Cumbrian Coast Line

[Essexman]

Enjoyed my trip on Cumbrian Coast Line this week.

Three comments - apart from the superb scenery.

1) Shame Northern Rail failed to hold a train for 3 minutes at Barrow to allow 12 passengers from late running TPE service to catch Carlise train. Taxis provided instead but I preferred to with 80 minutes for next train.

2) No indicators or help point at Seascale so we had no idea when late train was going to arrive - if at all (it turned up about 20 minutes late).

3) Don't try photographing the railway & stock inside Sellafield - armed policeman wasn't happy with me!

 

[Gathursty]

I know what you mean about Sellafield, just taking a picture of the station sign was enough to warrant a car to pop down, however the cycle path avoided a needless exchange of words. The views of the line are brilliant and a probably overlooked but beautifully tranquil place is if you get off at Bootle and follow the road north west to the beach at Hycemoor. Just brace yourself for the gun testing!

 

[northofthesand]

Saw the dreaded pacer on the Barrow-Carlisle this morning 1st time for a few years....just in time for the busy school hols.

 

[142094]

Saw the dreaded pacer on the Barrow-Carlisle this morning 1st time for a few years....just in time for the busy school hols.

Do you know what services it was working?

 

[krisk]

Lovely line but terrible rolling stock. Would be nice to see some faster services with less stops and trains at night and Sunday

 

[irongecko]

Saw the dreaded pacer on the Barrow-Carlisle this morning 1st time for a few years....just in time for the busy school hols.

Oh dear lord... Haven't seen one of those down the coast for a while.

 

[northofthesand]

Do you know what services it was working?

It would of been the 09.10 dep from Barrow i think,looked full too

 

[142094]

It would of been the 09.10 dep from Barrow i think,looked full too

Ta for that, will have a look for the diagrams.

 

[ashworth]

According to Rail Magazine Northern has transferred a 142 unit from Manchester to provide extra capacity on the Cumbrian Coast from July 23rd until August 31st. This will allow the single car 153 units to be coupled together to provide two car sets for use on the line.

 

[irongecko]

According to Rail Magazine Northern has transferred a 142 unit from Manchester to provide extra capacity on the Cumbrian Coast from July 23rd until August 31st. This will allow the single car 153 units to be coupled together to provide two car sets for use on the line.

The single car sets aren't the issue, it's the lack of a 3/4 car unit for the Sellafield work trains.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The single car sets aren't the issue, it's the lack of a 3/4 car unit for the Sellafield work trains.

Well if the 0910 non-workers train is full and standing then surely that gives some sort of indication to its need?

 

[krisk]

Well you would think so

 

[Tugzrule]

The 142 (142047 this week it seems) will only work
2c41 0910 Barrow - Carlisle
2c46 1150 Carlisle - Whitehaven
5c46 1302 Whitehaven - Barrow CS

Although it allows a 153 to be doubled between Lancaster and Barrow before working the 1454 Barrow to Carlisle its a bit of a waste I think

 

[lyndhurst25]

Well if the 0910 non-workers train is full and standing then surely that gives some sort of indication to its need?

Any news on whether the DRS Sellafield workers' train is going to be reintroduced?

 

[sprinterguy]

The 142 (142047 this week it seems) will only work
2c41 0910 Barrow - Carlisle
2c46 1150 Carlisle - Whitehaven
5c46 1302 Whitehaven - Barrow CS

Although it allows a 153 to be doubled between Lancaster and Barrow before working the 1454 Barrow to Carlisle its a bit of a waste I think

So if I remember my Pacer correctly, then not only is it a Pacer, but it's a Merseyrail seated Pacer That'll be quite the experience for anybody travelling the full length of the Cumbrian Coast then!

It’s pleasing to see that Northern have managed to source additional rolling stock to serve the Cumbrian Coast over the summer season, but it does seem at times that Northern will strengthen the minimum number of services that they can afford to: It’s the same with the one additional 142 that has been afforded to Heaton with the purpose of strengthening services around Newcastle: It strengthens a singular Hexham to Middlesborough service in the morning, and then I have been led to believe that it just kicks about Darlington for the rest of the day. It’d be good if Northerns’ strengthened diagrams could operate as such throughout the day. When services are operated by just a single 142 or 153, it’s sometimes not just the trains at a particular peak period of the day that could do with strengthening.

 

[142094]

Any news on whether the DRS Sellafield workers' train is going to be reintroduced?

From talk on another forum, end of the year it seems.

 

[irongecko]

The pacer just got dragged back to Barrow from Lancaster with a fault, they tagged it to the back of a 153.

 

[northofthesand]

From talk on another forum, end of the year it seems.

I don't know the in's and out's of franchises but someone i know who works on the railway said drs are interested in running the cumbria coast services.It would be nice to travel on the loco hauled stock used for the sellafield worker's train on the barrow-carlisle run rather than the 153/156's or is there any reason this wouldn't be possible ?

 

[142094]

I don't know the in's and out's of franchises but someone i know who works on the railway said drs are interested in running the cumbria coast services.It would be nice to travel on the loco hauled stock used for the sellafield worker's train on the barrow-carlisle run rather than the 153/156's or is there any reason this wouldn't be possible ?

From what I've been reading it will be Northern who will actually run the service (like they did with the test runs at the start of the year), with DRS supplying the motive power and the stock. Apparently the service will just replace what Northern are already running, and will become a Carlisle - Barrow and Barrow - Carlisle service, instead of the evening service being Sellafield -Carlisle.

Still being sorted out with Northern staff so will just have to wait and see what happens, but other forums are saying by December it should be running again.

 

[EltonRoad]

It's a shame there isn't time between trips for it to do an out and back run over the S&C.

 

[142094]

Aye, if you'e doing it you really need to take the whole day and are limited to where you can go. When I was up there earlier in the year had a trip to Lancaster in between the morning and afternoon runs (plus meant having to drive to Carlisle as well).

 

[LesS]

On my recent visit to Carlisle I took the best part of a day for a return trip to Carnforth. I was travelling on a Rover ticket. The Rover has no time restrictions on this line.

The scenery was mixed and never uninteresting. Travel is slow due to the many curves. When the tide is out the coastal sections are not so good, but when the tide is in it is most enjoyable.

On any future visit I will again make this trip, it is a totally different experience from the other lines out of Carlisle.

 

[142094]

Slow line speeds really is a pain, and although there are some nice places to visit, there isn't much to see railway-wise usually. At least when the 37 was on, quite a few bashers were out in force.

 

[Blindtraveler]

and this one will for sure be out again when it returns, assuming DRS see fit to return the general public (bashers) coach to the run. Grand little day out from Edinburgh, maybe even manage an s and C run to Helifield, on to Lancaster, up to barrow and then do the run on from there to CAR.

 

[northofthesand]

Shake ! Rattle ! and Roll ! our old friend the pacer made a guest appearance
on the cumbrian coast line this morning must of been off barrow at about 7.00

It gave me a great idea for next year's children in need how about we all chip in and hire a 142 and get sponsored for making the journey from carlisle-london via the cumbria coast line on it......makes a change from lying in a bath of beans

 

[Coolguy22468]

Shake ! Rattle ! and Roll ! our old friend the pacer made a guest appearance
on the cumbrian coast line this morning must of been off barrow at about 7.00

It gave me a great idea for next year's children in need how about we all chip in and hire a 142 and get sponsored for making the journey from carlisle-london via the cumbria coast line on it......makes a change from lying in a bath of beans

How about Penzance to Thurso on one?, I'm up for it.

 

[Crossover]

How about Penzance to Thurso on one?, I'm up for it.

I'm such a trip has been discussed before and about how possible it would be (oh, and how crazy you'd also have to be )

 

[Coolguy22468]

I'm such a trip has been discussed before and about how possible it would be (oh, and how crazy you'd also have to be )

So I take it you think its a bad idea.

 

[snail]

It gave me a great idea for next year's children in need how about we all chip in and hire a 142 and get sponsored for making the journey from carlisle-london via the cumbria coast line on it.

It will be more than the Children that are in need after that adventure...

 

[Coolguy22468]

It will be more than the Children that are in need after that adventure...

But would you volunteer to do it?