Hazel grove to Northenden Junction?

[Amy Worrall]

I was wondering if anything used the line from Hazel Grove (on the line from Chinley) to Northenden Junction (towards Altrincham)?

I have a vague memory once from when I was at secondary school in the 90s, waiting for a train to Altrincham from Woodsmoor station, but I may be mis-remembering.

 

[northwichcat]

Well it's used by regular freight trains to take limestone from the Derbyshire quarries to Tata Chemicals Europe's chemical works in Winnington, Cheshire but there's no passenger trains other than perhaps an occasional excursion train.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Whilst not answering your main query, when electrification was extended to Hazel Grove in the early 1980's, I am fairly sure that Hazel Grove to Altrincham services stopping services were commenced.

 

[northwichcat]

Whilst not answering your main query, when electrification was extended to Hazel Grove in the early 1980's, I am fairly sure that Hazel Grove to Altrincham services stopping services were commenced.

I think the majority of through services were Wilmslow-Manchester-Sale-Altrincham but there could well have been some Hazel Grove ones.

The 1990s is mentioned in the original post, so unless it would have to be the very early 1990s considering passenger services started to get scaled back on the Sale line in 1989, with Metrolink taking over from 1992 and it wouldn't have been via Northenden unless the original poster travelled in a freight wagon!

 

[Greybeard33]

I think the majority of through services were Wilmslow-Manchester-Sale-Altrincham but there could well have been some Hazel Grove ones.

The 1990s is mentioned in the original post, so unless it would have to be the very early 1990s considering passenger services started to get scaled back on the Sale line in 1989, with Metrolink taking over from 1992 and it wouldn't have been via Northenden unless the original poster travelled in a freight wagon!

The OP mentioned Woodsmoor station, which is on the Stockport to Buxton line not the Cheadle Heath to Chinley line. Therefore any train to Altrincham must have been via Stockport and Oxford Rd not Northenden. There used to be a direct link at Edgeley between the Buxton line and the Stockport to Northenden line, but I do not think this was ever used by scheduled passenger services. Similarly, the chord between the MML from Chinley to Manchester Central and the CLC line from Stockport Tiviot Dale to Northenden was never used by scheduled passenger services.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I have a vague memory once from when I was at secondary school in the 90s, waiting for a train to Altrincham from Woodsmoor station, but I may be mis-remembering.

This is why I mentioned the 1980's Hazel Grove to Altrincham service on the then newly electrified line from Hazel Grove.

 

[Philip C]

There used to be a direct link at Edgeley between the Buxton line and the Stockport to Northenden line, but I do not think this was ever used by scheduled passenger services. Similarly, the chord between the MML from Chinley to Manchester Central and the CLC line from Stockport Tiviot Dale to Northenden was never used by scheduled passenger services.

Never is a big word!

My 1967/68 London Midland Timetable (Tables 115 & 75) shows a 0935 Sheffield Mid to Llandudno Summer Sats service calling at Cheadle Heath at 1046 and next at Prestatyn at 1238. There is a return working. I had always assumed that these would have run via the South to West chord at Cheadle Heath and then, presumably Warrington Arpley. As for direct trains from Davenport to Cheadle Village Junction I have no recollection.

In Winter 87/88 the basic quarter hourly service from Altrincham comprised xx05 to Crewe via Stockport; xx20 to Hazel Grove; xx35 to Alderley Edge via Stockport and xx50 to Alderley Edge via Styal. An extra Oxford Road to Alderley Edge via Styal train and an all stations Piccadilly to Buxton service completed the basic pattern. Unlike more recent times trains were evenly spaced around the hour - thus trains left Piccadilly for Hazel Grove at xx15 & xx45; for Alderley Edge via Styal at xx17 & xx47; for Alderley Edge via Stockport at xx00 & xx30.

 

[northwichcat]

In Winter 87/88 the basic quarter hourly service from Altrincham comprised xx05 to Crewe via Stockport; xx20 to Hazel Grove; xx35 to Alderley Edge via Stockport and xx50 to Alderley Edge via Styal. An extra Oxford Road to Alderley Edge via Styal train and an all stations Piccadilly to Buxton service completed the basic pattern. Unlike more recent times trains were evenly spaced around the hour - thus trains left Piccadilly for Hazel Grove at xx15 & xx45; for Alderley Edge via Styal at xx17 & xx47; for Alderley Edge via Stockport at xx00 & xx30.

The extra Manchester-London services introduced under Virgin, alongside TPE services being diverted to Piccadilly and Mid-Cheshire services being diverted via Stockport due to Metrolink conversion of the Sale line will have all contributed to making a clock face pattern less practical.

 

[Leslie Fletcher]

Never is a big word!

My 1967/68 London Midland Timetable (Tables 115 & 75) shows a 0935 Sheffield Mid to Llandudno Summer Sats service calling at Cheadle Heath at 1046 and next at Prestatyn at 1238. There is a return working. I had always assumed that these would have run via the South to West chord at Cheadle Heath and then, presumably Warrington Arpley. As for direct trains from Davenport to Cheadle Village Junction I have no recollection.

These summer-Saturday-only trains had run for many years - I recall family holidays on the Lleyn in the 1950s which began with a through train from Chinley to Pwllheli via the North Wales coast. Because of the slowness of the journey and what seemed to be interminable waits at passing points beyond Caernarfon, the junction at which the train reversed became known to us as "if an' when"!

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

In Winter 87/88 the basic quarter hourly service from Altrincham comprised xx05 to Crewe via Stockport; xx20 to Hazel Grove; xx35 to Alderley Edge via Stockport and xx50 to Alderley Edge via Styal.

Thank you for this information. My memory now feels vindicated...

 

[Greybeard33]

Never is a big word!

My 1967/68 London Midland Timetable (Tables 115 & 75) shows a 0935 Sheffield Mid to Llandudno Summer Sats service calling at Cheadle Heath at 1046 and next at Prestatyn at 1238. There is a return working. I had always assumed that these would have run via the South to West chord at Cheadle Heath and then, presumably Warrington Arpley.

Thanks for the correction! At that time, I believe that Mickle Trafford Junction had not yet been reconfigured to allow direct running from the Mid Cheshire line into Chester General, so a routing via Altrincham would have required a reversal at Mickle Trafford, making the Warrington Arpley route preferable.

AFAIK there were never any local services between Cheadle Heath and Altrincham.