0644 Llandudno Jcn to Manchester Airport (Saturdays)

[Foxcover]

Does anyone know the reason why this service spends 11 mins waiting at Bank Quay on Saturdays only?

From Llandudno Jcn to Warrington BQ it runs 10 mins or so earlier than the equivalent weekday train (and the reasonably clock-face timetable operating weekdays and the rest of Saturday) from Llandudno Jcn, but then stops for 11 mins to resume the weekday path from Bank Quay. I can’t see any timetabling conflicts - and it seems odd to hold a peak hour service (it is the 0741 from Chester, usually quite busy on Saturdays) anywhere for so long?

 

[BeijingDave]

Does anyone know the reason why this service spends 11 mins waiting at Bank Quay on Saturdays only?

From Llandudno Jcn to Warrington BQ it runs 10 mins or so earlier than the equivalent weekday train (and the reasonably clock-face timetable operating weekdays and the rest of Saturday) from Llandudno Jcn, but then stops for 11 mins to resume the weekday path from Bank Quay. I can’t see any timetabling conflicts - and it seems odd to hold a peak hour service (it is the 0741 from Chester, usually quite busy on Saturdays) anywhere for so long?

Is there a WCML train that runs SO that Warrington BQ has connections to and from?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is there a WCML train that runs SO that Warrington BQ has connections to and from?

There's a London Euston -> Glasgow Central train calls at Warrington Bank Quay at 0812 on Saturdays isn't there?

 

[Llandudno]

There's a London Euston -> Glasgow Central train calls at Warrington Bank Quay at 0812 on Saturdays isn't there?

If it actually operates….!

 

[Foxcover]

I did wonder about the 0812 Avanti from Bank Quay (it’s currently the Crewe-Glasgow - yes, if it runs!) and whether it was a connection … but as the Llandudno-Airport train only arrives at 0810, it wouldn’t be a valid timetabled connection for passengers to Scotland; and it would be an odd connection for passengers heading north from Crewe on Avanti to change for Manchester or the Airport at Bank Quay.

Yesterday on Sat 6 August, the Llandudno-Airport train arrived 5 mins early at Bank Quay, so the odd timetabled wait meant that a fairly full 175 was sat waiting for right-time at Bank Quay from 0806 to 0821…so why?

 

[berneyarms]

I wonder if the reversing manoeuvres of the Ellesmere Port set at Helsby from the branch and then headed to Chester have anything to do with it?

It leaves for Chester at 08:06 but before that it has to sit on the mainline while the driver changes ends, so I suspect that the TfW service has to be clear of the section at Helsby well in advance of that.