Raise you to LMS corridor carriage with temp table provided by guard on request with Black 5 at the front!
No - I fold!
Raise you to LMS corridor carriage with temp table provided by guard on request with Black 5 at the front!
No doubt the buses are of a superb standard, but for me it all boils down to journey times to and from Nelson and Burnley into Manc Victoria. The last time I caught the bus it took almost 2 hours to get into Manchester, which unfortunately in this day and age for a 30 mile journey is FAR too long. Yes the traffic was horrific as normal on the M60, but if as Northern Rail claim the final journey time will be under an hour, I for one cannot wait.
Another matter will be the ticket prices that will be offered by Northern Rail once they find rolling stock to run the service and how will this be comparative to those ticket ranges offered by TransDev from Burnley bus station ?
The X43 provides an excellent service at off-peak times but the peak time buses are slow due to congestion in and around Manchester and that's what is putting Burnley residents off getting jobs in Manchester. An hourly Pacer/Sprinter service with well time peak services could change that.
Other benefit of the rail service will be links between intermediate stations and it will likely be a cheaper option to use rail all the way for longer journeys e.g. Burnley to Stoke opposed to a combination of bus and train.
Here are the current fares and it will be interesting to see how these change if at all.
As you may already be aware the engineering work to repair and strengthen the Holme Tunnel has gone extremely well and has been completed one week early.
As a result I am pleased to advise that from Monday 24 March a full train service will resume between York and Blackpool North and between Leeds and Manchester Victoria.
We will be rolling out a full communications plan for our customers from today that will include the attached station poster and leaflets in which we thank them for their patience.
I would personally like to thank you all for your cooperation and feedback during the delivery of this project. The completion of this work means that our services can continue to run through the tunnel and the 20 mph speed limit can be raised to 45 mph making our timetable more robust as well as improving performance.
Kind regards
Pete Myers
Client and Stakeholder Manager
Northern Rail
Here are the current fares and it will be interesting to see how these change if at all.
Indeed. The current cost of an annual season by rail (£2480) is nearly 3 times the cost of an annual ticket for the Witch Way (£840 - which includes the cost of a bus into Burnley/Nelson from many areas too).
These days, when money is indeed a factor to consider, the point you make is most valid. If we are talking about a job with a start time of 0900, it is financially worth making a journey into Manchester on the X43 Lancashire Witch at an earlier time in the morning which is not so involved with rush-hour traffic, as the time differential of a so-called luxury of a shorter time period rail journey is then suitably lessened. However, for those who will insist upon making a rail journey, they cannot then complain they have to pay nearly three times the cost of the X43 bus in order to do so.
Surprisingly, it appears that the most flexible routing (any permitted) is cheaper than tickets which specify via either Preston or Hebden Bridge!
I used to commute from Blackburn to Manchester, often passing an X43. With its steamed up windows and seemingly endless stop/start journey, I thought the bus alternative must have a been like a trip into hell. For those affected however, the "luxury" of a train alternative (at three times cost) would take some swallowing.
I suspect that (at present) any permitted isn't valid via either of Preston or Hebden Bridge, and that is the reason
I suspect that (at present) any permitted isn't valid via either of Preston or Hebden Bridge, and that is the reason
Booking engines allow a connection at Todmorden or Hebden Bridge on an Any Permitted but force the longer journey via Hebden Bridge on the via Hebden Bridge ticket (though I'd expect a ticket priced higher than Any Permitted to be valid on both these variants).
The connection at Tod isn't much use until at least December though!
So presumably that's only valid with a change at Blackburn and onward travel via Bolton then? As I can't figure out any other route that would be possible!
The connection at Tod isn't much use until at least December though!
Picked up a WYPTE Metro Rail map at Wakefield Westgate today which shows the Tod curve, even though a train eventually traversing it will only serve Walsden & Tod in West Yorks!
I thought the Walsden call was temporary, and will cease once the 'full' Tod Curve service extends to Blackburn (rather than just using the curve as a turnback siding!).
Perhaps they have in mind a 'new' station at Portsmouth or Cornholme, which would be in their territory, although presumably mostly used for journeys to Manchester!
I thought the Walsden call was temporary, and will cease once the 'full' Tod Curve service extends to Blackburn (rather than just using the curve as a turnback siding!).
Booking engines allow a connection at Todmorden or Hebden Bridge on an Any Permitted but force the longer journey via Hebden Bridge on the via Hebden Bridge ticket (though I'd expect a ticket priced higher than Any Permitted to be valid on both these variants).
Does anyone have time to consult the routeing guide? The shortest Blackburn-Manchester Victoria is via Bolton, 24.5 miles.
According to railmiles which already has the Todmorden curve loaded, Blackburn-Victoria via Tod is 39 miles.
I would therefore be interested to see whether (at present) there is a mapped route via Hebden Bridge for this journey.
Does anyone have time to consult the routeing guide? The shortest Blackburn-Manchester Victoria is via Bolton, 24.5 miles.
According to railmiles which already has the Todmorden curve loaded, Blackburn-Victoria via Tod is 39 miles.
I would therefore be interested to see whether (at present) there is a mapped route via Hebden Bridge for this journey.
What you cannot lose sight of is that the successful bid for the monies to reinvigorate the Burnley (not Blackburn) part of East Lancashire (together with the Weaver's Triangle refurbishment project in Burnley) was led by Burnley Council. It is the Burnley area that was supposed to see a direct rail link to Manchester via the Copy Pit line, whereas Blackburn already has such a Manchester connection through the Clitheroe services.
Blackburn was a logical start and finish railway station for the proposed new service, having four platforms.