Trip Report - Wrexham from the north - 2024/04/20

[duffield]

​

Leg

From

Dep. WTT

Dep. Real

To

Arr. WTT

Arr. Real

Distance

ID

Oper

Origin

Destination

Class

Car.

Loading

Ref.

1

Nottingham

0854

OT

Derby

0924

0925+1

16m0c

2A14

EM

Nottingham

Matlock

170

2

Light

2

Derby

0931

OT

Birmingham New Street

1004

1007+3

41m20c

1V48

XC

Newcastle

Plymouth

221

4

Medium

*1

3

Birmingham New Street

1030

1039+9

Stafford

1101

1115+14

28m15c

1M29

XC

Birmingham New Street

Manchester Piccadilly

221

5

Medium

*1,2

4

Stafford

1124

OT

Chester

1205

1204-1

45m50c

1D84

VT

London Euston

Bangor

221

5+5

Light

*1

5

Chester

1221

1222+1

Wrexham General

1234

1235+1

12m18c

1V96

AW

Bangor

Cardiff Central

158

2

Medium

6

Wrexham General

1250

OT

Wrexham Central

1253

OT

0m49c

2J66

AW

Bidston

Wrexham Central

197

2

Light

7

Wrexham Central

1305

OT

Bidston

1403

1405+2

27m40c

2F72

AW

Wrexham Central

Bidston

197

2

Light

*3

8

Bidston

1421

OT

Liverpool Lime Street

1438

OT

5m12c

2W31

ME

West Kirby

West Kirby

777

4

Medium

*4

9

Liverpool Lime Street

1451

OT

Nottingham

1730

1733+3

118m0c

1L14

EM

Liverpool Lime Street

Norwich

158

2+2

Medium

*5

ALL

Nottingham

0854

OT

Nottingham

1730

1733+3

294m44c

Notes:
*1: No catering in 1st on either of the XC services or the front unit of the Arriva service.
*2: XC services between Bristol and Birmingham were disrupted due to a rail defect, so 1M29 was cancelled on that part of the route, and instead was formed at Birmingham by truncating and turning round 1V49 (0903 Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads). As a result it was not nearly as heavily loaded as expected.
*3: Bidston station seems a bit bleak and isolated, maybe it only exists because it is the interchange from the Wrexham line to Merseyrail - the nearby Birkenhead North seems much better positioned for locals. The service from Wrexham arrived two minutes late, one minute before the 1406 Merseyrail service was due to depart from the same island, but the doors were not opened until the Merseyrail service actually left. Not sure if this was to prevent a rush of passengers trying to make the connection and delaying the 1406? As the Merseyrail service is every 15 minutes it’s not really an issue anyhow.
*4: These services are circulars from West Kirby to West Kirby via the Liverpool one-way city loop, the destination shows as Liverpool Central when joining at Bidston.
*5: The Liverpool to Norwich service was fairly quiet initially but as expected got pretty cosy in the Manchester area.

Photo: Bidston Dee Junction from Bidston island platform, Wrexham line to the left, West Kirby line straight ahead

 

[Djgr]

​

Leg

From

Dep. WTT

Dep. Real

To

Arr. WTT

Arr. Real

Distance

ID

Oper

Origin

Destination

Class

Car.

Loading

Ref.

1

Nottingham

0854

OT

Derby

0924

0925+1

16m0c

2A14

EM

Nottingham

Matlock

170

2

Light

2

Derby

0931

OT

Birmingham New Street

1004

1007+3

41m20c

1V48

XC

Newcastle

Plymouth

221

4

Medium

*1

3

Birmingham New Street

1030

1039+9

Stafford

1101

1115+14

28m15c

1M29

XC

Birmingham New Street

Manchester Piccadilly

221

5

Medium

*1,2

9

Stafford

1124

OT

Chester

1205

1204-1

45m50c

1D84

VT

London Euston

Bangor

221

5+5

Light

*1

Chester

1221

1222+1

Wrexham General

1234

1235+1

12m18c

1V96

AW

Bangor

Cardiff Central

158

2

Medium

Wrexham General

1250

OT

Wrexham Central

1253

OT

0m49c

2J66

AW

Bidston

Wrexham Central

197

2

Light

Wrexham Central

1305

OT

Bidston

1403

1405+2

27m40c

2F72

AW

Wrexham Central

Bidston

197

2

Light

*3

Bidston

1421

OT

Liverpool Lime Street

1438

OT

5m12c

2W31

ME

West Kirby

West Kirby

777

4

Medium

*4

Liverpool Lime Street

1451

OT

Nottingham

1730

1733+3

118m0c

1L14

EM

Liverpool Lime Street

Norwich

158

2+2

Medium

*5

ALL

Nottingham

0854

OT

Nottingham

1730

1733+3

294m44c

Notes:
*1: No catering in 1st on either of the XC services or the front unit of the Arriva service.
*2: XC services between Bristol and Birmingham were disrupted due to a rail defect, so 1M29 was cancelled on that part of the route, and instead was formed at Birmingham by truncating and turning round 1V49 (0903 Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol Temple Meads). As a result it was not nearly as heavily loaded as expected.
*3: Bidston station seems a bit bleak and isolated, maybe it only exists because it is the interchange from the Wrexham line to Merseyrail - the nearby Birkenhead North seems much better positioned for locals. The service from Wrexham arrived two minutes late, one minute before the 1406 Merseyrail service was due to depart from the same island, but the doors were not opened until the Merseyrail service actually left. Not sure if this was to prevent a rush of passengers trying to make the connection and delaying the 1406? As the Merseyrail service is every 15 minutes it’s not really an issue anyhow.
*4: These services are circulars from West Kirby to West Kirby via the Liverpool one-way city loop, the destination shows as Liverpool Central when joining at Bidston.
*5: The Liverpool to Norwich service was fairly quiet initially but as expected got pretty cosy in the Manchester area.

Photo: Bidston Dee Junction from Bidston island platform, Wrexham line to the left, West Kirby line straight ahead
View attachment 156935

Apart from connections to Wrexham, Bidston serves as a park and ride, albeit not as busy as Birkenhead North.

It is less bleak inside the waiting room, which to the chagrin of some of this forum, is to my knowledge open when the ticket office is i.e., always.

 

[duffield]

When I was there the waiting room was open but the ticket office was closed (shutters down).

Unfortunate for the guy on the Wrexham to Bidston service, who tried to buy a ticket to Lime Street from the guard but was told there was not enough time and to buy at the office (we were literally passing over Dee Junction at the time). So he ended up ticketless at Lime Street, I didn't see how he got on at the barriers.

 

[Djgr]

When I was there the waiting room was open but the ticket office was closed (shutters down).

Unfortunate for the guy on the Wrexham to Bidston service, who tried to buy a ticket to Lime Street from the guard but was told there was not enough time and to buy at the office (we were literally passing over Dee Junction at the time). So he ended up ticketless at Lime Street, I didn't see how he got on at the barriers.

Difficult to see how there wasn't time when the train was still in a different country!

 

[duffield]

Difficult to see how there wasn't time when the train was still in a different country!

I guess I wasn't clear, we were just 30 seconds from Bidston, where the Wrexham train terminated, when the guy tried to buy a ticket from the TfW guard about 30 seconds before he needed to change onto Merseyrail.