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Trans Pennine via Castleford

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LMS 4F

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TP I have noticed are running via Castleford regularly. Seems to be services to/from Redcar. Is this because of the virus timetable or some other reason?
Whatever it's nice to see some different stock on a regular basis. If only they could call and reinstate a direct service to York but what value this is to TP I'm not sure, all they get is a longer journey time and some not very impressive scenery.
 
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Iskra

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I'm guessing it's for route knowledge retention purposes as the services that normally run that way might have been axed?
 

Iskra

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TP I have noticed are running via Castleford regularly. Seems to be services to/from Redcar. Is this because of the virus timetable or some other reason?
Whatever it's nice to see some different stock on a regular basis. If only they could call and reinstate a direct service to York but what value this is to TP I'm not sure, all they get is a longer journey time and some not very impressive scenery.

Wakefield already has direct services to York.

The more beneficial link would be to Manchester and stations West of there.
 

LMS 4F

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It would only provide a service between Castleford - York in one direction.
I am aware that this is very unlikely ever to happen, not least because platform 2 has been out of operation for over 40 years at least, but it was said tongue in cheek.
 

LMS 4F

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Wakefield already has direct services to York.

The more beneficial link would be to Manchester and stations West of there.
Wakefield does indeed have a direct service to York but of course Castleford doesn't and requires a change at Leeds. We could always go to Pontefract Baghill and use that direct service except it isn't running at the moment and when it is it's about as much use as a chocolate teapot.
 

SuperNova

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TP I have noticed are running via Castleford regularly. Seems to be services to/from Redcar. Is this because of the virus timetable or some other reason?
Whatever it's nice to see some different stock on a regular basis. If only they could call and reinstate a direct service to York but what value this is to TP I'm not sure, all they get is a longer journey time and some not very impressive scenery.

This is being done for route knowledge retention. The Redcar's are also going via Calder Valley from Heaton Lodge to Miles Plattings for the same reason.
 

LMS 4F

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This is being done for route knowledge retention. The Redcar's are also going via Calder Valley from Heaton Lodge to Miles Plattings for the same reason.
Thanks for the info, seems a bit unfair on anyone doing the whole journey. It would be much quicker to change at York or Iccadilly depending on direction. Not that many will be doing the Airport at the moment.
 

Whistler40145

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Thanks for the info, seems a bit unfair on anyone doing the whole journey. It would be much quicker to change at York or Iccadilly depending on direction. Not that many will be doing the Airport at the moment.
Be rather puzzling seeing Woodlesford twice on the journey
 

SeanG

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If it wasn't for the whole Coronavirus situation, the Airport - Redcar service would be great to catch in its current form - not much use for passengers though! A mystery tour of West Yorkshire
 

SuperNova

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Thanks for the info, seems a bit unfair on anyone doing the whole journey. It would be much quicker to change at York or Iccadilly depending on direction. Not that many will be doing the Airport at the moment.

Nobody should really be doing this journey anyway. Plus, this service was initially not in the reduced timetable. The whole reasoning behind it is really for route retention.
 

J-P_L

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As above it is purely for route retention as the overnight trains, which usually operate via the diversions, aren’t running.

Apart from the 2x Redcar-Airport, the only trains running via a diversion route are the 05:28 York to Piccadilly and the 22:17 Piccadilly to York running via Castleford and the 0505 York to Redcar running via Dinsdale.

Anyone who was travelling to Manchester would board the Liverpool (which runs 3 mins behind from Northallerton) and change at Huddersfield for Piccadilly (for the Leeds-Piccadilly Stopper which the Liverpool’s pass at Heaton Lodge Jct).

As said there is limited demand for direct airports at the minute, and several of these services have left York empty or with only a handful on (mainly key workers from Teesside/North Yorks. going to Leeds), it is purely run to ensure route competency doesn’t lapse for train crews.
 

HST43257

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I think it’s interesting to note that it is faster to go from Huddersfield to York via Castleford (and not Leeds) than via Leeds the regular route. That is if you assume there is 1 stop on both routes. In my opinion, the stop on the route via Castleford would be at Wakefield Kirkgate. I’ll pop my thoughts on timings below:

Via Castleford
Huddersfield (Stopping) to Wakefield Kirkgate (Stopping) = 14 mins
Wakefield Kirkgate Stopping time = 1 min
Wakefield Kirkgate (Stopping) to Altofts Junction = 5 mins
Altofts Junction to Castleford = 2 mins
Castleford to York = 18 mins

TOTAL TIME = 40 mins

Via Leeds
Hudersfield (Stopping) to Leeds (Stopping) = 18
Leeds Stopping Time = 2 mins
Leeds (Stopping) to York (Stopping) = 23 mins

TOTAL TIME = 43 mins
 

SeanG

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Didn't most transpennine trains used to go via Cas and avoid Leeds in days of yore?
 

61653 HTAFC

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Didn't most transpennine trains used to go via Cas and avoid Leeds in days of yore?
If by "days of yore" you mean pre-1860ish, possibly yes. But in those early railway days they also avoided Halifax, Bradford, Huddersfield, Dewsbury and the Heavy Woollen district: basically anywhere between Manchester and York where people actually lived!
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Didn't most transpennine trains used to go via Cas and avoid Leeds in days of yore?

The first route was the L&Y, reaching Leeds via Wakefield Kirkgate and York via Castleford.
When the LNWR route via Huddersfield opened a decade later, they ran to Leeds via Dewsbury (or eventually via Spen Valley), then via Micklefield to York.
Both routes were run well into the BR era until the L&Y via Wakefield/Castleford was downgraded to freight/diversion status after Beeching.
L&Y services generally didn't go beyond York, whereas the LNWR services reached Newcastle and Hull.

I should think the L&Y route will become the primary one while the LNWR route is being upgraded/electrified, but probably not serving intermediate stations.
 

30907

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Via Castleford
Huddersfield (Stopping) to Wakefield Kirkgate (Stopping) = 14 mins
Wakefield Kirkgate Stopping time = 1 min
Wakefield Kirkgate (Stopping) to Altofts Junction = 5 mins
Altofts Junction to Castleford = 2 mins
Castleford to York = 18 mins

TOTAL TIME = 40 mins

Via Leeds
Hudersfield (Stopping) to Leeds (Stopping) = 18
Leeds Stopping Time = 2 mins
Leeds (Stopping) to York (Stopping) = 23 mins

TOTAL TIME = 43 mins
Using today's times on RTT and deducting allowances I get 43min non stop via WKK; via LDS in normal circumstances is 37 1/2min plus dwell time, currently 43min with 3 stops but excluding dwell time.
I can't replicate your times, sorry.
 

61653 HTAFC

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The first route was the L&Y, reaching Leeds via Wakefield Kirkgate and York via Castleford.
When the LNWR route via Huddersfield opened a decade later, they ran to Leeds via Dewsbury (or eventually via Spen Valley), then via Micklefield to York.
Both routes were run well into the BR era until the L&Y via Wakefield/Castleford was downgraded to freight/diversion status after Beeching.
L&Y services generally didn't go beyond York, whereas the LNWR services reached Newcastle and Hull.

I should think the L&Y route will become the primary one while the LNWR route is being upgraded/electrified, but probably not serving intermediate stations.
Didn't a fair number of Trans-pennine services run via Wetherby, Harrogate and Ripon rather than Micklefield and York?
 

Senex

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The first route was the L&Y, reaching Leeds via Wakefield Kirkgate and York via Castleford.
When the LNWR route via Huddersfield opened a decade later, they ran to Leeds via Dewsbury (or eventually via Spen Valley), then via Micklefield to York.
Both routes were run well into the BR era until the L&Y via Wakefield/Castleford was downgraded to freight/diversion status after Beeching.
L&Y services generally didn't go beyond York, whereas the LNWR services reached Newcastle and Hull.

I should think the L&Y route will become the primary one while the LNWR route is being upgraded/electrified, but probably not serving intermediate stations.
You couldn't run through Leeds and out to the Leeds & Selby line before the New Station and the cross-city link were opened in 1869, and IIRC the LNW through trains to Newcastle didn't start until the opening of Manchester Exchange in 1884. Does anyone know when the through Liverpool-Hull trains over the LNW route to Leeds began?
 
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