Grand Central: Mirfield

[OMGitsDAVE]

From Sunday 11 December, Grand Central Railway will be running direct rail connections between Mirfield and London. With tickets from as little as £19 when you book in advance, there's even more reason to try Grand Central.
Three trains per day will leave Mirfield for London Kings Cross, with a choice of two return services. For those travelling at weekends, on Saturdays there are two southbound services, with three services travelling in the opposite direction. On Sundays there will be a choice of three services in both directions.
The stops at Mirfield have come about as a result of an application by Grand Central Railway to the Office of Rail Regulation, followed by extensive consultation with Network Rail and other industry stakeholders.
Tom Clift, Managing Director of Grand Central Railway, said:
"We are delighted to have been given permission to serve Mirfield. The town and its surroundings offer a considerable catchment for those who travel to London regularly, whether for business or pleasure. We also recognise the tourism potential of Kirklees in attracting passengers in the opposite direction. Now that the green light has been given, we shall continue discussions with Metro and Northern Rail to seek improvements to the station."
Cllr Pat Sutcliffe, Chair of Mirfield Town Council, said "This is great news for Mirfield and for Kirklees. It gives such a boost to our local community. For years Mirfield has been recognised as a relatively affluent community. It is a busy town and has a lot of commuters. Until now passengers heading for London have had to travel to either Wakefield or Leeds. Now we have a direct link with the capital I am thrilled to bits."
Due to the last minute announcement from the ORR, the fare for Mirfield will not be in railway retail systems for about another week. The equivalent Brighouse fare will be used for the purposes of ticket sales.

http://www.grandcentralrail.com/mirfield-news

 

[Lampshade]

Wonder how good the Huddersfield connections are at Mirfield, it could potentially eradicate the need for direct Huddersfield - London services.

 

[Deerfold]

Wonder how good the Huddersfield connections are at Mirfield, it could potentially eradicate the need for direct Huddersfield - London services.

Well in the morning you can leave at 0656 via Leeds, arriving London 1002 or
leave at 0700 via Mirfield, arriving London 1013.

You can leave at 1057 via Leeds, arriving London 1402 or
leave at 1035 via Mirfield, arriving London 1345.

So the timings look similar, just giving a few extra options from Huddersfield (which has pretty good options as via Manchester isn't much slower than via Leeds).

 

[Crossover]

Wonder how good the Huddersfield connections are at Mirfield, it could potentially eradicate the need for direct Huddersfield - London services.

Just having a quick look using next Monday (12th) as an example:

HUD - 0700
MIR - 0708 (GC at 0728)

HUD - 1031
MIR - 1039
or
HUD - 1035
MIR - 1043 (GC at 1056)

HUD - 1535
MIR - 1543 (GC at 1613)
(Also another 4 mins previous as per above)

So 2 are pretty good, the other less so, though the fact GC don't operate to a clockface timetable means this is always going to be an issue as I get a feeling they just take spare paths on the line

 

[GNERman]

http://www.grandcentralrail.com/mirfield-news

http://www.grandcentralrail.com/west-riding-timetable-new

All Southbound services call at Mirfield on a weekday, then a choice of the 14.48 or 19.48 return. Also note that the 19.48 no longer calls at Pontefract or Wakefield, and does the journey 19 minutes quicker.

 

[theblackwatch]

All Southbound services call at Mirfield on a weekday, then a choice of the 14.48 or 19.48 return. Also note that the 19.48 no longer calls at Pontefract or Wakefield, and does the journey 19 minutes quicker.

Well that's one customer GC has lost on its Bradford services. I have on occasions used GC from Pontefract for a day trip to London (it is a handy Parkway station just a few minutes off the A1 and around 30 minutes from home), but I won't be able to do that in future.

 

[tbtc]

Wonder how good the Huddersfield connections are at Mirfield, it could potentially eradicate the need for direct Huddersfield - London services.

Huddersfield already has plenty of London services, if you make one change. Personally I'd rather change at Leeds (and arrive in London sooner).

 

[btcc fan]

Well that's one customer GC has lost on its Bradford services. I have on occasions used GC from Pontefract for a day trip to London (it is a handy Parkway station just a few minutes off the A1 and around 30 minutes from home), but I won't be able to do that in future.

I have used that 1948 on a few occasions as the GC advances are cheaper than the EC advances. However now I won't be able to so I also won't travel back on the sunday too.

Seems very unwise of GC to not to call at Wakefield on the last train of the day when normally quite a few people got off there. They must be confident that more people will go to Bradford now with the journey being 19 minutes faster ....

 

[GNERman]

Seems very unwise of GC to not to call at Wakefield on the last train of the day when normally quite a few people got off there. They must be confident that more people will go to Bradford now with the journey being 19 minutes faster ....

It passes WKK at approximately 2200, there's a 2200 Westgate to Knottingley, thus blocking access to Platform 3, and due to the amount of traffic through Mirfield, compromise has to be had, and this seems to be the best option...

Well that's one customer GC has lost on its Bradford services. I have on occasions used GC from Pontefract for a day trip to London (it is a handy Parkway station just a few minutes off the A1 and around 30 minutes from home), but I won't be able to do that in future.

Pontefract = 30,000 approx population

Mirfield = 18,000 approx population
PLUS Huddersfield = 145,000 approx population

And, if it is a handy parkway station, why hasn't it been upgraded by Northern to be a Parkway Station??? Surely they would have seen the demand, no???

 

[tbtc]

Pontefract = 30,000 approx population

Mirfield = 18,000 approx population
PLUS Huddersfield = 145,000 approx population

And, if it is a handy parkway station, why hasn't it been upgraded by Northern to be a Parkway Station??? Surely they would have seen the demand, no???

So, your Mirfield figure includes the catchment area of Huddersfield, but your Pontefract figure doesn't include the catchment area of Castleford/Knottingley etc... not exactly a fair comparison.

Pontefract could have been developed into a very useful Parkway station for those in east Leeds/ North Yorkshire - its handy for the A1(M)/M62, and avoids the need to drive into the centre of Leeds for a direct London train...

...but whilst people from (say) Garforth might drive to Pontefract to take a direct London train (since there aren't many stations that have direct London services), they obviously aren't going to drive to Pontefract to take a Northern service into Leeds (since there are plenty of local stations that have direct services into Leeds).

 

[GNERman]

So, your Mirfield figure includes the catchment area of Huddersfield, but your Pontefract figure doesn't include the catchment area of Castleford/Knottingley etc... not exactly a fair comparison.

YET, Mirfield is being used, similar to the Eaglescliffe for Middlesborough, as a better way to Huddersfield, as well as catering for a growing area. If Pontefract had been advertised as Pontefract for Castleford/Knottingley, which it is not, I would have put it on...

 

[tbtc]

YET, Mirfield is being used, similar to the Eaglescliffe for Middlesborough, as a better way to Huddersfield, as well as catering for a growing area. If Pontefract had been advertised as Pontefract for Castleford/Knottingley, which it is not, I would have put it on...

?

The website (http://www.grandcentralrail.com/west-riding-timetable-new) just calls Mirfield "Mirfield" (not "Mirfield for all of Kirklees").

Brighouse already gave them a foothold for passengers from the Huddersfield area, of course.

Academic, of course, because I don't see the service lasting more than another couple of years, despite this cosmetic change.

 

[GNERman]

?

The website (http://www.grandcentralrail.com/west-riding-timetable-new) just calls Mirfield "Mirfield" (not "Mirfield for all of Kirklees").

Brighouse already gave them a foothold for passengers from the Huddersfield area, of course.

Academic, of course, because I don't see the service lasting more than another couple of years, despite this cosmetic change.

Eaglescliffe isn't referred to as "Eaglescliffe for Middlesborough" yet the main reason for stopping there was its links to Middlesborough and, to some extent, Darlington.

This is the same idea. Mirfield has 2tph to Huddersfield, Brighouse has 1tph, providing good links to Huddersfield.

Pontefract, despite its population and surrounding towns, has not been sufficiently used, thus why they originally wanted all trains via Hare Park (and it knocks 20 minutes off). Shame really, but, as numerous other services have proved (to some extent (WSMR, Virgin now pulling out as well), you don't use the service, you may have it removed...

 

[theblackwatch]

It passes WKK at approximately 2200, there's a 2200 Westgate to Knottingley, thus blocking access to Platform 3, and due to the amount of traffic through Mirfield, compromise has to be had, and this seems to be the best option...



Pontefract = 30,000 approx population

Mirfield = 18,000 approx population
PLUS Huddersfield = 145,000 approx population

And, if it is a handy parkway station, why hasn't it been upgraded by Northern to be a Parkway Station??? Surely they would have seen the demand, no???

I can not speak on behalf of Northern! However, I have found it handy as being pretty much straight off the A1/M62 junction even though you think it isn't. I'll just travel East Coast or not bother in future.

 

[ainsworth74]

Shame really, but, as numerous other services have proved (to some extent (WSMR, Virgin now pulling out as well), you don't use the service, you may have it removed...

They are? The Wrexham services are continuing in the next timetable, so when are they being withdrawn?

 

[GNERman]

They are? The Wrexham services are continuing in the next timetable, so when are they being withdrawn?

Apologies, this may be me speaking rubbish, but it was reported elsewhere that Virgin was pulling the plug on Wrexham...

I can not speak on behalf of Northern! However, I have found it handy as being pretty much straight off the A1/M62 junction even though you think it isn't. I'll just travel East Coast or not bother in future.

This isn't me trying to say that I don't think it is a useful station, I said that it was in my previous post, however, surely if there was a large demand for a Parkway station there, it would have been upgraded??? Then again, Micklefield is another station that probably should be, yet Northern haven't upgraded that either (very close proximity with the A1...)

 

[tbtc]

Apologies, this may be me speaking rubbish, but it was reported elsewhere that Virgin was pulling the plug on Wrexham...

I can not speak on behalf of Northern! However, I have found it handy as being pretty much straight off the A1/M62 junction even though you think it isn't. I'll just travel East Coast or not bother in future.

This isn't me trying to say that I don't think it is a useful station, I said that it was in my previous post, however, surely if there was a large demand for a Parkway station there, it would have been upgraded??? Then again, Micklefield is another station that probably should be, yet Northern haven't upgraded that either (very close proximity with the A1...)

As I explained, Pontefract isn't much use as a Parkway for the Northern service to Leeds (since Castleford/Garforth etc already have train services to Leeds, so nobody would drive to Pontefract to take a Leeds train), but Pontefract could have been of use as a Parkway for the GC service to London (since Castleford/Garforth etc don't have a direct London service, so you might attract people to drive to Pontefract rather than going into central Leeds). Not really Northern's fault...
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Eaglescliffe isn't referred to as "Eaglescliffe for Middlesborough" yet the main reason for stopping there was its links to Middlesborough and, to some extent, Darlington.

This is the same idea. Mirfield has 2tph to Huddersfield, Brighouse has 1tph, providing good links to Huddersfield.

Pontefract, despite its population and surrounding towns, has not been sufficiently used, thus why they originally wanted all trains via Hare Park (and it knocks 20 minutes off). Shame really, but, as numerous other services have proved (to some extent (WSMR, Virgin now pulling out as well), you don't use the service, you may have it removed...

So why didn't GC advertise Pontefract? That'd be cheaper than starting from scratch at another station instead.

 

[theblackwatch]

This isn't me trying to say that I don't think it is a useful station, I said that it was in my previous post, however, surely if there was a large demand for a Parkway station there, it would have been upgraded??? Then again, Micklefield is another station that probably should be, yet Northern haven't upgraded that either (very close proximity with the A1...)

Personally I use Garforth as a 'Parkway station' (M1 Junction 47, 5 mins from there!) rather than Micklefield - although one problem there is that the car park gets full. Possibly one reason there isn't the Parkway demand is that it isn't promoted as such? I never saw any promotion of its as such a station by GC, perhaps if it was others may have used it the same way as me.

 

[electra27000]

Seems very unwise of GC to not to call at Wakefield on the last train of the day when normally quite a few people got off there. They must be confident that more people will go to Bradford now with the journey being 19 minutes faster ....

Or it's an early sign of how Arriva intends to run the company (down)...

 

[embers25]

I understand the saving of missing Pontefract but isn't the only way from Doncaster to Mirfield via Kirkgate and so they will just pass thru non-stop and the speed limit is 5mph so it's even more crazy? I get there is no available platform but surely there must be some way of sorting that as missing Kirkgate will kill patronage as it now rule out day trips.

 

[87019Chris]

I understand the saving of missing Pontefract but isn't the only way from Doncaster to Mirfield via Kirkgate and so they will just pass thru non-stop and the speed limit is 5mph so it's even more crazy?

There is the line off towards Leeds then take the Hare Park Juction line that they can use which then eradicates the need to head futher north than needed e.g- Shaftholme Junction and Pontefract, Im not sure if thats the way they will go or not but I do know the drivers are trained on that route as it was one of there diversion routes for when there was engineering possesion at Knottingley.

 

[ValleyLines142]

On Sundays there will be a choice of three services in both directions.

This has got to be one of the rarest times when a Sunday service is better than the weekday service!

 

[BOSCH]

Or it's an early sign of how Arriva intends to run the company (down)...

Doubt it,the stop at Mirfield was in planning months ago,well before Arriva took over !

 

[northwichcat]

Wonder how good the Huddersfield connections are at Mirfield, it could potentially eradicate the need for direct Huddersfield - London services.

The last time I checked connections were very good between the Huddersfield-Wakefield service and Kings Cross services. Although, the problem with travelling northbound is Wakefield-Huddersfield is only hourly so if you just miss the connection it's an hour's wait or go via Leeds.

It would be useful for Huddersfield to have express services other than North TPE but that doesn't have to mean London services.

 

[electra27000]

Doubt it,the stop at Mirfield was in planning months ago,well before Arriva took over !

I was referring to their proposal to cut out the Wakefield stop on the last train of the day :roll: