Large white elephant spotted near Wigan

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Like many have said, the problem isn't between Leigh and Walkden where the're building the busway, it's between Walkden and the Crescent (and even more so on the A6 into Manchester now it's ruined!) You could add bus lanes if you wanted, but like I said before, this would mean stealing a lane and making traffic worse, there are a lot of bridges and sections that cannot be widened.

TfGM have now published an A4 size 4 p.p. leaflet on the project dated December 2011 called "Improving bus connections between Leigh, Salford and Manchester", in which the route map is spread across the centre pages.

There is now a specific address of:-

TfGM Busway
Corporate Communications
FREEPOST RRHE-RKUU-KSJY
Manchester
M1 3BG

Alternatively, visit the website at.....www.tfgm.com/busway.

 

[radamfi]

The lack of long-term success of the 400 Trans-Lancs Express bus needs to be contemplated by those favouring the Leigh busway project. Whilst buses serve a very useful purpose for within-town transport, the sad fact is that not many people will use buses in preference to their cars, especially for the longer inter-town services. However, given a good, fairly fast rail (or tram) service, sizeable numbers of people may be willing to leave the car at home (or at a park & ride station) and use the train.

The 400 wasn't a BRT service. It enjoyed virtually no bus priority and so it was horrendously unreliable, even in the 80s when I used it the most. The difference is that (hopefully) the Leigh to Manchester corridor will be quick and reliable due to the comprehensive bus priority.

 

[snail]

Does nobody use the bus to get from Leigh to Manchester currently? Comparing a direct service to one that connected outlying towns (poorly) is hardly like for like.

 

[radamfi]

Of course, some people currently use the bus from Leigh to Manchester but they encounter delays and unreliable journeys. The busway is about intermediate points though.

 

[Bevan Price]

Does nobody use the bus to get from Leigh to Manchester currently? Comparing a direct service to one that connected outlying towns (poorly) is hardly like for like.

Some people use the buses, but only enough for an hourly daytime service on the faster X34 bus (plus a few peak hour extras) - but with no evening or Sunday service. There are less direct services (12 and 26), probably more use for travel between intermediate points, rather than the full route from Leigh to Manchester. The booked journey time from Leigh to Manchester on the X34 is typically 54 ** minutes (off-peak), increased to as much as 82 minutes at peak hours, most of the added time being at the Salford / Manchester end of the route - the bit not on the proposed busway. (** - add 10 or so minutes extra for journey times on the 26)

In theory, it ought to be feasible to get (off-peak) bus journey times as low as 40 minutes, if buses ran from Leigh via the A572 to Worsley, then the M60 / M602 to Manchester, but presumably it is thought that there are insufficient passengers wanting such as service. Part of this route is served by the SLT service 126, allowed 25 minutes from Leigh to the Trafford Centre (but again just hourly, daytime only)

 

[radamfi]

most of the added time being at the Salford / Manchester end of the route - the bit not on the proposed busway. (** - add 10 or so minutes extra for journey times on the 26)

I thought there were going to be near continuous bus lanes on the approach to the city centre as part of the Cross City bus scheme. So the two schemes (Leigh busway + Cross City) together cover the whole route from Leigh to the city centre (and beyond to south Manchester and up to Middleton).

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I still remember the days of the number 34 leaving Manchester Arndale bus station and going via Leigh to Liverpool.

 

[185]

Some people use the buses, but only enough for an hourly daytime service on the faster X34 bus (plus a few peak hour extras) - but with no evening or Sunday service. There are less direct services (12 and 26), probably more use for travel between intermediate points, rather than the full route from Leigh to Manchester. The booked journey time from Leigh to Manchester on the X34 is typically 54 ** minutes (off-peak), increased to as much as 82 minutes at peak hours, most of the added time being at the Salford / Manchester end of the route - the bit not on the proposed busway. (** - add 10 or so minutes extra for journey times on the 26)

I beat the tea-time X34 Express from Deansgate to Astley (Just east of Leigh) on a mountain bike. Hardly express on the A580 road section.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

More years ago than I really care to remember, there was a service 39 which departed from a roadway under the railway lines opposite to Salford bus station which went to Liverpool as an "all-stops" service, but I am unsure if the route passed through Leigh.

Anyone with any information as to who operated this service and its route.

 

[snail]

Anyone with any information as to who operated this service and its route.

Lancashire United, not to be confused with the current Transdev operation. It was the largest independent operator in Britain in its day.

I'm told the 39 went through Tyldesley and Atherton then down to Lowton, avoiding Leigh town centre. The main Manchester-Leigh service was the 26.

 

[radamfi]

Here's a couple of pics I found of the 39:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7541633@N08/2853608507/

http://christopher-leach-photography.blogspot.com/2007/07/once-this-lancashire-was-lancashire.html

By the time of these photos, LUT had been taken over by Greater Manchester Transport. On the first photo, if you look carefully at the the logo on the bus, you can see it had the GMPTE logo, but with 'Lancashire United Transport' branding, so it was still a separate subsidiary within GMT at this time. The second photo has a more modern destination blind, and is A-reg, so that was taken after the full absorption of LUT within GMT.

 

[185]

Unlike the stupid 'X'34, at least the real GM Express 34 Liverpool-St.H-Newton-Leigh-Manchester up to 1998 was a true express doing Liverpool Manchester in 1hr 50, with comfortable deckers. Youre lucky if you get to Leigh in that time now.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I notice that a final single line statement has been added by TfGM to the Leigh Guided Busway statement.......


"The Busway is scheduled to become operational in Late 2014".

 

[Nym]

I notice that a final single line statement has been added by TfGM to the Leigh Guided Busway statement.......


"The Busway is scheduled to become operational in Late 2014".

Oh Paul, thats cheered me up, TfGM do come up with some good jokes, next they'll be telling us that Metrolink will open on time!

 

[Bevan Price]

Lancashire United, not to be confused with the current Transdev operation. It was the largest independent operator in Britain in its day.

I'm told the 39 went through Tyldesley and Atherton then down to Lowton, avoiding Leigh town centre. The main Manchester-Leigh service was the 26.

No, the original 39 ran via Leigh town centre. For many years, it was Liverpool - Prescot - St. Helens - Newton Le Willows - Lowton - Leigh - Tyldesley - Salford (Greengate), although described as "Manchester" on destination blinds and in timetables. Limited stop, mostly hourly between Liverpool & Leigh, with alternate journeys (every 2 hours) continuing to Manchester. In earlier years, it omitted the Earlestown centre. Nominally there were joint operators (Salford, Leigh & St. Helens corporations + Ribble), but all journeys were worked from LUT's garage at Howe Bridge (Atherton). There were later variations after deregulation, leading to the X34 then eventual withdrawal.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

No, the original 39 ran via Leigh town centre. For many years, it was Liverpool - Prescot - St. Helens - Newton Le Willows - Lowton - Leigh - Tyldesley - Salford (Greengate), although described as "Manchester" on destination blinds and in timetables. Limited stop, mostly hourly between Liverpool & Leigh, with alternate journeys (every 2 hours) continuing to Manchester. In earlier years, it omitted the Earlestown centre. Nominally there were joint operators (Salford, Leigh & St. Helens corporations + Ribble), but all journeys were worked from LUT's garage at Howe Bridge (Atherton). There were later variations after deregulation, leading to the X34 then eventual withdrawal.

Thank you for this detailed itinerary. As I said, it was more years than I care to remember, standing in a queue under those railway arches at Salford Greengate for the 39, which I used to go to St Helens to a factory for a week of visits in the area.
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LEIGH GUIDED BUSWAY....AN UPDATE


Information from TfGM states that they are commencing site clearance works this week. These will take place along the route of the old railway line from East Bond Street in Leigh to New Earth Road in Ellenbrook. The works are expected to take approximately two months for completion. All tree clearance will be carried out in accordance with recommendations from environmental specialists.

The matter that the ecologists reported to TfGM appertaining to the great crested newts has been addressed and the newts have been relocated to a purpose-built pond in an adjacent field to ensure that they are not affected by these works.

TfGM wrote a letter dated 12th December 2011 to all residents and other parties who are concerned by these works. At the end of this letter, it states that the building of the guided section will take place during 2013 and 2014 with the Busway scheduled to be operational in late 2014.

There is a new telephone number for matters concerning the Leigh Guided Busway scheme which is 0300 123 1177 that is open during office hours.