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Plenty of people coming from South Yorkshire etc not been happy for a while about losing their direct Man Airport service, feeling like going into Manchester and dealing with P13/14 is a pain that some aren’t willing to bear with. How about using a dedicated bus link with through rail tickets to help people from Stoke and Sheffield directions to get to Man Airport without finding a way into central Manchester? Spreads the passengers around a bit I’d hope, making that journey to the airport a little more attractive.
I’m aware of the 199 bus service, but at least maybe some extras between Stockport and the airport would be useful to plug the gaps.
Plenty of people coming from South Yorkshire etc not been happy for a while about losing their direct Man Airport service, feeling like going into Manchester and dealing with P13/14 is a pain that some aren’t willing to bear with. How about using a dedicated bus link with through rail tickets to help people from Stoke and Sheffield directions to get to Man Airport without finding a way into central Manchester? Spreads the passengers around a bit I’d hope, making that journey to the airport a little more attractive.
I’m aware of the 199 bus service, but at least maybe some extras between Stockport and the airport would be useful to plug the gaps.
I think through tickets involving the 199 would be a good idea. The 199 could be diverted round Stockport station approach once an hour to connect with any Sheffield trains
Plenty of people coming from South Yorkshire etc not been happy for a while about losing their direct Man Airport service, feeling like going into Manchester and dealing with P13/14 is a pain that some aren’t willing to bear with.
Not all services from Manchester Piccadilly to/from Manchester Airport today used platform 13/14. Although most trains did, to be fair, some however used platforms 9/12 instead.
Plenty of people coming from South Yorkshire etc not been happy for a while about losing their direct Man Airport service, feeling like going into Manchester and dealing with P13/14 is a pain that some aren’t willing to bear with. How about using a dedicated bus link with through rail tickets to help people from Stoke and Sheffield directions to get to Man Airport without finding a way into central Manchester? Spreads the passengers around a bit I’d hope, making that journey to the airport a little more attractive.
I’m aware of the 199 bus service, but at least maybe some extras between Stockport and the airport would be useful to plug the gaps.
Not all services from Manchester Piccadilly to/from Manchester Airport today used platform 13/14. Although most trains did, to be fair, some however used platforms 9/12 instead.
During TRU works there has been a 1 per hour Huddersfield - Stockport - Airport rail replacement bus (see at RTT link below).
I wonder how effective that is as a trial of this idea, I wonder if any passengers who would otherwise go via Piccadilly are using it (Booked to take 20 minutes by bus vs 10+change+15 by train)
There's probably enough capacity on the 199 to at least trial this. It's hasn't seemed that busy between Manchester Airport and Stockport when I've been on it at different times of day although some Airport staff do use it. I don't think the 199 would even need to be diverted, it's not that much of a walk from where it stops Southbound on the A6 near Stockport station at the Grand Central stop . I've only taken the train from Manchester to Stockport and then transferred to the Buxton bound 199 last year though.
I suppose the only real issue would be hordes of potential passengers from Sheffield making it even more unreliable at Stockport though as it often needs to catch up time between Stockport and the Airport.
There's probably enough capacity on the 199 to at least trial this. It's hasn't seemed that busy between Manchester Airport and Stockport when I've been on it at different times of day although some Airport staff do use it. I don't think the 199 would even need to be diverted, it's not that much of a walk from where it stops Southbound on the A6 near Stockport station at the Grand Central stop . I've only taken the train from Manchester to Stockport and then transferred to the Buxton bound 199 last year though.
I suppose the only real issue would be hordes of potential passengers from Sheffield making it even more unreliable at Stockport though as it often needs to catch up time between Stockport and the Airport.
Indeed, I suspect you'd need Stockport - Manchester Airport extras operated by the local Bee Network franchisee.
High Peak can't really go for double deckers because of the numerous low bridges and narrow roads that it can take, and it's a bit far for them to deadhead extra buses all the way from Dove Holes to Stockport. 2bph Buxton to Stockport is the max it can realistically support.
If there was a permanent stopper via Hazel Grove, I suspect an express Bee Network bus HG station - Poynton station - Manchester Airport would be quite popular with locals and travellers from Sheffield wanting the airport.
I don’t get what’s the issue with going to platform 13/14 at Piccadilly. At least it’s got travelators to assist. That’s not the case walking to the bus stop at Stockport. Also most of the time it would be a simple cross platform change.
I don’t get what’s the issue with going to platform 13/14 at Piccadilly. At least it’s got travelators to assist. That’s not the case walking to the bus stop at Stockport. Also most of the time it would be a simple cross platform change.
Platforms 13 and 14 at Piccadilly have long established overcrowding issues, and, as P15/16 seem to have been kicked into the long grass, it isn't going to get any better any time soon.
So if we can divert the significant Sheffield to Man Airport flow via Stockport and the 199 or other alternative link, it reduces the pressure on P13/P14.
Is it not in anyway feasible to build a chord from any direction to get Sheffield /SY services onto the Heald Green Line so they don’t have to go to central Manchester. As someone else has suggested Stoke stuff could quite easily go via Crewe.
But who would travel from Sheffield to Stockport by train then exit the station and walk (possibly in bad weather) to the A6 with luggage to catch the 199 bus to the Airport which only runs every 30 minutes and is prone to delays between Buxton and Stockport?
Needs a dedicated airport bus from Stockport to have any hope of picking up passengers to the airport, but who pays for it is another matter!
Platforms 13 and 14 at Piccadilly have long established overcrowding issues, and, as P15/16 seem to have been kicked into the long grass, it isn't going to get any better any time soon.
So if we can divert the significant Sheffield to Man Airport flow via Stockport and the 199 or other alternative link, it reduces the pressure on P13/P14.
Can only speak from my own travels over the last 30 odd years and yes there’s overcrowding but it wouldn’t bother me enough to change my travel pattern. It’s pretty straightforward.
Is it not in anyway feasible to build a chord from any direction to get Sheffield /SY services onto the Heald Green Line so they don’t have to go to central Manchester. As someone else has suggested Stoke stuff could quite easily go via Crewe.
Why would you want to divert the services away from central Manchester? Surely most of the demand would be for Manchester city centre (or for onward connections) rather than the airport?
Is it not in anyway feasible to build a chord from any direction to get Sheffield /SY services onto the Heald Green Line so they don’t have to go to central Manchester. As someone else has suggested Stoke stuff could quite easily go via Crewe.
Technically, you could reverse at Stockport onto the Altrincham line and then build a chord in Cheadle onto the Styal/Heald Green Line near Gatley station. It would require a lot of property demolition to fit the chord in, and would be impossible to timetable, because you would be reversing across the entire station throat at Stockport.
Therefore, a direct Sheffield to Man Airport service is functionally impossible with anything close to the current infrastructure we have. There has been documented TfGM plans for a Stockport to Man Airport tram train though I believe, which is much easier to achieve.
But who would travel from Sheffield to Stockport by train then exit the station and walk (possibly in bad weather) to the A6 with luggage to catch the 199 bus to the Airport which only runs every 30 minutes and is prone to delays between Buxton and Stockport?
Needs a dedicated airport bus from Stockport to have any hope of picking up passengers to the airport, but who pays for it is another matter!
I did suggest extra 199 shorts operated by a more local operator than High Peak, and you could easily start them from the eastern station forecourt if you wanted.
It wouldn't take too much resource to make it commercially viable, you could run one every 30 mins filling in the gaps between the maximum of 2tph Buxton to Man Airport on the current 199.
The journey could be reliably done in about 20 mins with stops at the new Bus Interchange and Georges Road in Stockport, before running non-stop straight to the airport.
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Can only speak from my own travels over the last 30 odd years and yes there’s overcrowding but it wouldn’t bother me enough to change my travel pattern. It’s pretty straightforward.
It wouldn't necessarily bother you as a rail staff member, but changing using P13/P14 isn't particularly pleasant and providing South Yorks passengers a shorter alternative to Man Airport that helps reduce overcrowding at Man Picc is only a good thing.
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