Cross country service Man Picc to Cardiff

[deltic]

Couldnt see if this has been covered before - apologies if it has. I see that there is now a daily cross country service return service between Man Picc and Cardiff but that they operate via Bristol Temple Meads. Given that both services either start ECS or end ECS running between Bristol and Cardiff it seems a very odd operation. Anyone know the reason for this service?

I see today (presumably because of the rugby) the 16.07 Man Picc to Bristol is diverted to run to Cardiff via Bristol Parkway

 

[northwichcat]

It changed many years ago. XC used to run a daily Newcastle-Cardiff service and I think it was at the December 2007 recast it became a daily Manchester-Cardiff service instead. It'll be to meet a franchise commitment of running services between Bristol and Cardiff.

 

[deltic]

It changed many years ago. XC used to run a daily Newcastle-Cardiff service and I think it was at the December 2007 recast it became a daily Manchester-Cardiff service instead. It'll be to meet a franchise commitment of running services between Bristol and Cardiff.

Thanks - only taken me nearly 10 years to spot it then!

Seems a strange franchise commitment unless it is specifically to retain route knowledge to enable Cross Country to provide extra capacity for events at Millennium Stadium. Seems an expensive way to do that.

 

[swt_passenger]

Thanks - only taken me nearly 10 years to spot it then!

Seems a strange franchise commitment unless it is specifically to retain route knowledge to enable Cross Country to provide extra capacity for events at Millennium Stadium. Seems an expensive way to do that.

It will also help maintain route knowledge for diversions if Gloucester to Parkway is closed, presumably XC drivers who cover the area will already know Gloucester to Newport to Cardiff from their other 170 operated routes.

 

[Minilad]

It will also help maintain route knowledge for diversions if Gloucester to Parkway is closed, presumably XC drivers who cover the area will already know Gloucester to Newport to Cardiff from their other 170 operated routes.

Birmingham drivers don't sign through the tunnel. Which is frankly ridiculous but there you go

 

[daodao]

I used this service a view years ago to travel from Macclesfield to a meeting in Cardiff without changing trains, so it was quite useful. It would have been quicker to change to an ATW service for Cardiff at Cheltenham Spa, but my XC advance ticket required me to use the through service. There were very few passengers on the train between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central.

 

[TEW]

It replaces a GWR Taunton-Cardiff service on the Bristol-Cardiff leg and vice versa. Hence it calls at Filton Abbey Wood, Patchway and Severn Tunnel Junction, which wouldn't seem obvious places to call at otherwise.

 

[MikeHoward940]

Couldnt see if this has been covered before - apologies if it has. I see that there is now a daily cross country service return service between Man Picc and Cardiff but that they operate via Bristol Temple Meads. Given that both services either start ECS or end ECS running between Bristol and Cardiff it seems a very odd operation. Anyone know the reason for this service?

I see today (presumably because of the rugby) the 16.07 Man Picc to Bristol is diverted to run to Cardiff via Bristol Parkway

Monday to Friday

1P00 0520 Bristol TM to Cardiff (via Bristol Parkway)
1M25 0700 Cardiff to Manchester (via Filton Abbey Wood then, Bristol TM and then Bristol Parkway

Saturdays

5M25 0520 Bristol TM to Cardiff (ECS direct)
1M25 as per Monday to Friday

Mike

 

[ValleyLines142]

I'm a regular on this service, in both directions. It used to run to Newcastle, and even used to go as far as Edinburgh, but then they altered it to go to Manchester, which I thought was a shame.

Said service gets into Temple Meads for 8 o'clock and the service is full and standing from Severn Tunnel Junction. In the evening, however, it is very quiet and there is usually only five or six people per carriage.

There is also some dirt cheap advance fares on there! (£1.80 for a standard single with a 16-25 railcard!). I use it a lot.

It also gives Cardiff a daily Voyager!

 

[Gareth Marston]

It's a hangover from when operation princess went Tits up I'm sure stand to be corrected that there was a XC service every 2 hours with Voyagers in the princess plan via the tunnel and Parkwat to Brum and beyond.

Think it was a fig leaf to say XC are not abandoning Wales until they sorted out the via Lydney 170's.

 

[Crossover]

I think the Manchester to Cardiff service used to provide the token XC via Wilmslow and Crewe as well, but the 1705 ex MAN now goes the "usual" route via Macclesfield with the 1727 to Bournemouth now taking that route up (along with a couple of early morning services too). I recall taking the Cardiff train via Crewe a few years ago on 220019

 

[PHILIPE]

Just had a look:-

ATW train dep Cardiff at 0650 arrive Manchester Picc 1011
XC train dep Cardiff at 0700 arrive Manchester Picc 1059.

38 minutes quicker by ATW

The XC is there as a convenience amore than for the benefit of any passengers travelling from Cardiff to Manchester.

The XC is there to meet the requirement of serving Cardiff, as discussed, but if going at the time it does, has to be a Manchester service to fit in with the XC Clock face timetable pattern.

 

[northwichcat]

Just had a look:-

ATW train dep Cardiff at 0650 arrive Manchester Picc 1011
XC train dep Cardiff at 0700 arrive Manchester Picc 1059.

38 minutes quicker by ATW

But if you'd had to catch a local train to Cardiff for which the arrivals in Cardiff were 06:48 then 07:48 then it would be quicker to take the XC.

 

[tiptoptaff]

It's a franchise commitment - replaces the 0700 CDF-TAU between CDF and BRI. And because the standard pattern XC timetable has the on the hours off Bristol going to Manchester, the only way they'll run it is CDF - MAN so as not to break the pattern

 

[gnolife]

I think the Manchester to Cardiff service used to provide the token XC via Wilmslow and Crewe as well, but the 1705 ex MAN now goes the "usual" route via Macclesfield with the 1727 to Bournemouth now taking that route up (along with a couple of early morning services too). I recall taking the Cardiff train via Crewe a few years ago on 220019

I thought that the 1727 was the one that made me token call at Congleton?

 

[thenorthern]

There used to be regular Edinburgh to Cardiff Central via Derby trains under Virgin Cross Country. I don't think any Virgin Cross Country services from Manchester or from the West Coast Mainline to Cardiff Central as there is a regular Manchester to Cardiff via Shrewsbury train.

I thought that the 1727 was the one that made me token call at Congleton?

No its the 1827, the 1727 runs through Crewe rather than Stoke-on-Trent although at the moment its routed via Stoke-on-Trent because of the Holmes Chapel Viaduct.

 

[PHILIPE]

QUOTE=thenorthern;2470569]There used to be regular Edinburgh to Cardiff Central via Derby trains under Virgin Cross Country. I don't think any Virgin Cross Country services from Manchester or from the West Coast Mainline to Cardiff Central as there is a regular Manchester to Cardiff via Shrewsbury train QUOTE]



There are no Virgin Cross Country trains at all now. XC became part of Arriva years ago and never did work along the Marches.

 

[D1009]

It also gives Cardiff a daily Voyager!

Whether they want one or not!

 

[craigybagel]

Just had a look:-

ATW train dep Cardiff at 0650 arrive Manchester Picc 1011
XC train dep Cardiff at 0700 arrive Manchester Picc 1059.

38 minutes quicker by ATW

The XC is there as a convenience amore than for the benefit of any passengers travelling from Cardiff to Manchester.

The XC is there to meet the requirement of serving Cardiff, as discussed, but if going at the time it does, has to be a Manchester service to fit in with the XC Clock face timetable pattern.

Even more silly in the evening.
XC MAN 1705 CDF 2105
AW MAN 1730 CDF 2103
Almost completely pointless as a through service but it ticks a box somewhere......