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Direct services to Liverpool

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Class185

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At the moment Liverpool has steady services from the mainline station (usually hourly) to Blackpool North, Man Airport / Victoria, London, Leeds, York, Sheffield etc..., with Birmingham and Wigan servced every half hour and Manchester frequently.

Its nice to hear LM are proposing competition on the Euston run and TPE proposing an additional hourly service to Newcastle come 2014.

Is there a possibility that XC and ATW may operate services in the future to Wales and other parts of the UK? There was also talk not so long ago of a Liverpool - Glasgow/Edinburgh service, do you think Virgin or TPE would ever introduce this? It just seems very annoying to have to change at Manchester to go direct.

What is the future for Liverpool, especially as it is a Network Rail station?
 
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dk1

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Are there not services from Stanstead Airport and Norwich too?

Stansted's finished years ago. Hourly Norwich/Nottingham's at xx.52.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Is there a possibility that XC and ATW may operate services in the future to Wales and other parts of the UK? There was also talk not so long ago of a Liverpool - Glasgow/Edinburgh service, do you think Virgin or TPE would ever introduce this? It just seems very annoying to have to change at Manchester to go direct.

Would you not change at Crewe or Preston instead of Manchester?
 

Class185

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Manchester was just an example, yeah some changes can include Crewe and Preston. It just seems a shame as Liverpool used to have all these services direct.

There is an hourly EMT service to Nottingham/Norwich which includes Stockport, Sheffield and on some services Peterborough.
 

Bellwater

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There is an hourly EMT service to Nottingham/Norwich which includes Stockport, Sheffield and on some services Peterborough.

Basic calling pattern is Liverpool S Parkway, Widnes, Warrington, Man Ox Road, Man Picc, Stockport, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Alfreton, Nottingham, Grantham, Peterborough, Ely, Thetford and Norwich with additional stops in commuting/last service times.

 

Requeststop

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Manchester was just an example, yeah some changes can include Crewe and Preston. It just seems a shame as Liverpool used to have all these services direct.

There is an hourly EMT service to Nottingham/Norwich which includes Stockport, Sheffield and on some services Peterborough.

By the way - welcome Class 185 - should have said that earlier. In the very old days there were Services from the South West and I think South Coast to Liverpool. If I recall correctly they used to run alternately to Manchester then Liverpool. I do remember in the 70's when I was a student in Bristol going from Temple Meads to Liverpool direct!

Summer weekends there was a run through the Severn tunnel via Hereford/Shrewsbury/Crewe as well - I remember being very excited by by-passing Newport going over Maindee East to Maindee North for the first time.
 
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ivanhoe

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Liverpool got two trains an hour to Brum in lieu of XC and they are quite popular. Simple change at Wolves gives Liverpool opportunities for Bristol and stations via Leamington Spa and Oxford for XC routes. ATW need the Halton Curve to reopen for meaningful services via Southparkway. Overall Liverpool does okay and future changes already mentioned by OP means it will be better served. PS I'm a Scouser , exiled who regularly travels to Liverpool from East Midlands and I think it's well served .
 

tbtc

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Liverpool is in line for some improvements, with the service to Leeds/York increased to half hourly (an hourly extension to Newcastle), plus some portion working to/from Glasgow/Edinburgh (tagged on to the existing Manchester service, once the EMUs are running it).

I would argue (and I have!) that the loss of the Welsh services is the bigger issue (including the old services to Bristol etc via Shrewsbury and the Marches line).
 

Statto

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Think the Liverpool-Stanstead service was split at Birmingham to utilise EMUs rather than DMUs on the Liverpool-Birmingham section as Central Trains[who were the TOC]had to use DMUs on Liverpool-Stanstead to cover the Birmingham-Stanstead section.

10 years ago there was one Monday to Friday service around 5pm from Four Oaks to Liverpool[no return service]the train stopped at a couple of stations[think it was Sutton Coldfield & Aston] before New Street.

I do think there should be a Liverpool-South Wales service via the Marches line, preferably more than the 2 trains a day they used to have, even if it means joining/splitting at Crewe with the Manchester-South Wales service, the problem then if finding the extra units for the service.
 

Eagle

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10 years ago there was one Monday to Friday service around 5pm from Four Oaks to Liverpool[no return service]the train stopped at a couple of stations[think it was Sutton Coldfield & Aston] before New Street.

That sort of thing still happens...

0717 SX Birmingham International to Liverpool
0730 SX Walsall to Liverpool

Both start off as all-stops trains in the West Midlands.



As it stands Liverpool has at least one service each way to and from all of the TPE North termini.
 

tpebpn

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Tpe intend to run direct liverpool to scotland when newton electrified dec 2013 using 350 mk 4s
 

WatcherZero

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Northern will be running an electric Liverpool-Blackpool service alongside the Liverpool-Wigans. Apart from that havent heard any confirmed future Liverpool electric northerly services.
 

anthony263

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Hopefully once ATW get more units and there are available paths on the Marches line perhaps there could be a 2 hourly Cardiff - Liverpool service departing cardiff at 06:20, 08:20 etc in opposite hours to the Cardiff - Holyhead service.

In fact the Cardiff - Liverpool/Holyhead services could be interworked for example: train arrives into Cardiff from Holyhead then forms the next service to Liverpool.
 

ainsworth74

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I thought Glasgow Trains had Liverpool-Glasgow covered for the future.

Erm seeing as they were planning on starting services in 2009 and its now 2012 I think it's safe to say that this particular scheme from Renaissance Trains is dead.
 

tbtc

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Hopefully once ATW get more units and there are available paths on the Marches line perhaps there could be a 2 hourly Cardiff - Liverpool service departing cardiff at 06:20, 08:20 etc in opposite hours to the Cardiff - Holyhead service.

In fact the Cardiff - Liverpool/Holyhead services could be interworked for example: train arrives into Cardiff from Holyhead then forms the next service to Liverpool.

It'd make sense to have a proper half hourly service from Cardiff to Shrewsbury (by slotting in this bi-hourly service that you suggest).

In a fantasy world I'd have an hourly Cardiff - Shrewsbury - Wrexham - Chester - Liverpool service (with an hourly Birmingham - Cambrian service and a half hourly service from Manchester to Llandudno Junction), but that's just me... maybe even throw in some portion working to/from Bristol?
 

MidnightFlyer

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Grand Central started out late, so what's wrong with Glasgow Trains?

Trouble negotiating paths I think was a major sticking point. It seems the last thing anyone heard of them was around 2008, so I am fairly certain it's a dead project now.
 

VTPreston_Tez

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It should be added to Wikipedia, that's where I got info from. I say we ask the DfT about the next move and see who would ever take that line.
 

robertclark125

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Hopefully once ATW get more units and there are available paths on the Marches line perhaps there could be a 2 hourly Cardiff - Liverpool service departing cardiff at 06:20, 08:20 etc in opposite hours to the Cardiff - Holyhead service.

In fact the Cardiff - Liverpool/Holyhead services could be interworked for example: train arrives into Cardiff from Holyhead then forms the next service to Liverpool.

Reminds me of how there used to be the Liverpool Lime Street - Cardiff Central service, hauled by a class 37/4 of Canton depot.
 

swt_passenger

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I thought Glasgow Trains had Liverpool-Glasgow covered for the future.

Glasgow trains is yet another open access proposal from Rennaissance trains that is effectively abandoned. Read the web pages thoroughly and you'll find that their proposals are 'copyright 2009' for a service starting in 2009, yet you won't find an application on the ORR website anywhere.

http://www.renaissancetrains.com/glasgow-trains.html

The same website refers to WSMR in the present tense... :roll:

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

It should be added to Wikipedia, that's where I got info from.

You really need to be much more suspicious of Wiki - many of these sort of proposals never see the light of day, but wiki is rarely corrected subsequently...
 
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Old Yard Dog

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At the moment Liverpool has steady services from the mainline station (usually hourly) to Blackpool North, Man Airport / Victoria, London, Leeds, York, Sheffield etc..., with Birmingham and Wigan servced every half hour and Manchester frequently.

Its nice to hear LM are proposing competition on the Euston run and TPE proposing an additional hourly service to Newcastle come 2014.

Is there a possibility that XC and ATW may operate services in the future to Wales and other parts of the UK? There was also talk not so long ago of a Liverpool - Glasgow/Edinburgh service, do you think Virgin or TPE would ever introduce this? It just seems very annoying to have to change at Manchester to go direct.

What is the future for Liverpool, especially as it is a Network Rail station?

I wish they would introduce a fast through service from Liverpool to Bradford. It would take me 3 and a half hours by rail to do my regular trip from Ellesmere Port to Bradford. I have to go via Lime Street or Chester and the journey involves well over 30 stops. Needless to say I use the M56 and M62 instead which only takes an hour and a quarter.

Sadly decent rail services in this country are reserved for the chosen few cities. Lets hope the Northen hub improves things.
 

Class185

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Thanks for the welcome, never knew this forum existed until a fee days ago.

I'm a scouser too and just think it would be nice if more direct services ran, example to Wales and even Scotland should TPE have the units to do an individual service or split with a Manchester unit.
 

Welshman

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I wish they would introduce a fast through service from Liverpool to Bradford. It would take me 3 and a half hours by rail to do my regular trip from Ellesmere Port to Bradford. I have to go via Lime Street or Chester and the journey involves well over 30 stops. Needless to say I use the M56 and M62 instead which only takes an hour and a quarter.

Sadly decent rail services in this country are reserved for the chosen few cities. Lets hope the Northen hub improves things.

Liverpool used to have a faster service every 2 hours from Liverpool Exchange, through Manchester Victoria and the Calder Valley to Bradford Exchange and Leeds Central. With the introduction of the Cl. 110 dmus in 1962, some were even extended to/from Harrogate! IIRC, they were half-past the even hour between 8.30am and 8.30pm from Liverpool and half past the odd hour from Bradford, and used to take just under two hours for the journey.

That was long before the M62 was even dreamed-of. All gone now, though. Such is progress.

You're right hough. Liverpool and North Wales definitely need faster services through Manchester to West Yorkshire. Much as I would prefer to go by train, I can drive from Rhyl and using the A55, M56 and M62 motorways be on the outskirts of Bradford before my train even reaches Manchester Oxford Rd!
 

D1009

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Liverpool used to have a faster service every 2 hours from Liverpool Exchange, through Manchester Victoria and the Calder Valley to Bradford Exchange and Leeds Central. With the introduction of the Cl. 110 dmus in 1962, some were even extended to/from Harrogate! IIRC, they were half-past the even hour between 8.30am and 8.30pm from Liverpool and half past the odd hour from Bradford, and used to take just under two hours for the journey.

I thought they went from Liverpool Exchange to Newcastle via Harrogate and Ripon ?
 

Old Yard Dog

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Liverpool used to have a faster service every 2 hours from Liverpool Exchange, through Manchester Victoria and the Calder Valley to Bradford Exchange and Leeds Central. Rd!

I remember it well. My parents took me from Bradford Exchange to the Isle of Man via this service and the Liverpool ferry in August 1966. The run to Liverpool took just less than two hours, far quicker than you could do it today. I was allowed to travel back on my own a day early to see Bradford beat Notts County 4-1. Happy days.

I can't remember the exact route from Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Exchange. Did it go via Kirkby or St Helens Jn?

Interestingly there are now no Exchange stations left. Bradford, Liverpool,
Manchester and Wrexham have all disappeared for various reasons.
 

Welshman

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I thought they went from Liverpool Exchange to Newcastle via Harrogate and Ripon ?

No - the trains which went via Harrogate and Ripon to Newcastle were the diesel-hauled [40s, 46s and then 47s] "Trans-Pennine" services from Liverpool Lime St, Manchester [Exchange firstly, then Victoria],then over the Standedge route to Huddersfield and Leeds City. Interestingly, they then went via Wetherby to Harrogate to avoid reversal at City station.

These services, introduced in 1961, were part of the rejuvenated "Trans-Pennine" route, which also saw the introduction of the 6-car Swindon-built "Trans-Pennine" dmus on the Liverpool Lime St-Hull workings.

The Liverpool Exchange-Harrogate via the Calder Valley dmus were introduced a year later in 1962, and originally used Leeds Central station. They were, in fact, an extension of the exisiting Bradford Exchange-Leeds Central-Harrogate service. When Central was closed in 1967 and services diverted to Leeds City, through running to Harrogate ceased.

Interestingly, though, there was one through service from Liverpool Exchange to Newcastle, but that went via the old L & Y through the Calder Valley to Sowerby Bridge, then Brighouse, Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, Normanton and Castleford to York, but it was terminated at York when the dmus took over in 1962.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I remember it well. My parents took me from Bradford Exchange to the Isle of Man via this service and the Liverpool ferry in August 1966. The run to Liverpool took just less than two hours, far quicker than you could do it today. I was allowed to travel back on my own a day early to see Bradford beat Notts County 4-1. Happy days.

I can't remember the exact route from Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Exchange. Did it go via Kirkby or St Helens Jn?

Interestingly there are now no Exchange stations left. Bradford, Liverpool,
Manchester and Wrexham have all disappeared for various reasons.

It used what was the old L & Y Railway - ie through Pendleton Broad St, over the Brindle Heath flyover, then Swinton, Walkden, Wigan Wallgate, Kirkby into Liverpool Exchange. One train per day used the Pemberton loop to by-pass Wigan. Although it was the longest of the three routes from Manchester to Liverpool, some creditable timings were achieved [50 minutes or so with the Wigan stop, 45 or so direct via the Pemberton loop].
 
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