Lancaster to Stoke-on-Trent on a strike day, 30.9.2023

[weepingwillowb]

The National Rail Enquiries website is showing Northern trains running from Manchester Piccadilly to Stoke that day at 12.45 and 13.46. How likely are they to actually run?

I've got a schedule worked out for getting from Lancaster to Stoke on the 30th on regular bus services - Lancaster to Preston - Blackburn - Accrington - Manchester - Stockport - Buxton - Hanley, and can get to Hanley at 16.05, all being well, but I'm wondering if there might be a possiblity of going by train from Piccadilly to Stoke, Crewe or Stafford (there are buses from both Crewe and Stafford to Hanley). Not having attempted to travel on a strike day before, I've no idea if any trains have been running during the current dispute.

 

[rg177]

Northern don't go to Stoke on strike days, and they don't run any trains at all on ASLEF strike days.

If TfW run services (they're unaffected by strikes) then you could do Piccadilly to Crewe.

 

[Kite159]

As the 30th Sept is a driver strike day, hardly any (if any at all) Avanti/Northern services will run. I suspect those services haven't been deleted yet

I would agree with @rg177 if you can reach Manchester by bus, it might be better to use TfW to Crewe then board the Hanley bus from Crewe [from memory the stop is just outside the railway station, next to the former Best Western]

Alternatively, you could do something like:
Lancaster - Preston - Southport/Liverpool by bus, then Merseyrail to Chester for TfW to Crewe for the bus to Hanley.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Thank you both. If TfW does run to Crewe, then that will be perfect. Looking at the bus timetables I'm quite taken aback at how poor the bus services have become since I left North Staffs about 11 years ago. Buses from Crewe to Hanley (First Bus) now only operate Monday-Friday, so I'll have to go from Crewe to Newcastle (D&G) on the Saturday. No Sunday service any more - there used to be an hourly Sunday bus service to Crewe when I lived down there.

I'm hoping for a Sunday train from Stoke to Preston, but can leave that until the day. Otherwise it will be Hanley to Buxton by bus, and then another six buses to get home, unless there's something going north from Manchester by early Sunday afternoon. Ah well, better than sitting at home twiddling my thumbs.

 

[Kite159]

Not sure where you are getting Crewe - Hanley as weekdays only. Saturdays is half hourly with the last route 3 departing Crewe at 18:41 (arrival into Hanley Bus Station at 19:50). Sundays is still hourly

(https://bustimes.org/services/3-hanley-tunstall-kidsgrove-alsager-crewe?date=2023-09-30 & https://www.firstbus.co.uk/potteries/plan-journey/timetables?service=3/3A&day=sa&date=2023-09-24

 

[weepingwillowb]

Not sure where you are getting Crewe - Hanley as weekdays only. Saturdays is half hourly with the last route 3 departing Crewe at 18:41 (arrival into Hanley Bus Station at 19:50). Sundays is still hourly

(https://bustimes.org/services/3-hanley-tunstall-kidsgrove-alsager-crewe?date=2023-09-30 & https://www.firstbus.co.uk/potteries/plan-journey/timetables?service=3/3A&day=sa&date=2023-09-24

Thank you very much. I didn't see the option to change the service days at the bottom of the page - every other bus timetable I can remember looking at online has had that option at the top of the page. I'll blame my learning difficulty for missing it.

 

[weepingwillowb]

....Update - it went pretty smoothly yesterday. In the end I went Lancaster - Preston - Bolton- Manchester, which took almost 4 hours 30 minutes. The new Bolton Interchange bus station (opened 3rd September) didn't seem to be running 100% smoothly—buses departing late—despite there being staff present who appeared to be monitoring departures, and the driver of the service I was on took the wrong road while leaving the town, local passengers on the bus having to give directions to get the bus back on the correct route. This meant I got to Piccadilly Gardens late, at 11.13, and had to rush to get to Piccadilly station for the 11.30 train to Crewe (operated by Transport For Wales)—this was scheduled to go to Carmarthen, but it was announced that it would be a bus service from Shrewsbury because of staff shortage.
....When I got to Piccadilly station, none of the ticket machines could be used, and anyone requiring a ticket was directed to the Ticket Office, soit was just as well that it was still open. Got my ticket at 11.26, and made if safely to the train. I'd noticed that there was also a train from Manchester Piccadilly to Huddersfield. Crossed the road outside Crewe rail station for the bus to Hanley, and got there at 13.22—6 hours 37 minutes after leaving Lancaster.
....Coming back today was a doddle—bus to Crewe, then a direct service to Preston, and a bus to Lancaster, 4 hours 15 minutes.

 

[keppoch69]

Good to hear that you made it both ways.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Good to hear that you made it both ways.

When I was travelling on the bus to Crewe this morning my intention was to do Saturday's journey in reverse, i.e. Manchester to Lancaster by bus, but when I got to Crewe rail station and saw there was a direct train to Preston in 30 or so minutes time, I bottled it and took the easy option. At least I now know it can be done if the necessity comes up again (the only reason I went to Stoke was to see a band playing).