Barrrow via Atherton, Chat Moss Airport
Based on this
DfT said:
1 fast Northern Connect service train per hour to/from Manchester Oxford Road, Piccadilly and the Airport (replacing the TransPennine Express service which currently operates on this route, but which will revert to operating via Bolton from December 2017)
And considering Arriva have said they'll be 12 'Northern Connect' routes I think it means either:
1. Airport to Barrow services will go via Chat Moss.
2. Airport to Barrow services will go via Wigan (not via Chat Moss) but not call at any stations between Oxford Rd and Wigan.
Your idea of both would make Wigan to Manchester Airport via Chat Moss a 13th Northern Connect route.
Number 1 sounds probable given Barrow services won't run every hour and some hours they'll be a Windermere service in lieu. (Sending Windermere via Chat Moss will allow it to be fully electric once Oxenholme-Windermere is wired.)
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No not Northern Connect, most likely to be joined to the current Leeds-Brighouse stopper for most of the day, through Bradford during rush hours. Both the Chester and Southport services are shown as routed to Leeds both via Bradford and Dewsbury, with the Chester service described as going via Bradford most of the day.
Oh yes Liverpool to Bradford/Leeds will be Northern Connect but Southport to Bradford won't be. Leeds/Bradford to Manchester Airport and Chester will both be Northern Connect routes, as will York to Blackpool so the Southport service will be a bit of a strange one being an ordinary Northern service.
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Seen posted elsewhere that LM are expected to take on some of the released FGW 153s and will release their 150/1s, which will allow Northern to take on all the 150/1s by the time FGW are releasing theirs as well.