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When will Castleford - Wakefield - Huddersfield services be fully restored?

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tbtc

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In terms of time, that's rather nearer the traipse via Leeds, than the train service which is around half an hour.

Agreed, but I don't think there's a huge demand for fast services between the two (which is why one of the big selling points for the Huddersfield - Westgate service used to be that it gave connections to GNER/ NXEC/ EC/ VTEC services at Westgate - i.e. more people on the Huddersfield train were using it to connect to ECML services rather than to go to Wakefield itself) - which is why the bus service is more about connecting intermediate villages than the Huddersfield - Wakefield journey time

I can't remember any express services in the past, whilst some other West Yorkshire places did at least have that (e.g. the X33 linked Wakefield with Dewsbury and Leeds) - obviously there are still other "fast" bus services like the X63 from Huddersfield to Bradford and the X6 from Bradford to Leeds - it's just that Huddersfield to Wakefield doesn't seem like enough of a market (possibly because the two places are too similar, there's no huge need to leave one for the other)
 
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Peterthegreat

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I don't think we need to resort to conspiracy theories - but (if we are talking about the Swinton area then) the subsidised railway has meant that the directly competing bus routes have dwindled away over the years since there's no way that commercial bus services could compete - from memory Swinton to Sheffield was the X40/X90 (X91?) - once with bendibuses - but the only Sheffield route that runs in that area is the X78 (which runs direct from Rotherham to Conisbrough, avoiding the dog-leg that the railway takes via Swinton, but serving a lot of suburban Rotherham instead) - there were a handful of contra-peak journeys on the X74 which were more about placing journeys (since the depot in Rotherham was closed, so the 22a/22c Rotherham - Wath circular is operated from Sheffield - plus the minor amount of passengers travelling to the large call centre in the Dearne Valley that I understand has now closed)

The X78 is only half as frequent as it used to be (First used to run it every ten minutes with brand new double deckers in 2007 replaced with brand new double deckers in 2015 with branded seats and other mod-cons - but then reduced to a single decker every twenty minutes - now generally double deckers every twenty minutes)




Damn, beat me to it!

(plenty of Wakefield - Dewsbury buses and Dewsbury - Huddersfield buses, but the direct ones run via Emley/ Flockton)



1h10 roughly

I don't think you are quite right regarding the buses. The "bendibus" was operated by Dearneways and ran from Bolton/Goldthorpe/Thurnscoe/Wath to Sheffield and only skirted Swinton. They were taken over in 1981 and I think the service was withdrawn well before the station reopened in 1990. There was an X90 service from Mexborough to Sheffield via Swinton and Rotherham and at some point a service to Meadowhall. I am not certain when these were withdrawn but it is a long time ago. Given that the bus took over twice as long as the train it is hardly surprising it is no longer running.
 

IanXC

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Given the congestion issues that already occur at Castleford, at least while TRU diversions impact that further, it would make a lot of sense to cut the service back to Wakefield Kirkgate as it previously operated. Exactly the same crew and unit as currently deployed on:

2O97 0620 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
2O62 0703 Huddersfield to Castleford
2O63 0758 Castleford to Huddersfield
2O80 1603 Huddersfield to Castleford
2O81 1658 Castleford to Huddersfield
2O84 1803 Huddersfield to Castleford
2P85 1858 Castleford to Huddersfield

Could run:

0620 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
0703 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
0730 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
0803 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
0830 Kirkgate to Hudddersfield
1603 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
1630 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
1703 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
1730 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
1803 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
1830 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
1903 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
1930 Kirkgate to Huddersfield

(xx30 being a guess based on the fact that this service all day previously operated with one train.)

Seems that would be a much better option for both connectivity and avoiding congestion at Castleford while TRU in ongoing.
 

Glenn1969

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Given the congestion issues that already occur at Castleford, at least while TRU diversions impact that further, it would make a lot of sense to cut the service back to Wakefield Kirkgate as it previously operated. Exactly the same crew and unit as currently deployed on:

2O97 0620 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
2O62 0703 Huddersfield to Castleford
2O63 0758 Castleford to Huddersfield
2O80 1603 Huddersfield to Castleford
2O81 1658 Castleford to Huddersfield
2O84 1803 Huddersfield to Castleford
2P85 1858 Castleford to Huddersfield

Could run:

0620 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
0703 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
0730 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
0803 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
0830 Kirkgate to Hudddersfield
1603 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
1630 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
1703 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
1730 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
1803 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
1830 Kirkgate to Huddersfield
1903 Huddersfield to Kirkgate
1930 Kirkgate to Huddersfield

(xx30 being a guess based on the fact that this service all day previously operated with one train.)

Seems that would be a much better option for both connectivity and avoiding congestion at Castleford while TRU in ongoing.
This service is completely withdrawn and bustituted in the Jan 4th changes. A lot of trains on a lot of routes are cancelled. Do Northern expect another lockdown?
 

yorksrob

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Agreed, but I don't think there's a huge demand for fast services between the two (which is why one of the big selling points for the Huddersfield - Westgate service used to be that it gave connections to GNER/ NXEC/ EC/ VTEC services at Westgate - i.e. more people on the Huddersfield train were using it to connect to ECML services rather than to go to Wakefield itself) - which is why the bus service is more about connecting intermediate villages than the Huddersfield - Wakefield journey time

I can't remember any express services in the past, whilst some other West Yorkshire places did at least have that (e.g. the X33 linked Wakefield with Dewsbury and Leeds) - obviously there are still other "fast" bus services like the X63 from Huddersfield to Bradford and the X6 from Bradford to Leeds - it's just that Huddersfield to Wakefield doesn't seem like enough of a market (possibly because the two places are too similar, there's no huge need to leave one for the other)

I must admit, i'd rather it reverted to Westgate than not resume at all. Though obviously i'd prefer the direct Normy service.
 

Watershed

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I must admit, i'd rather it reverted to Westgate than not resume at all. Though obviously i'd prefer the direct Normy service.
Problem with going from Huddersfield to Westgate is that it conflicts with nearly everything and would tip it just over the half hour mark, meaning you'd need two units.

Not by any means impossible, but it makes it harder to justify.

If only there were a west curve at Westgate!
 

yorksrob

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Problem with going from Huddersfield to Westgate is that it conflicts with nearly everything and would tip it just over the half hour mark, meaning you'd need two units.

Not by any means impossible, but it makes it harder to justify.

If only there were a west curve at Westgate!

Our just send them round my way through Normy again.
 

NorthernSpirit

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There is, of course, nothing to stop a Huddersfield to Goole combined basket case service from being run. Is it better to keep all your bad eggs in one basket?
There's nothing stopping a York to Huddersfield via Castleford service being ran either, infact it could link up with a Huddersfield to Goole combined service using a class 150 - so that's two parly services being covered by one unit.

One other thing is that a station at Horbury Bridge is being proposed to serve both Ossett and Horbury, but with no passenger service (since route retention knowledge will have fallen by the wayside by the time the thing is built) we could be looking at a Thorpe-in-Balne situation.
 
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