TfGM considering Baguley Rail to Metrolink Interchange

[northwichcat]

I've just noticed this:
http://www.wythenshawerailway.blogspot.com/ (update at the bottom)
and this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baguley_station

I was aware that they were planning to reopen Baguley station but I didn't realise the plans were to use common sense and have it as an interchange station with the new Airport Metrolink line.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I have a letter dated 9th October 2008 from the former GMPTE in my possession in answer to a survey that was being carried out by them, amongst which was the suitability of stations in-between Navigation Road and Stockport being put into a forward long-tem planning document called "GM Future Transport Consultation" which involved:-
GMPTE
Greater Manchester Future Transport
Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA)
Ipsos MORI

A brief final paragraph in this letter referred to the single track sectionalisation of areas in the said route together with pathways for existing passenger and freight services, as not being conducive to any such station re-openings. The refuse compaction rail-connected facility in that area was also referred to, with its train movement requirements.

On those points made in that final paragraph, exactly in what terms has any rail related matters on that line changed since this letter was written to me in 2008?

 

[northwichcat]

On those points made in that final paragraph, exactly in what terms has any rail related matters on that line changed since this letter was written to me in 2008?

1. It won't be an reopening of the old Baguley station, it will be a new Baguley station where the heavy rail and light rail lines meet to form an interchange.
2. PTEs and councils are being pushed to make it easier to change between forms of public transport.
3. Cheadle station was previously seen as the more viable option out of Cheadle and Baguley. This seems to have changed with the Airport Metrolink line being approved. Cheadle caused more issues because of the motorway and bridge over the Styal line.
4. Rail passenger numbers have gone up and it is now proposed there will be a half-hourly service between Northwich and Stockport in the near future. In 2007 it was proposed an additional Northwich-Altrincham shuttle could run but Northern objected on the basis of losing ticket revenue as more people would use Metrolink to reach Manchester.
5. A 2009 report in to the reopening of the Middlewich branch line recommended running a Crewe-Middlewich-Northwich/Altrincham service but recommended that GMPTE looked at reopening stations between Altrincham and Stockport to look at the possibly of extending that new service to Stockport.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Thank you for all that information. A thought has occurred to me, on a long-term forward project, with concern to a possible west-east line formation at the proposed new Baguley station area, similar to Heald Green North Junction and Heald Green South Junction on the Styal Line, that would give access from there to Manchester Airport Interchange from both Stockport and from Altrincham directions as part of the through route at Manchester Airport that was originally proposed to come from the Mobberley direction. (This I am informed is only "mothballed" as an idea).

This, of course, would require the doubling of the line and new signalling requirements and evaluation of trackwork matters from Navigation Road through to Altrincham, noting the requirements of the Manchester Metrolink system.

Nym has not the sole rights to "what might be" new train routes..

 

[northwichcat]

as part of the through route at Manchester Airport that was originally proposed to come from the Mobberley direction. (This I am informed is only "mothballed" as an idea).

While for myself and other people living in the same area of Cheshire the benefits of a Mobberley-Airport link would be faster services to Manchester and a direct Airport link those are not the reasons Network Rail might build it.

From their prospective the Manchester Hub plans are set to see 10tph between Piccadilly and the Airport (8 express, 2 stopping.) Now as you can imagine that will mean it'll be virtually impossible to add in an extra services through Gatley afterwards.

Therefore Network Rail see building an extension to the Airport spur as allowing certain destinations to access the Airport from the West. So for instance, post-Manchester Hub we are likely to have one Chester-Warrington-Manchester Airport DMU service and one Southport-Manchester Airport DMU service, so with the spur linked to the Mid-Cheshire line you can have a Chester-Northwich-Manchester Airport-Southport DMU service and create a new path through Gatley.

 

[Nym]

Nym has not the sole rights to "what might be" new train routes..

It would be a nice idea...

And I'm not typing lots because I'm on a screen the size of a postage stamp in a hotel at the moment, hence not posting every other minute

 

[WatcherZero]

I thought the idea of the western airport link still remained fully aspirational as it would cost a fair whack and there were concerns with the junctioning.

 

[northwichcat]

I thought the idea of the western airport link still remained fully aspirational as it would cost a fair whack and there were concerns with the junctioning.

Network Rail still have it down as a possible scheme for the 2019-2024 CP. Due to the cost they would expect capacity to be at a maximum on the Styal line before it's built and opened.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Network Rail still have it down as a possible scheme for the 2019-2024 CP. Due to the cost they would expect capacity to be at a maximum on the Styal line before it's built and opened.

Is there any reason why the container trains that run on the Styal line at present cannot use another route, which will give a few daily extra paths for passenger trains from the airport to Manchester.

 

[northwichcat]

Is there any reason why the container trains that run on the Styal line at present cannot use another route

Probably because the Mersey Viaduct is more congested than the Styal line.

Convert the Sale line back to heavy rail and they can run that way and over the Middlewich branch.