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Manchester Metrolink master thread

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snowball

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Have any official statements been made as how only two heavy-rail platforms at Manchester Airport railway station will operationally handle the rail services during this six-week period.

Will certain services both start and finish at other railway stations ?

Just guessing, I have no inside knowledge. A lot of doubling up happens at the airport station, two 3- or 4-car trains on one platform. Is there capacity to do even more of it for six weeks?
 
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gnolife

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Having flicked through the timetable, I've found that, with p
XX:47 from Scotland forms XX:00 to Scotland (2A)
XX:53 from Southport forms XX:03 to Southport (3B)
XX:42 from Newcastle forms XX:06 to Newcastle (3A)
XX:07 from Piccadilly forms XX:11 to Crewe (1A)
XX:04 from Crewe forms XX:17 to Piccadilly (2A)
XX:17 from Blackpool forms XX:29 to Blackpool (3B)
XX:12 from Middlesbrough forms XX:35 to Middlesbrough (3A)
XX:22 from Liverpool forms XX:41 to Liverpool (2A)
XX:38 from Piccadilly forms XX:46 to Piccadilly (1B)
XX:24 from Cleethorpes forms XX:55 to Cleethorpes (1A)

That Cleethorpes service is quite a capacity hog. If that was terminated at Piccadilly, then in theory you could have

XX:47 from Scotland forming XX:00 to Scotland in 2A
XX:53 from Southport forming XX:03 to Southport in 1B
XX:42 from Newcastle forming XX:06 to Newcastle in 1A
XX:07 from Manchester forming XX:11 to Crewe in 2B
XX:04 from Crewe forming XX:17 to Manchester in 2A
XX:17 from Blackpool forming XX:29 to Blackpool in 1B
XX:12 from Middlesbrough forming XX:35 to Middlesbrough in 1A
XX:22 from Liverpool forming XX:41 to Liverpool in 2A
XX:38 from Manchester forming XX:46 to Manchester in 1A.
 

Xenophon PCDGS

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Having flicked through the timetable, I've found that, with p
XX:47 from Scotland forms XX:00 to Scotland (2A)
XX:53 from Southport forms XX:03 to Southport (3B)
XX:42 from Newcastle forms XX:06 to Newcastle (3A)
XX:07 from Piccadilly forms XX:11 to Crewe (1A)
XX:04 from Crewe forms XX:17 to Piccadilly (2A)
XX:17 from Blackpool forms XX:29 to Blackpool (3B)
XX:12 from Middlesbrough forms XX:35 to Middlesbrough (3A)
XX:22 from Liverpool forms XX:41 to Liverpool (2A)
XX:38 from Piccadilly forms XX:46 to Piccadilly (1B)
XX:24 from Cleethorpes forms XX:55 to Cleethorpes (1A)

That Cleethorpes service is quite a capacity hog. If that was terminated at Piccadilly, then in theory you could have

XX:47 from Scotland forming XX:00 to Scotland in 2A
XX:53 from Southport forming XX:03 to Southport in 1B
XX:42 from Newcastle forming XX:06 to Newcastle in 1A
XX:07 from Manchester forming XX:11 to Crewe in 2B
XX:04 from Crewe forming XX:17 to Manchester in 2A
XX:17 from Blackpool forming XX:29 to Blackpool in 1B
XX:12 from Middlesbrough forming XX:35 to Middlesbrough in 1A
XX:22 from Liverpool forming XX:41 to Liverpool in 2A
XX:38 from Manchester forming XX:46 to Manchester in 1A.

Many thanks for your detailed list above. Indeed, by terminating the Cleethorpes services at Manchester Piccadilly in the low-numbered
e terminal stations 1 to 3 there (similarly to that of the TPE Hull service) for that six week period, subject to operational platform availability, this would remove the throat crossing of the railway station there.

Just a thought.
 

edwin_m

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Middle to high numbered platforms are better for terminating the Cleethorpes at Piccadilly, as there are fewer conflicts to/from the Stockport line.
 

The Snap

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There will only be one Metrolink platform at the Airport Terminus and the majority of the canopy structure has already been erected on that platform. The new NR platform 4 will be just that - platform 4. It will not offer cross-platform interchange with Metrolink initially, and a guardrail will be erected along what would be the front edge of the Metrolink platform, forming a back-of-platform guardrail to platform 4 (hopefully that makes sense!). The track which would become a second platform for Metrolink will simply be used as a head shunt.

Long term, there is potential for the second platform for Metorlink to be made operational, but while a 12 minute service operates, there really isn't much need.
 

Thomas6187

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During the closure of Platform 3 the Cleethorpes-Airport is taking over as the local stopper, which means it lay over at the airport is only 9/10 minutes.
 

Starmill

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During the closure of Platform 3 the Cleethorpes-Airport is taking over as the local stopper, which means it lay over at the airport is only 9/10 minutes.

I think a similar arrangement was organised for a week in summer when the WCML was closed at Wigan and Virgin were running West Mids - Scotland via the Styal line (and presumably Bolton). The Northern Piccadilly - Airport shuttle didn't run and the Cleethorpes trains stopped. I'm sure that they used to stop in one direction back in FNW days too (and perhaps for a while after). Given that this saves Northern an EMU it seems like not a bad idea permanently really. Does it have negative consequences beyond increased MIA - CLE journeytime and 1 fewer fast per hour?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Yes there is enough room but only by making the new platform very narrow. Platform 4's track will be where the old low wall is.

It may help to look at the pictures and discussion on the Metrolink Extension thread at SSC - but they're interspersed among many non-airport-related pages!

Pictures looking east from Outwood Lane now show both walls of Platform 4 under construction. But it's even narrower east of Outwood Lane than west, because its Metrolink platform face does not need to extend that far east. West of Outwood Lane the platform 4 face wall is nearly finished but nothing is yet to be seen of the Metrolink face wall.

Yes indeed. I think I see now :) If I were on the right side of the Pennines I'd get a train down there and have a nosey around :( Unfortunately that will have to wait, and I shall simply thank you kindly for pointing me in the right direction and try to find some time to skim through the SSC Metrolink Extension thread. :D
 
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185143

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I think a similar arrangement was organised for a week in summer when the WCML was closed at Wigan and Virgin were running West Mids - Scotland via the Styal line (and presumably Bolton). The Northern Piccadilly - Airport shuttle didn't run and the Cleethorpes trains stopped. I'm sure that they used to stop in one direction back in FNW days too (and perhaps for a while after). Given that this saves Northern an EMU it seems like not a bad idea permanently really. Does it have negative consequences beyond increased MIA - CLE journeytime and 1 fewer fast per hour?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


Yes indeed. I think I see now :) If I were on the right side of the Pennines I'd get a train down there and have a nosey around :( Unfortunately that will have to wait, and I shall simply thank you kindly for pointing me in the right direction and try to find some time to skim through the SSC Metrolink Extension thread. :D

It was. I boarded a train to the Airport and was totally shocked when I heard the 'This train is for Manchester Airport and will be Calling at Mauldeth Rd, Burnage, E Didsbury, Gately, Heald Green and Manchester Airport'
 

Shrimper

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Yes, there were definitely stoppers from Barrow/Windermere, I remember them being announced at Lancaster when I used to get the train from there for school!

I think there are some late-night TPX trains which call at all stations, as well as a couple of peak morning trains which stop at selected stations on the loop.
 

Starmill

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Yes, there were definitely stoppers from Barrow/Windermere, I remember them being announced at Lancaster when I used to get the train from there for school!

I think there are some late-night TPX trains which call at all stations, as well as a couple of peak morning trains which stop at selected stations on the loop.

Yes there are. Once Northern pack in the Airport stopping shuttle the next two hours have a slightly earlier TPE service to all stations. In the 2200 hour there is only the one train though :(
 

IanXC

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Following feedback from the recent member survey, the forum staff have decided that Light Rail Systems justify multiple threads, rather than the current situation with most discussion in a single thread which many of you told us you find impenetrable.

Going forward we expect to see a range of threads, for example detailing subjects such as day to day running, operating policy, construction progress on new fleets and lines and future proposals for the system.
 
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