NorthWestRover
Established Member
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- 24 Aug 2018
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When did they change to going via Bolton rather than Wigan? And does anyone know why?
They still do go via Wigan. It was in the period when Blackpool North to Preston was electrified but Preston to Manchester via Bolton wasn’t that these services went via Bolton as the Blackpool North to Manchester Airport services went via Wigan so that they could use a fully electrified route.When did they change to going via Bolton rather than Wigan? And does anyone know why?
Cumbria to Manchester cuts means that Burnage has lost its :37 train to Manchester and :11 southbound apart from in the peaks. Pretty shoddy.
Been like that for Mauldeth Road since April. 1 peak express service to Liverpool via Warrington in the morning and evening peak but that's your lot - only 1 train per hour now. To think that some on here think passengers numbers will recover to where they were pre-Covid despite fairly robust frequency cuts on many routes that dis-incentivises travelling by train. Nothing but misplaced optimism...Cumbria to Manchester cuts means that Burnage has lost its :37 train to Manchester and :11 southbound apart from in the peaks. Pretty shoddy.
Been like that for Mauldeth Road since April. 1 peak express service to Liverpool via Warrington in the morning and evening peak but that's your lot - only 1 train per hour now. To think that some on here think passengers numbers will recover to where they were pre-Covid despite fairly robust frequency cuts on many routes that dis-incentivises travelling by train. Nothing but misplaced optimism...
Trains between Barrow and Manchester then the airport are scheduled to return to their normal level in December. Efforts are being made by the local MP to persuade Northern to reintroduce them sooner. (Unlikely to be successful I would guess.)
Sorry but this is definitely not true. They have to call because the decision, a foolish one in my view, was taken to withdraw the stopper.Those stops were only inserted to eke out capacity on the Airport line.
They are not needed if there are fewer trains overall.
You mean just like the perfectly good half-hourly one that existed until it was ruined in 2018?In a sensible world it'd have at least 2tph of stopping EMUs to Piccadilly.
You mean just like the perfectly good half-hourly one that existed until it was ruined in 2018?
That's until they decided to butcher the half hourly service on the Styal Line in 2018. Still one of the poorest timetables decisions in recent times. The idea that you could move to skip stopping never really worked because of platform constraint issues at Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport, as well as congestion at Castlefield which resulted in a far inferior service and level of punctuality.In a sensible world it'd have at least 2tph of stopping EMUs to Piccadilly.
the all-day extra train between Manchester and Wigan via Parkside
Whilst it's hopefully only a temporary measure, during the day when the fast train isn't running, there are 4 trains per hour between Wigan and Manchester, all departing within 18 minutes, leaving a gap of 42 mins. This can make social distancing a little difficult on some trains by the time it reaches the city.... which was the original reason I started this thread. There is now a big gap of fast trains to Manchester from Wigan.
Indeed. Northern have made drastic timetable cuts, some but not all of which won't be reversed at the new timetable.... which was the original reason I started this thread. There is now a big gap of fast trains to Manchester from Wigan.
As well as serving the airport, the station there provides a terminus capability which is missing from the central Manchester stations.Given demand for airport services will be no where near the level we have become used to over the next 2-3 years or reinstating the half-hourly shuttle service probably wouldn't be a bad idea. There is little point in running empty trains from Manchester Airport to Barrow, Cleethorpes etc.
Barrow services could terminate at Oxford Road. Cleethorpes services could simply terminate in Piccadilly shed as they do at the moment. 3 coaches are stabled while 3 head off to the Airport and then come back to join up again. That would provide the capacity to reintroduce half-hourly services from Crewe/Wilmslow to Piccadilly (as it was prior to May 2018), with potentially one an hour continuing on to Liverpool.As well as serving the airport, the station there provides a terminus capability which is missing from the central Manchester stations.
Where else would you propose terminating the regional and inter-regional services?
Barrow services could terminate at Oxford Road
The elephant in the room is the Ordsall Chord. Accept it was a mistake and mothball it, and you're pretty much sorted.
The Chord isn't a mistake but not doing the whole project most definitely is.
Or terminate at Preston as it is well-connected to Manchester and its Airport. Either way the Barrow service certainly doesn't need to go to the Airport at the moment with such pitiful passenger numbers for air travel.Stupid idea due to lost connectivity. You might as well change at Preston unless you're headed for the uni.
The elephant in the room is the Ordsall Chord. Accept it was a mistake and mothball it, and you're pretty much sorted.
Or terminate at Preston as it is well-connected to Manchester and its Airport. Either way the Barrow service certainly doesn't need to go to the Airport at the moment with such pitiful passenger numbers for air travel.
Not doing 15/16 first was the mistake. Though yes, with the whole project it would be positive. For now it is very negative, and as such it should be mothballed.
The only mistake was probably using the Ordsall Chord (in isolation) in such a capacity-ambitious way.
The inbound Barrow arrives at Oxford Road after the outbound is due to leave, it gains you nothing not continuing to airport and blocking a platform at Oxford road for an hour is not going to be allowed. If the Chester is removed you would gain enough time to turn it, but you'd also have enough time to have it do all stops to airport giving the other half hourly stopper.Barrow services could terminate at Oxford Road. Cleethorpes services could simply terminate in Piccadilly shed as they do at the moment. 3 coaches are stabled while 3 head off to the Airport and then come back to join up again. That would provide the capacity to reintroduce half-hourly services from Crewe/Wilmslow to Piccadilly (as it was prior to May 2018), with potentially one an hour continuing on to Liverpool.
2tph is hardly ambitious
0tph is the only sustainable number at present.