Northern timetable changes May 2019

[agbrs_Jack]

What happened to the Sunday Stoke-Blackpool service? Can't seem to bring it up on any site.

Northern have said that the Stoke Sunday service will remain the same level until at least December...

Well overdue now and certainly will be by December. Really not good.

 

[SteveyBee131]

Now Streethouse and Featherstone have a Sunday service, what Northern routes still don't have (or plan to have) a Sunday service? Chathill-Newcastle and the Scunthorpe-Donny stopper spring to mind.

The Barton-upon-Humber line is another. It has a Sunday service of four trains each way for a few weeks in the summer. The rest of the year, it has nothing.

 

[Kite159]

Now Streethouse and Featherstone have a Sunday service, what Northern routes still don't have (or plan to have) a Sunday service? Chathill-Newcastle and the Scunthorpe-Donny stopper spring to mind.

Knottingley - Goole?

Preston - Ormskirk?

 

[Mathew S]

Now Streethouse and Featherstone have a Sunday service, what Northern routes still don't have (or plan to have) a Sunday service? Chathill-Newcastle and the Scunthorpe-Donny stopper spring to mind.

Wigan to Kirkby, no Sunday service at all.

 

[faltskog36abba]

Wigan to Kirkby, no Sunday service at all.

Stations on the Bolton line between Salford crescent and Bolton didn't have a Sunday service the last time I travelled that way. However after just checking - Northern are planning to stop at these stations from may.

 

[davehsug]

Northern have said that the Stoke Sunday service will remain the same level until at least December...

Well overdue now and certainly will be by December. Really not good.

Sad. I'd hoped to ride on a direct service for the first time since the mid 70s, when a Crewe-Blackpool used to be extended to Stoke on a couple of illuminations Saturdays. It used to arrive back well after 1 am, having to get to Stoke via Stafford! I know there's the daily early morning service, I'll probably give it a go one day when I'm off, just because I can!

 

[D Almond]

The new Northern Timetables are now on the Web site - under the stations. Looks like there are quite a few changes for those travelling between the Fylde stations (Blackpool, Poulton and Kirkham) via Preston to Manchester stations. The current trains which started at Buckshaw Parkway have vanished and the old Blackpool North to Manchester Victoria (06:34) now starts at Preston. The only 06:00 - 07:00 train for the Fylde is from Blackpool North to Hazel Grove. Similiar kinds of changes on the route the other way. This is going to require some familiarisation. I thought this was supposed to be an improved service ? Shame also that the Manchester Vic - Salford route now has no direct link to the Fylde stations on weekdays.

 

[scrapy]

Stations on the Bolton line between Salford crescent and Bolton didn't have a Sunday service the last time I travelled that way. However after just checking - Northern are planning to stop at these stations from may.

Where have you got this information? There are no trains showing in National Rail app stopping at any of the stations between Bolton and Salford Crescent on the first 2 Sundays of the new timetable.

 

[faltskog36abba]

Where have you got this information? There are no trains showing in National Rail app stopping at any of the stations between Bolton and Salford Crescent on the first 2 Sundays of the new timetable.

I got the information from Kearsley station Wikipedia page, It says there are no Sunday services at present. But from may 2019 northern plan to have the-Stalybridge-Wigan north western as a Sunday service too, Whether this will happen I don't know - I hope so as its my nearest heavy rail line.

 

[Glenn1969]

There is no Sunday service from Kearsley showing on RTT

 

[Andy Walker]

The new Northern Timetables are now on the Web site - under the stations. Looks like there are quite a few changes for those travelling between the Fylde stations (Blackpool, Poulton and Kirkham) via Preston to Manchester stations. The current trains which started at Buckshaw Parkway have vanished and the old Blackpool North to Manchester Victoria (06:34) now starts at Preston. The only 06:00 - 07:00 train for the Fylde is from Blackpool North to Hazel Grove. Similiar kinds of changes on the route the other way. This is going to require some familiarisation. I thought this was supposed to be an improved service ? Shame also that the Manchester Vic - Salford route now has no direct link to the Fylde stations on weekdays.

Somehow Kirkham seems to be worse off in the evenings. Unless there are more carriages this may be a very congested route at rush hour, with all trains now going via the Bolton corridor

 

[PR1Berske]

Very disappointing news from the Fylde. All that disruption, closure, bus replacements and for what? A like-for-like reduction in services.

 

[Glenn1969]

Between 5.50 and 7am there are trains at 5.56(to MIA), 6.03(to Liverpool), 6.20 (to Leeds and York via Burnley), 6.32 (to Hazel Grove) and 6.53(to MIA)

I do think Blackpool might deserve a bit more than 4tph at least to Preston

 

[faltskog36abba]

There is no Sunday service from Kearsley showing on RTT

I have checked[ Real train times] myself too and nothing is showing. Salford central now has a Sunday service, and the stations up to Bolton have evening services mon-sat, I am sure I have read elsewhere that those stations will get a Sunday service.

 

[30907]

Between 5.50 and 7am there are trains at 5.56(to MIA), 6.03(to Liverpool), 6.20 (to Leeds and York via Burnley), 6.32 (to Hazel Grove) and 6.53(to MIA)

I do think Blackpool might deserve a bit more than 4tph at least to Preston

Seems the same frequency as now, just altered times.

 

[johntea]

Looks like Castleford to Huddersfield direct is in the May timetable, calling points Normanton, Kirkgate, Mirfield, Deighton

That generally runs around :56 in the timetable from Castleford (weekdays anyway). Going to be quite tight considering the :50 to Sheffield also still calls at Normanton and Kirkgate surely?!

 

[adrock1976]

Looks like Castleford to Huddersfield direct is in the May timetable, calling points Normanton, Kirkgate, Mirfield, Deighton

That generally runs around :56 in the timetable from Castleford (weekdays anyway). Going to be quite tight considering the :50 to Sheffield also still calls at Normanton and Kirkgate surely?!

That is not really going to encourage people to leave cars at home and use public transport as for some strange reason it is a very lopsided timetable.

Ideally, the Huddersfield departures would be better leaving Castleford at xx:20 so as to provide a combined frequency of every 30 minutes between Castleford and Wakefield Kirkgate.

Better still, the Huddersfield - Castleford could be extended every 2 hours to York, calling Sherburn-in-Elmet, Church Fenton, and Ulleskelf.

 

[Peter A]

Does anybody happen to know why it was chosen that the Leeds-Chester service would operate via Bradford and the Leeds-Southport service would operate via Dewsbury? The original franchise specification seemed to imply that although both services had to run via the Calder valley, it was up to Northern to decide which route they took to Leeds.

 

[Harvey B]

Does anybody happen to know why it was chosen that the Leeds-Chester service would operate via Bradford and the Leeds-Southport service would operate via Dewsbury? The original franchise specification seemed to imply that although both services had to run via the Calder valley, it was up to Northern to decide which route they took to Leeds.

Well both stations are on the Calder valley line. This principal is similar to the trains that run between Leeds to Blackpool North (currently Preston) trains and the Leeds to Manchester Victoria trains, both service are run via the Calder valley line but both take a different route to get onto that line.
e.g:
Preston/Blackpool North trains go via Bradford interchange while Manchester Victoria trains go via Dewsbury (even though some might go via bradford interchange too)
Other than the different routes to get onto the Calder valley line, i'm not sure why Northern are running the Chester service one way and the Southport service another way.
Hope this clears everything up

 

[scrapy]

Does anybody happen to know why it was chosen that the Leeds-Chester service would operate via Bradford and the Leeds-Southport service would operate via Dewsbury? The original franchise specification seemed to imply that although both services had to run via the Calder valley, it was up to Northern to decide which route they took to Leeds.

Probably due to pathing constraints rather than any grand plan.

 

[AWK]

That is not really going to encourage people to leave cars at home and use public transport as for some strange reason it is a very lopsided timetable.

Ideally, the Huddersfield departures would be better leaving Castleford at xx:20 so as to provide a combined frequency of every 30 minutes between Castleford and Wakefield Kirkgate.

Better still, the Huddersfield - Castleford could be extended every 2 hours to York, calling Sherburn-in-Elmet, Church Fenton, and Ulleskelf.

I wondered if it was worthwhile extending to Huddersfield to Castleford to Pontefract Monkhill - will provide a direct service from Wakefield/Normanton (and beyond) to Glasshoughton and the very popular Xscape/Freeport, plus providing a half-hourly service to there from Pontefract and Castleford. Would also mean the return from Castleford to Huddersfield runs a little later, putting it a bit further behind the LDS > CFD > SHF service?

 

[Peter A]

Well both stations are on the Calder valley line. This principal is similar to the trains that run between Leeds to Blackpool North (currently Preston) trains and the Leeds to Manchester Victoria trains, both service are run via the Calder valley line but both take a different route to get onto that line.
e.g:
Preston/Blackpool North trains go via Bradford interchange while Manchester Victoria trains go via Dewsbury (even though some might go via bradford interchange too)
Other than the different routes to get onto the Calder valley line, i'm not sure why Northern are running the Chester service one way and the Southport service another way.
Hope this clears everything up

I mean you basically just recited all the information I already knew and told me you didn't know either but thanks for trying haha

Probably due to pathing constraints rather than any grand plan.

Yeah, in hindsight that would be a logical explanation, cheers!

 

[Ianno87]

Probably due to pathing constraints rather than any grand plan.

More likely to have worked out the most economically in use of trains and/or crew.

 

[OrangeJuice]

One quirk I have noticed in the timetable from May is the 07:50 from Manchester Airport to Liverpool Lime Street via Warrington Central has been moved to start from Wilmslow at 07:48.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y67464/2019/05/27/advanced

However as such it has also been removed from timetable 21 so the 7:50 now shows as Saturday's only giving the perception that East Didsbury and Mauldeth Road will lose one of their peak time trains (if commuters only look at that summary timetable).
I'm assuming that the reason for the change will either be pathing or platform occupation at the airport.
Is this just Northern deciding that as the service doesn't start from the Airport like every other one it can't go in the summary timetable?

 

[Glenn1969]

There is also a new 2215 Blackpool North to Leeds train in the new table. This train runs non stop Blackpool to Preston and Hebden Bridge to Leeds runs non stop via Mirfield. Hope anyone catching it wanting Halifax or Bradford realises they have to change to the last MCV- Leeds train at Hebden Bridge!

 

[Kieran1990]

With the changes and certain enhancements
Man Vic- Chester
Increased Man Apt- Cumbria services
Extra’s on the Harrogate
Lincolnshire changes etc....
And with Class 195’s & Class 331’s delayed does Northern have the rolling stock to deliver?

 

[AMD]

With the changes and certain enhancements
Man Vic- Chester
Increased Man Apt- Cumbria services

A number of the MIA - BIF services will be pulled from the timetable because there is not enough units.

 

[Glenn1969]

They are only running 6trains BIF to MIA from May- 0548, 0647, 0846, 1143, 1443, 1943- but the timetable is being reissued at the end of June. Other Barrow services will terminate at Lancaster

 

[Mathew S]

A number of the MIA - BIF services will be pulled from the timetable because there is not enough units.

Do you mean in addition to the ones that are already terminating at Preston until July?

 

[Chester1]

With the changes and certain enhancements
Man Vic- Chester
Increased Man Apt- Cumbria services
Extra’s on the Harrogate
Lincolnshire changes etc....
And with Class 195’s & Class 331’s delayed does Northern have the rolling stock to deliver?

EMUs between Manchester and Preston frees up 10 DMUs (Pacers and 150s). They have received a large number of cascaded units since December too. I think the Chester extension requires two extra units and the Cumbrian one (3 X 158s?). If the refurbishments have been timed with this in mind then it should be fine.