A warm welcome home from Northern - disruption between Man Airport and Preston (09/11)

[rrapynot]

I’ve been living on the other side of the world for several years and arrived back in the UK this evening for a family visit.

I got to Manchester Airport Station and missed the 18:16 by seconds. The next four trains heading towards Preston are cancelled.

Lovely welcome home after a 16 hour flight.

 

[YorkRailFan]

Welcome to the North, we've been dealing with this for as long as I can remember.

 

[170UTD]

I’ve been living on the other side of the world for several years and arrived back in the UK this evening for a family visit.

I got to Manchester Airport Station and missed the 18:16 by seconds. The next four trains heading towards Preston are cancelled.

Lovely welcome home after a 16 hour flight.

Was a points failure earlier on between Preston and Lancaster. That might be why. However, it's fixed now according to TPE Twitter. How are you getting on?

 

[Dr Hoo]

I’ve been living on the other side of the world for several years and arrived back in the UK this evening for a family visit.

I got to Manchester Airport Station and missed the 18:16 by seconds. The next four trains heading towards Preston are cancelled.

Lovely welcome home after a 16 hour flight.

Welcome back @rrapynot .

Sorry to hear that you were apparently affected by a Network Rail points failure that impacted on Northern.

It won't be much consolation but at least funding for Network Rail has been increasing.

As part of the Periodic Review 2018 (PR18)/Control Period 6 (CP6) process the Office of Rail and Road had advised the DfT that a bow wave of deferred renewals was building up in CP5. This advice was accepted.

When Chris Grayling MP gave the Statement of Funds Available for CP6 (in October 2017 but covering 2019-24) it allowed for increased maintenance and renewal expenditure. The total Statement Of Funds Available (SOFA) was £47,900,000,000. Of this £34,700,000,000 would be paid as Network Grant.

Splitting the PR18 Determination down to LNW Route, Maintenance was allowed £1,989,000,000 for 2019-24 (up from only £1,664,000,000 in CP5) There was specific mention of £12,400,000 for additional switch and crossing heavy refurbishment. Renewals were allowed £3,203,000,000 (up from £2,918,000,000 in CP5). All figures at 2017/18 prices.

There are trajectories for year-on-year reductions in Service Affecting Failures and improvements in efficiency.

[Data from ORR website.]

Network Rail and Northern have been nationalised/publicly controlled for quite a while now but obviously things like covid, strikes and extreme weather haven't helped in the long task of improving performance.

 

[rrapynot]

Was a points failure earlier on between Preston and Lancaster. That might be why. However, it's fixed now according to TPE Twitter. How are you getting on?

I ended up getting into Blackpool just under 2 hours late. Between 6.00pm and the end of service today, it looks like all Manchester Airport to Blackpool North trains except 2 were cancelled.

On my last trip to the UK, my Avanti train from London Euston to Preston was delayed and I got a full refund.

Talking to people here, everyone says they can’t be bothered asking for a refund.

 

[Bovverboy]

I ended up getting into Blackpool just under 2 hours late.

You could have used the 1825 Airport to Chester train (TfW) as far as Piccadilly, arriving 1843
1850 Piccadilly to Barrow train as far as Preston, arriving 1932 (this should have commenced at the Airport)
1942 Preston to Blackpool North train (ex-York), arriving 6 mins behind schedule at 2012
Total 18 minutes late.

 

[trainophile]

You could have used the 1825 Airport to Chester train (TfW) as far as Piccadilly, arriving 1843
1850 Piccadilly to Barrow train as far as Preston, arriving 1932 (this should have commenced at the Airport)
1942 Preston to Blackpool North train (ex-York), arriving 6 mins behind schedule at 2012
Total 18 minutes late.

Yes but would any journey planner offer that at short notice? After several years out of the country it’s not going to be intuitive to most people.

 

[Miken]

Talking about a welcome - my experience on Wigan Wallgate Station yesterday morning (managed by Northern)...

Lift broken 'indefinitely', both toilets out of order, half stairwell cordoned off (I missed my connection as I couldn't get down the stairs in time), usual disinterested/semi-aggressive staff on the gateline ("nothing to do with me mate"), over one third of seats removed from the waiting room to make way for two huge vending machines (profit before people). The station is an absolute disgrace and sums up the total contempt that Northern display towards passengers. I have written to Northern with a formal complaint and await their response.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

You could have used the 1825 Airport to Chester train (TfW) as far as Piccadilly, arriving 1843
1850 Piccadilly to Barrow train as far as Preston, arriving 1932 (this should have commenced at the Airport)
1942 Preston to Blackpool North train (ex-York), arriving 6 mins behind schedule at 2012
Total 18 minutes late.

Yes but would any journey planner offer that at short notice?

Would a journey planner have offered it at all? Ten minutes minimum interchange time is necessary at Manchester Piccadilly, isn't it?

 

[Bovverboy]

Ten minutes minimum interchange time is necessary at Manchester Piccadilly, isn't it?

For a journey planner to pick up the connection, yes. In reality, not if the departing train uses the same platform as the one you've just arrived at!

 

[Dr Hoo]

Were staff at Manchester Airport (? Run by TransPennine rather than Northern ?) not advising passengers to take the first train to Piccadilly and then change?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Were staff at Manchester Airport (? Run by TransPennine rather than Northern ?) not advising passengers to take the first train to Piccadilly and then change?

Every chance that you'd then end up at a crowded platform 14 at Manchester Piccadilly if not much is operating out of the Airport, but generally that would invariably be sensible advice whenever services are disrupted.

 

[rrapynot]

Yes but would any journey planner offer that at short notice? After several years out of the country it’s not going to be intuitive to most people.

I did see the Chester train but for reason I assumed it was going to head south from he airport. Didn't realize that it woudl head north to Piccadilly first.

 

[zero]

I (happily) paid £160 for a return trip London to Glasgow this week and it became completely free. I should have bought a connecting ticket within London too instead of using Oyster

Luckily I turned up very early and was permitted to get earlier trains than booked, which were still delayed an hour beyond my itinerary's arrival time hence full refund. If I had got my booked trains I would have been delayed 2-3 hours.