Direct service from Newcastle to Manchester Airport

[Kryten2340]

Hi,

Can someone confirm that I'm reading the FTPE timetable correctly in that there is no direct service between Newcastle and Manchester Airport Monday to Friday in the morning? I am looking and there only seems to be two a day, the first one being after 7pm.

I'm not looking to travel until March but just getting an idea of what's what. Is the timetable likely to change before March or will I be faced with a change (my flight would be 1pm). If the latter where should I look at changing? Would Piccadilly be the easiest or would it be worth my while to travel down the Durham coast and catch a direct service from Middlesbrough. Somewhere with a same platform or cross platform change ideally. Not one where you have to go from one end of the station to the other.

Cheers.

 

[ainsworth74]

Possibly worth checking the connection at Northallerton. You could join a service from Middlesbrough there and it would be a cross-platform interchange. The only thing is that I'm not sure how many Newcastle services call at Northallerton. In terms of the timetable this is the plan going forward that Newcastle services will go to Liverpool via Manchester Victoria and not call at the Airport.

 

[yorkie]

I agree Northallerton is ideal if the timetable allows, because that's before the trains get really busy.

If that wasn't possible, then Huddersfield is consistently a same platform interchange. If we were given an exact itinerary, I might suggest Leeds as an alternative, as it's rarely anything but platform 16.

If it's prime commuter time into Leeds, it's better to change there as more people will be getting off than on, and it may start to pick up leisure & shoulder peak passengers from Huddersfield.

If it was prime commuting time out of Leeds, then it would be better to remain seated until Huddersfield as a lot of commuters get off there.

 

[Kryten2340]

I agree Northallerton is ideal if the timetable allows, because that's before the trains get really busy.

If that wasn't possible, then Huddersfield is consistently a same platform interchange. If we were given an exact itinerary, I might suggest Leeds as an alternative, as it's rarely anything but platform 16.

If it's prime commuter time into Leeds, it's better to change there as more people will be getting off than on, and it may start to pick up leisure & shoulder peak passengers from Huddersfield.

If it was prime commuting time out of Leeds, then it would be better to remain seated until Huddersfield as a lot of commuters get off there.

The flight from Manchester Airport is 1pm and taking the 3 hour check in rule into effect (mind it was 2002 when I was last on a plane) then I would imagine we would need to check in by 10am meaning really we ought to be aiming to be on the earliest train possible. Traveling down the night before and stay in an Airport hotel may be an alternative but there's 15 of us.

 

[yorkie]

Earliest train possible might be too early, but does give you the same-platform connection at Northallerton!

Newcastle 0525
Northallerton 0608

Northallerton 0623
Manchester Picc 0839
​

Another example would be:

Newcastle 0556
York 0656 (booked platform 3)

York 0724 (booked platform 4)
Manchester Airport 0910
​

Platform 3 to 4 at York is along the same platform face, and with opportunities to sit down and obtain food along the way. The platform numbers could potentially change (either, or both, could be switched to Platform 5, for example) but would be relatively unlikely to change. In the unlikely event that they did change, lifts are available.

 

[Ploughman]

Would a change at York be possible?

 

[Statto]

If you need to be at the Airport by 10am then do 06:03 from Newcastle to Huddersfield arrive 08:02, then 08:11 Huddersfield to Manchester Airport arrive at 09:10, as mentioned same platform interchange at Huddersfield.

If you're thinking of staying overnight then there's a direct TPE Newcastle to Manchester Airport departing from Newcastle at 19:10 arriving Manchester Airport at 21:55

 

[berneyarms]

The flight from Manchester Airport is 1pm and taking the 3 hour check in rule into effect (mind it was 2002 when I was last on a plane) then I would imagine we would need to check in by 10am meaning really we ought to be aiming to be on the earliest train possible. Traveling down the night before and stay in an Airport hotel may be an alternative but there's 15 of us.

Since when has anyone needed to be at an airport three hours in advance of a flight? It doesn't take that long to check in and get through security. That is unbelievable overkill.

I always aim for 90-120 minutes - you certainly don't need any more than that.

 

[Emyr]

Over such a distance, 3 hours also allows for train delays, rather than just airport logistics.

 

[Kryten2340]

Since when has anyone needed to be at an airport three hours in advance of a flight? It doesn't take that long to check in and get through security. That is unbelievable overkill.

I always aim for 90-120 minutes - you certainly don't need any more than that.

Like I said I've not been on a plane since 2002 so no doubt things have changed since then. It's online check in anyway so this may not be an issue.

 

[berneyarms]

Like I said I've not been on a plane since 2002 so no doubt things have changed since then. It's online check in anyway so this may not be an issue.

Then you certainly do not need to be there any more than 90 minutes in advance.

Obviously you would allow for delays in the rail service if you're travelling a long distance over and above that time, but 90 minutes is more than sufficient for transiting the airport.

 

[northwichcat]

Since when has anyone needed to be at an airport three hours in advance of a flight? It doesn't take that long to check in and get through security. That is unbelievable overkill.

3 hours is advised by Airports if you are going outside the EU, 2 hours if you are travelling within the EU.

 

[Greenback]

I'd rather be at the airport with time to kill rather than leave the bare minimum and be worrying about losing my flight.

 

[berneyarms]

3 hours is advised by Airports if you are going outside the EU, 2 hours if you are travelling within the EU.

The times quoted by airports are purely to get you into the airport and spend money there.

As someone who flies very regularly, I can assure you that 90-120 minutes is more than sufficient for any flight.

But as I said above, if travelling from far afield, I would of course build in a buffer on top of that to allow for things going amiss during the journey.

 

[Statto]

I'd rather be at the airport with time to kill rather than leave the bare minimum and be worrying about losing my flight.

That reminds me of a story driver said when Selwyns used to operate the 500 Liverpool City Centre-Airport a couple got on his bus at Lime Street Station Skelhorne Street stop[when traffic on Skelhorne Street used to go the other way] but had 20 minutes to catch the flight they where booked on, this was the original route around the City Centre could take 20 minutes just to get past James Street.

Getting at the Airport early gives time to get a meal, as said allows for any delays on the trains.

 

[ainsworth74]

As someone who flies very regularly, I can assure you that 90-120 minutes is more than sufficient for any flight.

But as I said above, if travelling from far afield, I would of course build in a buffer on top of that to allow for things going amiss during the journey.

Which is surely what the OP is doing? They're travelling 160 miles to get to the airport allowing in excess of 120 minutes seems sensible. Certainly when I travelled from Middlesbrough to Manchester Airport I allowed three hours and was very grateful I did due to signalling problems in the Middlesbrough area I was delayed by around an hour meaning I still had plenty of time. If'd only allowed 90 minutes I'd still have made my flight but it would have been a bit nerve wracking.

 

[berneyarms]

Which is surely what the OP is doing? They're travelling 160 miles to get to the airport allowing in excess of 120 minutes seems sensible. Certainly when I travelled from Middlesbrough to Manchester Airport I allowed three hours and was very grateful I did due to signalling problems in the Middlesbrough area I was delayed by around an hour meaning I still had plenty of time. If'd only allowed 90 minutes I'd still have made my flight but it would have been a bit nerve wracking.

Well not if they stay overnight at the airport as was suggested above as an option - 3 hours would be massive overkill.

 

[backontrack]

Would a change at York be possible?

At York, services between Scarborough and Liverpool use platform 4. 1, 2, 6, 7 & 8 are bay platforms; platforms 3 and 5 are southbound and northbound on ECML and Crosscountry.

Platforms 9, 10 and 11 are more mixed, although 9 is used primarily by TPExpress, from what I remember. It is likely that you will need to change somewhere between 4, 5 and 9, although 10 & 11 are possible.
This means over the bridge. At the Platform 4 side, there is access to the main concourse (no ticket gates!) where you can find Whistlestop and WH Smith, among others. Across the bridge (there's an underpass too!) are platforms 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9. There is another Smiths here, as well as an eatery. Platform 9 is behind a wall with arches cut into it.

Across the bridge are platforms 10 & 11, which are an island platform. Go any further and you'll reach the NRM.

Hope this helps,

-bacontrack

EDIT: This topic might be better in Trip Planning & Reports.

 

[pennine]

I agree, loosely speaking, Northallerton is an ideal connection, as often the train from Middlesbrough pulls in roughly 10 or so minutes after the arrival from Newcastle.

Although, if its a Saturday it advisable to keep away from the Middlesbrough service on a morning as its often standing room only on departure from the Boro!