18:17 Southport-Manchester Airport

[M60lad]

Is there any reason why this service was terminated at Manchester Piccadilly tonight due to late running but upon leaving Manchester Piccadilly still ran to Manchester Airport, I know it was announced as terminating at Manchester Piccadilly as I was on this service from Bolton-Piccadilly.

I know it ran to/from Airport due to checking Realtime Trains:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y40588/2013/08/16/advanced

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y42613/2013/08/16/advanced

 

[Lampshade]

I'm guessing it was to form the return working, no passengers on board therefore enabling a quick turnaround at the airport.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Indeed, looking at the timings provided I'm not sure where else it could go at Picc for so long otherwise.

 

[M60lad]

As for where it could go, well there's the turnback siding at the back of Hyde Road Bus Depot and it wouldn't have been there for that long as its due out of Piccadilly at about 20:20.

One question I have about this is that despite them being late why do the Southports sometimes turn short at either Manchester Oxford Road or Piccadilly and other times they are seemingly allowed to run late and risk having a late departure from Manchester Airport, as I've said before I've been on this service many times before and its turned short when its been running late

I even see that yesterday's service from Southport ran through to the Airport, not sure with or without passengers as I wasn't on it last night but it ended up leaving 15 late from Manchester Airport