4-car, will remain off-peak! If this doesn't change then I wonder how many people will actually switch to using the 0842 (since off-peak day returns on this route are cheaper than a season).
Great Northern's changes for May are in RTT. Some interesting strengthening between Ely and Cambridge towards the end of the morning peak. Both the 0845 and 0948 departures from Ely (both of which have come from King's Lynn, and join with more carriages at Cambridge) now have their front carriages starting from Ely a few minutes ahead of the King's Lynn train, at 0842 and 0941 respectively. Nothing similar for the 0825 and 0917 departures from Ely.
And I now remember that the "new" 0941 from Ely is simply reinstating a service that used to exist until a year or so ago, but is currently running as empty stock, not in passenger service.
Waterbeach and Littleport platforms should be lengthend to 8-car by May, I believe.
I’ve had a look at some of the other GN services. From a very cursory glance through I’ve noticed the following:
2) All the AM peak up Baldock to KX 365 services now call at Finsbury Park (I do wonder what if any operational logic there is to this, as one nice feature of the current timetable is pretty much everything through Finsbury Park platform 4 is non-stop, which must make life a lot easier for the signallers).
3) The single morning Brighton/Royston and return service will run through to Cambridge.