Manchester-Preston route

What is your favourite route to use if travelling on the train between Manchester and Preston, and why? I'm including just the four most direct routes in this poll.

Reasons can be in respect of anything apart from the operator and units used on the route, so for example scenery; speed; towns/stations passed en route; is one particular track more fun to drive or ride on than others etc.

Via Bolton and Chorley is quite scenic, Westhoughton less so but still nice between Manchester and Bolton, Chat Moss is boring and Atherton is just ugly urban decay.

I've always thought Bolton & Chorley is the route that feels right for that journey, the others are interlopers in my mind. I think that's because when I most made the journey from Manchester-Lancaster/Carnforth that was the main route the fast trains took at that time. ...So, tradition rather than logic makes me favour that route.

Being a Lancashire lad myself, every time the train went through Chorley it made my mouth water , can't beat a good ol' Chorley Cake!
But it is the route with the most hills and Bolton Station looks impressive more so than Wigan.

Chat Moss and Wigan for me. I have been travelling the Chorley route since 1970 and had First Generation units, Class 31s, Class 40s, Class 47s and Class 50s on regular scheduled services in those years. But when the Chat Moss and Wigan service opened I could do the whole journey under the wires for the 1st time and it was fantastic. Chorley route does still hold some nostalgia for me though and of course eventually got electrification too.

GRALISTAIR said:

Chat Moss and Wigan for me. I have been travelling the Chorley route since 1970 and had First Generation units, Class 35s, Class 40s, Class 47s and Class 50s on regular scheduled services in those years. But when the Chat Moss and Wigan service opened I could do the whole journey under the wires for the 1st time and it was fantastic. Chorley route does still hold some nostalgia for me though.

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Asssume you mean class 31s not 35

Via Chorley as the vast majority of services are 6 car class 331s.

If you use the Barrow service via Wigan NW it's only a 3 car class 195.

Bletchleyite said:

Via Bolton and Chorley is quite scenic, Westhoughton less so but still nice between Manchester and Bolton, Chat Moss is boring and Atherton is just ugly urban decay.

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Most of the urban decay is between Manchester and Salford, so you see it on most of the route options.

Elecman said:

Asssume you mean class 31s not 35

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Well spotted. Yes. Now corrected. A hymek would have been amazing!

andystock22 said:

Via Chorley as the vast majority of services are 6 car class 331s.

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Never mind 331s, it's the 397s that make it

That and the scenery, although I have to confess there's something very disconcerting about Bolton being so vast and almost completely empty, and with that high wall on the western side too.

WatcherZero said:

Most of the urban decay is between Manchester and Salford, so you see it on most of the route options.

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The whole Atherton Line is a scene of decay in my opinion. A tour of the mankier parts of west Manchester on lousy old rolling stock.

Bletchleyite said:

The whole Atherton Line is a scene of decay in my opinion. A tour of the mankier parts of west Manchester on lousy old rolling stock.

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A lot of it is in a cutting though and hidden from view. The line goes onto an embankment while passing through Walkden - I wouldn't describe Walkden as 'urban decay', it's just a typical large outer suburb of a city, hardly an eyesore from the train. I'd agree with you more so if you were describing the first couple of miles after Salford Crescent!

Philip said:

What is your favourite route to use if travelling on the train between Manchester and Preston, and why? I'm including just the four most direct routes in this poll.

Reasons can be in respect of anything apart from the operator and units used on the route, so for example scenery; speed; towns/stations passed en route; is one particular track more fun to drive or ride on than others etc.

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Best route was that taken by non stop Preston or Fylde to Manchester commuter trains via Chorley then taking a right turn to join the fast line from Wigan thus avoiding Bolton. Also up the WCML and on to Whelley Line to East of Wigan then joinng the four track main line from Wigan to Exchange - 9.30 ish, at Preston, Windermere to Exchange and 5.08 return being an example and, as aside, a spotters favourite due to almost any random class 5 to class 7 LMS loco turning up.
But today's service is by far the best service ever provided over this route throughout the day.

The Atherton line is horrible. Crap rolling stock, awful scenery and it's just so slow and depressing.

I'd say via Chat Moss on TPE as you're less likely to end up following stopping services. Too many times I've passed Leyland, branched off to the Bolton line and then the brakes have come on, then crawled the rest of the way to Manchester. Of course if it weren't for that, then I'd much prefer the Bolton line.

Philip said:

A lot of it is in a cutting though and hidden from view. The line goes onto an embankment while passing through Walkden - I wouldn't describe Walkden as 'urban decay', it's just a typical large outer suburb of a city, hardly an eyesore from the train. I'd agree with you more so if you were describing the first couple of miles after Salford Crescent!

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I might have overdone it a bit but the line certainly has more than its fair share of manky 1950s sink estates, the stations are dilapidated and there are no pretty views.

My favourite route was taken by a Saturdays-only Blackpool-Manchester DMU via Standish Jn, De Trafford Jn, Hindley North and Atherton. I rode it in the last year of the Whelley Loop but there was only a handful of passengers on board.

Is Chat Moss the quickest route?
--
Back to the question (I voted Bolton-Chorley) , I remember about 25 years ago watching the rabbits near the Ordnance factory- they were loads of them!
When they built Buckshaw Parkway and redeveloped the whole area I wondered what happened to all those rabbits.

Trackman said:

Is Chat Moss the quickest route?

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Chorley appears to be the quickest, and is the shortest by a fairly considerable margin.

Chat Moss was quicker until they raised the linespeed on the Bolton line to main line speeds a couple of years back.

WatcherZero said:

Chat Moss was quicker until they raised the linespeed on the Bolton line to main line speeds a couple of years back.

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When TPE replaced 185s via Bolton with 350s via Chat Moss the running time Manchester to Preston increased slightly - only by a minute or two.

I've put Chorley because when there's no direct service back from Lancaster via Skipton, that one seems to run later, so more time in the pub.

Bolton or Chat Moss. Chat Moss feels physically quicker but I appreciate it's several miles longer. Plus no booked 6-car that way either although there should be.

Jamesrob637 said:

Bolton or Chat Moss. Chat Moss feels physically quicker but I appreciate it's several miles longer.

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The severe speed restriction round the curve from Parkside to Golborne is what kills it.

Iskra said:

I've always thought Bolton & Chorley is the route that feels right for that journey, the others are interlopers in my mind. I think that's because when I most made the journey from Manchester-Lancaster/Carnforth that was the main route the fast trains took at that time. ...So, tradition rather than logic makes me favour that route.

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Given that it is the most direct Manchester - Preston line I would suggest using it for journeys between Manchester, Preston and Lancaster, on a 397 if at the right point in the hour for end to end journeys if possible, but the intermediate stations are well worth a visit, particularly Adlington. It has the best scenery of the 4 routes and is the closest approach of the railway to Winter Hill, which can also be seen from Chat Moss and as far away as Liverpool - Southport and the CLC line. I also very much enjoy going via Westhoughton with it and Hindley some of the best kept stations I have seen and are now having their platforms lengthened for 6 car EMUs.

Bletchleyite said:

The whole Atherton Line is a scene of decay in my opinion. A tour of the mankier parts of west Manchester on lousy old rolling stock.

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185143 said:

The Atherton line is horrible. Crap rolling stock, awful scenery and it's just so slow and depressing.

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I appreciate that it is the L&Y main line from Liverpool Exchange but I do try to avoid the Atherton line if at all possible, however I am forced to use it on Sundays if I want to go anywhere and the last train from Manchester to Southport goes that way. The scenery is non existent and I remember it as being just trees with a few breaks in them only for scenes of dereliction. The stops render an already painfully slow route excruciating. Daisy Hill and Atherton were already much too close together without putting Hag Fold in. I wouldn’t describe the scenery Bolton - Salford Crescent as being much better though and the stops at Moses Gate, Farnworth, Kearsley and Clifton are equally painful, but at least it has the 100mph capability, EMUs and Farnworth tunnel reboring going for it that make it a bit more interesting. I wonder if it was any better pre-grouping with 40 minute expresses using Aspinall’s Flyers. I’ve noticed there are now 195s on the Atherton line so I will have to see if those are any better. I suspect the ride quality in particular won’t be.

Cheshire Scot said:

The severe speed restriction round the curve from Parkside to Golborne is what kills it.

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That just proves the WCML and Chat Moss shouldn’t be used for Preston/Wigan - Manchester journeys. I would prefer a faster Liverpool - Manchester service and a Blackpool/Preston - Crewe all stops via Newton-le-Willows because there are a few missing links currently.

I have also done it via Blackburn and Bolton. The scenery is very nice that way also, but it does take a long time, especially with a long connection at Blackburn.

And I seem to get held at Parkside East Junction for the TFW service more times than not.

Smokey Joe said:

Being a Lancashire lad myself, every time the train went through Chorley it made my mouth water , can't beat a good ol' Chorley Cake!
But it is the route with the most hills and Bolton Station looks impressive more so than Wigan.

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Yes! Chorley cakes, the one time I tried them ages ago when a friend bought some in Asda, oh yes that's a good choice! Good sir you have me generating saliva just thinking about a Chorley Cake!

As for my choice of route for this poll, there is only one sensible choice. Manchester-Preston via Bolton and Chorley. I've done the route via Chat Moss and Wigan, I am very glad that TP don't go that routinely now. Maximum Power Thrashfest up the line towards Bolton, yes please. A 769 on electric on the Manchester to Bolton section is good fun!

For me at least, route preferences have nearly as much to do with the rolling stock you travel over them as the routes themselves.

So with that in mind, I'll formulate my answer with that in consideration.

Chat Moss: did it there and back on 195s, first time the train was crawling between Parkside and Preston, second time was in the dark so didn't really experience much of it.
Atherton: did it on a Pacer and a 153 - all shacks in particular is a bit slow, scenery isn't great, not my most preferred option (even if I'm one of the few who actually liked the trains I rode over it)
Westhoughton: first time was on a 150 in the dark, second was a 156 in daylight - all shacks Bolton-Manchester on both occasions was a bit of a drag, otherwise unimpressive
Chorley: did it on a 319, made a very nice noise - even on a 331 it was good fun, the train was absolutely charging along - decent view out of the window too.

With that in mind, I'd probably say the Chorley line was my favourite.

507020 said:

Given that it is the most direct Manchester - Preston line I would suggest using it for journeys between Manchester, Preston and Lancaster, on a 397 if at the right point in the hour for end to end journeys if possible, but the intermediate stations are well worth a visit, particularly Adlington. It has the best scenery of the 4 routes and is the closest approach of the railway to Winter Hill, which can also be seen from Chat Moss and as far away as Liverpool - Southport and the CLC line. I also very much enjoy going via Westhoughton with it and Hindley some of the best kept stations I have seen and are now having their platforms lengthened for 6 car EMUs.


I appreciate that it is the L&Y main line from Liverpool Exchange but I do try to avoid the Atherton line if at all possible, however I am forced to use it on Sundays if I want to go anywhere and the last train from Manchester to Southport goes that way. The scenery is non existent and I remember it as being just trees with a few breaks in them only for scenes of dereliction. The stops render an already painfully slow route excruciating. Daisy Hill and Atherton were already much too close together without putting Hag Fold in. I wouldn’t describe the scenery Bolton - Salford Crescent as being much better though and the stops at Moses Gate, Farnworth, Kearsley and Clifton are equally painful, but at least it has the 100mph capability, EMUs and Farnworth tunnel reboring going for it that make it a bit more interesting. I wonder if it was any better pre-grouping with 40 minute expresses using Aspinall’s Flyers. I’ve noticed there are now 195s on the Atherton line so I will have to see if those are any better. I suspect the ride quality in particular won’t be.

That just proves the WCML and Chat Moss shouldn’t be used for Preston/Wigan - Manchester journeys. I would prefer a faster Liverpool - Manchester service and a Blackpool/Preston - Crewe all stops via Newton-le-Willows because there are a few missing links currently.

I have also done it via Blackburn and Bolton. The scenery is very nice that way also, but it does take a long time, especially with a long connection at Blackburn.

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I find Salford Crescent-Bolton has good scenery across the Irwell valley once beyond Agecroft and as far as as Kearsley before it becomes urban again.

Philip said:

I find Salford Crescent-Bolton has good scenery across the Irwell valley once beyond Agecroft and as far as as Kearsley before it becomes urban again.

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I wouldn’t call Bolton bad but I actually prefer the last section of the Atherton beyond Agecroft as it seems to run higher at that point.