June 2024 reopening of the line between Clitheroe and Hellifield for passenger trains

[Whistler40145]

I've had a 153/158 on the Blackpool North to Carlisle Dalesrail in the past

 

[Jack Hay]

I was on the new service yesterday. It was a great day out, quite busy especially for a launch day service, and helped by sunshine. On short platforms - I think I heard the conductor tell passengers alighting at Langho to move forward, so it wasn't just at Horton. Certainly it didn't run with the fourth coach locked out despite some short platforms. The good connections off the new service to the other S&C trains made a wide choice of destinations easily possible. I'd do it again.

 

[175001]

Is this still a thing? I thought Clitheroe had been extended to take 4x20m car a few years ago.

Only Ramsgreave and Wilpshire was extended to accommodate 2x156s in the end, and that why the timetable has 2 mins standing time there to allow the conductor to lock or unlock the rear set which is now the method of work for the line.

 

[70014IronDuke]

That use has diminished a long time ago with only very very limited use as a change over station, but all be it only on a Saturday this opens that possibility just a little bit more. The Friends Of The Settle & Carlisle line will be monitoring this carefully and already on the first day they have found passengers from the stations going south towards Leeds using it as a change over to get to Lancashire towns so it will be interesting to see how that develops in the future hopefully open it up for consideration for other days in the week rather than just for tourists.

Very good news to hear this, and the targeted loadings have started well. Look forward to updates and hopefully positive news.

EDIT: Is the Rochdale - Clitheroe - Rochdale trains part of the regular, timetabled services, or are they 'extras' worked in between the normal trains?

 

[sandpiper]

Is this still a thing? I thought Clitheroe had been extended to take 4x20m car a few years ago.

Langho, Whalley and Clitheroe can only accommodate 3 car trains maximum. 4 car trains overhang all of them. Long-train-short-platform procedure was in use for the first day.

 

[yorksrob]

Excellent news that the first day went well !

 

[sandpiper]

Very good news to hear this, and the targeted loadings have started well. Look forward to updates and hopefully positive news.

EDIT: Is the Rochdale - Clitheroe - Rochdale trains part of the regular, timetabled services, or are they 'extras' worked in between the normal trains?

It is an extension of a couple the scheduled Rochdale-Blackburn trains, and therefore it provides a new, scheduled service between Blackburn and Clitheroe and a completely new service beyond Clitheroe to Ribblehead then running ECS to Blea Moor signal-box where it reverses and when it gets back to Blackburn again it slots into the half hourly service through Darwen and onwards south.

 

[70014IronDuke]

It is an extension of the scheduled Rochdale-Blackburn trains, and therefore it provides an extra service between Blackburn and Clitheroe and a completely new service beyond Clitheroe to Ribblehead then running ECS to Blea Moor signal-box where it reverses.

Right. Thank you for the explanation.

 

[Ant158]

Looks like the double 156 on Dales Explorer was just for the first week! 150125 is scheduled to run the first train today, with a single 156 the later run.

 

[Neptune]

Looks like the double 156 on Dales Explorer was just for the first week! 150125 is scheduled to run the first train today, with a single 156 the later run.

It’s booked for a 156. If one isn’t available (unscheduled maintenance for instance) then a 150 will substitute. Better that than a cancellation.

 

[InkyScrolls]

It’s booked for a 156. If one isn’t available (unscheduled maintenance for instance) then a 150 will substitute. Better that than a cancellation.

Of course, as has been mentioned on another thread, there's always plenty of 158s parked up at Interchange ready to use, if only the company didn't want to screw passengers over on purpose...

 

[AMD]

there's always plenty of 158s parked up at Interchange ready to use

However Blackburn depot that work these services no longer have 158s on their traction card.

 

[Llandudno]

Looks like the double 156 on Dales Explorer was just for the first week! 150125 is scheduled to run the first train today, with a single 156 the later run.

A 2 car set is probably sufficient today due to the weather…?

 

[voyagerdude220]

A 2 car set is probably sufficient today due to the weather…?

I hear it was almost full this morning.

 

[Hugo3000]

However Blackburn depot that work these services no longer have 158s on their traction card.

That is correct for the drivers, but the guards still sign them.

 

[InkyScrolls]

However Blackburn depot that work these services no longer have 158s on their traction card.

Indeed - I was only joking.

I hear it was almost full this morning.

I was on it - I'd estimate half full.

 

[yorksrob]

Indeed - I was only joking.


I was on it - I'd estimate half full.

Half full isn't bad for a new service. One would expect more passengers as people get to know about it.

 

[185143]

On the train now up to Ribblehead. Not overly busy but not exactly empty.

Let's not forget it's a new service, the weather is pretty miserable and this is the least appealing train to anyone other than enthusiasts given you have to pretty much come straight back. That said, there were a few people at Clitheroe who had come down from Settle and Hellifield this morning, so it's not just outward travel from Greater Manchester going on.

I can see this service doing very well, and wish Northern and the local communities every success with it.

 

[M60lad]

I was on 150125 myself yesterday with friends and from what I heard there was about 96 aboard the service and according to the driver they want word to get round for more people to use the service as their supposedly trying to get the service to run daily/more frequent instead of just the 2 return journeys on Saturdays.

As for why a 156 wasn't used yesterday I'm not to sure as I'm sure there was a couple stabled at Newton Heath yesterday morning when I was on my way into Victoria on tram.

 

[Neptune]

As for why a 156 wasn't used yesterday I'm not to sure as I'm sure there was a couple stabled at Newton Heath yesterday morning when I was on my way into Victoria on tram.

The unit starts the day at Blackburn King Street rather than NH.

It all depends on what is available. The 156’s may not have been available on the Friday hence the 150 covering. The unit diagrams will be swapped over at the earliest convenience.

Incidentally it finished at King Street last night with no allocation as of yet today.

 

[70014IronDuke]

I was on 150125 myself yesterday with friends and from what I heard there was about 96 aboard the service

This sounds a decent number for just the second day of the train - but when you say '96', I assume you mean 96 from Clitheroe to Hellifield (and mostly beyond)?

and according to the driver they want word to get round for more people to use the service as their supposedly trying to get the service to run daily/more frequent instead of just the 2 return journeys on Saturdays.

Good to hear of the enthusiasm at the coal face.

On the train now up to Ribblehead. Not overly busy but not exactly empty.

Let's not forget it's a new service, the weather is pretty miserable and this is the least appealing train to anyone other than enthusiasts given you have to pretty much come straight back. That said, there were a few people at Clitheroe who had come down from Settle and Hellifield this morning, so it's not just outward travel from Greater Manchester going on.

Were these 'normals'? I hope Clitheroenians will forgive me, but why would anyone want to spend a good chunk of the day there? I admit I've never ventured to the town, but I can't imagine it has much of interest going for it for the average outsider.

Anyway, the fact that Settle folk are adding to the farebox is good news, of course - but to tap into what ever traffic there is from the Dales to Clitheroe and beyond needs a service connecting with the 07.13 ex Ribblehead at Hellifield, surely?

 

[Iskra]

This sounds a decent number for just the second day of the train - but when you say '96', I assume you mean 96 from Clitheroe to Hellifield (and mostly beyond)?


Good to hear of the enthusiasm at the coal face.

Were these 'normals'? I hope Clitheroenians will forgive me, but why would anyone want to spend a good chunk of the day there? I admit I've never ventured to the town, but I can't imagine it has much of interest going for it for the average outsider.

Anyway, the fact that Settle folk are adding to the farebox is good news, of course - but to tap into what ever traffic there is from the Dales to Clitheroe and beyond needs a service connecting with the 07.13 ex Ribblehead at Hellifield, surely?

Clitheroe is a perfectly pleasant, historic town, where you could easily pass a few hours. It’s far nicer than your typical East Lancashire town if that’s what you’re imagining.

- - - -

It’s great to see this service is being positively received.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Clitheroe is a perfectly pleasant, historic town, where you could easily pass a few hours. It’s far nicer than your typical East Lancashire town if that’s what you’re imagining.

Thanks for correcting me. The Wikipedia page certainly oozes positivity about the place, eg

The town was listed in the 2017 The Sunday Times report on the best places to live in Northern England,[3] while the wider Ribble Valley, of which Clitheroe is the most populous settlement, was listed in the 2018 and 2024 Sunday Times report on the best places to live.[4][5] Clitheroe and the wider Ribble Valley have also been listed as healthiest and happiest place to live in the United Kingdom.[6][7][8]

Incidentally, for the record, personally I have fond memories of some of the "typical" E Lancs towns from July '68 in the last 10 days of steam - it is just that yes, I can't see many folks visiting those places as tourists. But Clitheroe looks more like Settle than Burnley.

 

[D6130]

Clitheroe is a perfectly pleasant, historic town, where you could easily pass a few hours. It’s far nicer than your typical East Lancashire town if that’s what you’re imagining.

- - - -

It’s great to see this service is being positively received.

Agreed....it has an excellent market, a picturesque and historic Norman castle, lots of fine independent shops, pubs and restaurants and - Holy of Holies - a Booth's supermarket. My wife and I try to have a day out there at least once a year and a few years ago I organised a very enjoyable pub crawl licensed premises heritage tour of the town for my local CAMRA branch.

 

[Llandudno]

Clitheroe is also the home of the beautifully restored Holmes Mill a leisure complex with cinema, theatre, posh hotel, restaurants and a fabulous Bowland Brewery operated cask and craft beer hall - you can spend many hours in there…..!

 

[30907]

Clitheroe is also the home of the beautifully restored Holmes Mill a leisure complex with cinema, theatre, posh hotel, restaurants and a fabulous Bowland Brewery operated cask and craft beer hall - you can spend many hours in there…..!

not to mention an independent wine merchant and a sausage shop!

 

[Condor7]

…..and of course we are all assuming that those going to Clitheroe are tourists, but some may have family or friends there or work there.

 

[nw1]

…..and of course we are all assuming that those going to Clitheroe are tourists, but some may have family or friends there or work there.

Though from the description it sounds like they are visitors from the local area rather than tourists, as such.

 

[sandpiper]

One worry is something I overheard two staff members talking about this morning, apparently ASLEF have blocked Northerns' plans to increase the number of drivers passed out on the route, apparently there are only about a dozen that can work it.

 

[Jack Hay]

One worry is something I overheard two staff members talking about this morning, apparently ASLEF have blocked Northerns' plans to increase the number of drivers passed out on the route, apparently there are only about a dozen that can work it.

It's time that management asserted their right to run the railway, rather than let ASLEF make any decisions. That said, a dozen passed drivers should be ample cover for a two return trips per week service.