Newton-le-Willows "Interchange Scheme"

[po8crg]

Went through NLW station recently and noticed scaffolding up.

Wondering what was being done, and I found this on the Merseytravel site:
https://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/about-us/local-transport-delivery/Pages/Newton-le-Willows.aspx

The Scheme

Newton-le-Willows Interchange is a significant investment at the existing rail station to provide passengers with improved facilities, easier access and better links between local, regional and national transport. It builds on the improvements to services following the electrification of the line between Liverpool and Manchester and the introduction of new trains by Northern.

The Newton-le-Willows Interchange scheme includes:

• New South side entrance
• New ticket office at south entrance (see picture above)
• Bus Interchange adjacent to the new ticket office
• 400+ space car park (including blue badge and wider spaces)
• Electric vehicle charging points
• New toilet facilities
• Improved passenger waiting facilities
• Step free access to and between the platforms via a new subway and lifts
• Increased cycle parking
• Dedicated drop off and pick up area
• Local highways improvements

The development is an example of Merseytravel’s Long Term Rail Strategy being put into action – a 30 year vision to improve connections within the Liverpool City Region and beyond. This, in turn, fits with plans to improve connections across the whole of the north. The scheme also forms part of the wider £340m investment by Network Rail and the Liverpool City Region in rail improvements over the next three years.

The scheme has been funded by the Local Growth Fund and Merseytravel. It is a key project in the Long Term Rail Strategy and Growth Deal for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as well as the St Helens Local Development Framework....

It looks like quite a lot of work being done, and I might pop over one weekend with a camera and see how much I can see of the works underway.

 

[notlob.divad]

As it is supposed to be a proper intergrated public transport interchange, the likes of which we are severly lacking in the UK. I should hope discussion included connections onto local buses.

 

[urbophile]

As an occasional user of that station I wonder how much delayed the project is. It seems to be taking ages. How useful is it going to be unless the train frequency is improved? i don't know what the eventual timetable will be but it used to consist of one fast and one slow train every hour to/from Liverpool, within ten minutes of each other. (Plus the Manchester - North Wales train but that's no help for those travelling from Liverpool.)

 

[po8crg]

The intended timetable will be three Liverpool-Manchester and two Warrington-Manchester trains per hour, ie five to Manchester and three to Liverpool.

It's a pity that the Liverpool - Warrington Bank Quay service can't stop at Newton-le-Willows to provide a fourth service to Liverpool. It stops in Earlestown, but the track layout doesn't permit a stop at Newton. You could run a Liverpool-Wigan service via NLW rather than via SNH, but that would put an extra train onto WCML, which is probably too busy to fit an additional (slow) train.

But I'm mostly interested in the actual physical work being done - I can see a liftshaft. There is apparently a new underpass.

 

[urbophile]

The intended timetable will be three Liverpool-Manchester and two Warrington-Manchester trains per hour, ie five to Manchester and three to Liverpool.

Are they going to be evenly spaced, or with strange gaps to suit the operators rather than the passengers?

 

[Esker-pades]

Are they going to be evenly spaced, or with strange gaps to suit the operators rather than the passengers?

That would be down to timetabling and pathing restrictions not because operators don't like having evenly spaced trains.

 

[urbophile]

Genuine question, but how many trains per hour are there on the Chat Moss line? I can't believe it is all that busy compared to others in the region.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Genuine question, but how many trains per hour are there on the Chat Moss line? I can't believe it is all that busy compared to others in the region.

Varies, on a weekday off-peak it's 7tph each way between Edge Hill and Huyton, 4 between there and Parkside, then 5 as you head through Eccles, plus whatever freight and empties are knocking about. Of course that all then has to feed into Lime St and the various ways into Manchester, which is where the timetabling headaches start.

 

[185]

I think they should, when open, abandon the Lea Green stop on Transpennine and move it to here giving a 30-min service non-stop to Man or Liv.

 

[notlob.divad]

I think they should, when open, abandon the Lea Green stop on Transpennine and move it to here giving a 30-min service non-stop to Man or Liv.

Thankfully that won't be happening. Once Merseytravel get around to doing the sensible things: re-naming Lea Green to St Helens South; improve the waiting facilities, put lifts in instead of the stupid ramps, and expand the car park to a reasonable size, it can become a proper Transport interchange just like what is currently being developed at Newton-Le-Willows.
If it was any other European country there would full connectivity into the Marshell Cross Road Bus stops, with the Bus Lanes extended right into the main town centre bus station, to provide an integrated reliable feeder service.

Newton is already getting the arguably more prestigous Newcastle, rather than Scarborough service, despite the potential catchment area being a fraction of the size of Lea Green site and road access being woeful in comparison.

You could run a Liverpool-Wigan service via NLW rather than via SNH, but that would put an extra train onto WCML, which is probably too busy to fit an additional (slow) train.

Northern run an extra couple of peak time trains a day like that, however it is possible they do it instead of the Warrington Bank Quay service rather than as well as. If Newton-Le-Willows is to get an extra service beyond what is currently planned, my first sugestion has always been a Wigan (Preston if it can fit) to Crewe Stopper, that diverts off the WCML through Newton. It would simultaneously provide a regular link Wigan <> Newton and Warrington <> Acton Bridge/Winsford. However it would require an easement on the Crewe<>Weaver Junction capacity restrictions which are not going to be forthcoming until when/if HS2 finally gets north of Warrington.

 

[TheGrew]

As a daily commuter from Newton-le-Willows I do look forward to the completion of the works which I believe should be done in the next couple of months (it was supposed to be done back in Easter). It is much needed as the station is very popular with people from several local towns that lost their stations under Beeching. TBH the station is also arguably more convenient for some bits of northern Warrington as both stations in the centre lack good parking provision. Round here the choice tends to be Newton or Birchwood. The (newly expanded) car park is full on weekdays with people parking right over on Park Road North, Mercer Street, Birley Street, Willow Road and I suspect on some of the streets off Southworth Road.
As for road access the Parkside development is likely to give a spur off to the M6 and bring additional employment and possibly commuters to the station.

 

[po8crg]

I used to commute daily from Newton-le-Willows to Manchester and I drove from Moss Bank (because there is free parking at NLW and there isn't in Wigan). The expanded car park is a good idea; I ended up parking in the car park on Park Road and then cutting through the woods because there was no parking any closer. If the expanded car park isn't big enough, then they're going to need more parking, because otherwise the local residents are going to get more and more annoyed (and a residents' parking scheme is going to be expensive)

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Varies, on a weekday off-peak it's 7tph each way between Edge Hill and Huyton, 4 between there and Parkside, then 5 as you head through Eccles, plus whatever freight and empties are knocking about. Of course that all then has to feed into Lime St and the various ways into Manchester, which is where the timetabling headaches start.

Plus the Chester services from Earlestown (soon to be 2tph), and the Northern extras via Golborne until Bolton is wired.
Plus Liverpool-Glasgow and Liverpool-Leeds via Calder Valley when they come.

 

[po8crg]

I thought Liverpool-Glasgow was going to go via St Helens Central?

 

[notlob.divad]

I thought Liverpool-Glasgow was going to go via St Helens Central?

It will be. And it is only going to be 3tpd initially.

 

[po8crg]

It will be. And it is only going to be 3tpd initially.

I'm assuming that 1tp2h would be the longer-term target, possibly alternating between Glasgow and Edinburgh (though there will be a direct 1tph Liverpool-Edinburgh via Newcastle, so maybe they'll only do Glasgow via WCML).

 

[notlob.divad]

I used to commute daily from Newton-le-Willows to Manchester and I drove from Moss Bank (because there is free parking at NLW and there isn't in Wigan). The expanded car park is a good idea; I ended up parking in the car park on Park Road and then cutting through the woods because there was no parking any closer. If the expanded car park isn't big enough, then they're going to need more parking, because otherwise the local residents are going to get more and more annoyed (and a residents' parking scheme is going to be expensive)

I would take it as a given that even if the carpark is big enough to begin with, it will soon be overflowing again. Driving into Manchester is bad enough at the best of times, and peak time is horrendous. Add to that the spiralling parking costs and the ever decreasing amounts of central parking available.

Anywhere else in Europe and both Newton and Lea Green would have well timed feeder bus services from across the local area with through ticketing. But in the UK that is only allowed to be implemented properly in London.

 

[po8crg]

I would take it as a given that even if the carpark is big enough to begin with, it will soon be overflowing again. Driving into Manchester is bad enough at the best of times, and peak time is horrendous. Add to that the spiralling parking costs and the ever decreasing amounts of central parking available.

Anywhere else in Europe and both Newton and Lea Green would have well timed feeder bus services from across the local area with through ticketing. But in the UK that is only allowed to be implemented properly in London.

A bus along the East Lancs to connect places like Moss Bank, Carr Mill, Haydock and Laffak into Newton for commuting to Manchester make a big difference, especially a semi-express that had perhaps five or six stops along the way and so didn't take twice as long as driving. Of course, a Carr Mill / Laffak station would also make a big difference (and there's plenty of space for a station and a decent-sized car park where the railway line crosses the Lancs - you'd CPO that motor auction place for parking).

All of that area has bus services to St Helens, which is fine if you work in Liverpool (SNH has a pretty good service now it's electrified), but is no use at all for Manchester (bus to SNH and then change stations in Wigan? No thanks). While there is the 352 to Wigan, it takes a very long slow route through Orrell - it's over an hour from the East Lancs to the stop for the two Wigan stations, which makes for a very early start if you want to commute to Manchester.

Thinking through the other people I used to commute with, the other intervention that would make a difference on the north side of NLW would be to make Rainford station useful. Unless you work right next to Victoria Station, you have to get the 0644 from Rainford to be at work in Manchester for 9am. Unsurprisingly, people either drive to Manchester or drive to a station (usually either NLW or BCB).

Bear in mind that the whole of the area between St Helens, Wigan and Warrington should be full of dual-commuter households (ie one to Liverpool and one to Manchester), but at the moment so many have to drive because the rail links are inadequate (and it's too far for a realistic bus all the way). Unless you live in Birchwood, of course!