WM Day Ranger Trip Report 29/10/2022

[Ayman Ilham]

As I've been wanting to do the WM Day Ranger for many years, I decided to do one with the missus tagging along; thought I'd get another rover/ranger done just before the clocks went back. I mainly wanted to tick off Worcester (my whole 'visiting every city' schtick) and then bash a couple of other lines and experience some of the Midlands traction. Initially, I would've wanted to bash a 170 all the way to Hereford but given it's predominantly 172s now and I've already visited Hereford a different way, I'll save it for when the 196s start running on that line. Started with a TfW Off-Peak Return to Crewe (cheapest one to get to the nearest point I can use the ranger) from Manchester, which was surprisingly a 6-car 175 (yes, two 3-car units working multiple to Cardiff - a rare sight with TfW - with one unit splitting off to proceed to Swansea) and used the new Avanti diagrams to my advantage (plenty of fast trains from Crewe to the WM-Conurbation).

Here was the itinerary we ended up doing:
TfW Class 175 Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe
Avanti Class 390 Crewe to Birmingham New St
WMR Class 172 Birmingham New St to Worcester Foregate St
** 1 hour break to explore Worcester City Centre **
WMR Class 172 Worcester Foregate St to Stourbridge Junction
WMR Class 139 Stourbridge Junction to Town Shuttle and Back
WMR Class 172 Stourbridge Junction to Birmingham Moor St
** 1 hour break to have lunch in the Bullring **
Chiltern Class 168 Birmingham Moor St to Leamington Spa
Chiltern Class 165 Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon
** Walked through town and back in half an hour **
WMR Class 172 Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham Moor St
XC Class 220 Birmingham New St to Coventry
Avanti Class 390 Coventry to Crewe
TfW Class 175 Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly

Overall, it was a fun day out, exploring some new places and riding an amazing variety of trains. The Stourbridge Shuttle was a highlight for my wife as she was fascinated by the uniqueness of the Parry People Movers; I found the ride rather interesting myself as well. We ended up riding pretty much all the Snow Hill Lines after exploring Worcester for a bit due to my decision to go to Stratford-upon-Avon instead of ticking off Coventry and Wolverhampton (I can visit those cities another time) in order to make better use of the ranger ticket. The Class 172 was a decent train for regional hops up to an hour, although the seats looked rather bare without armrests or tables on the spacious 2+2 layout. Chiltern Railways definitely had some nice trains, especially given the 168 was just as good as I expected it to be, and the 165 was perfectly suited to rural branch line work. Of course, I was impressed by how stunning Stratford-upon-Avon was, especially how clean and well-kept the town was and the peaceful vibe of the square by the river; definitely somewhere I would visit properly again in the future. In the end, we did manage to squeeze in a quick hop to Coventry to check out the new concourse, which was nice and airy (reminded me of Bolton Interchange Bus Station), although the trains were very crowded between BHM and COV; even with 8 carriages (double Voyager), the XC service became full and standing between BHM and BHI, although we managed to grab a seat quick enough before it filled up. Birmingham's central stations (New St and Moor St) had some really striking contrast which I loved, given one had the vibes of a futuristic airport while the other takes you back in time to a bygone era. Moor Street is rather strange given how it retains its Victorian character in the midst of modernity, but I loved its location right next to the Bullring and World's Largest Primark; it must be extremely convenient for shoppers. But then again, New Street IS a shopping centre!


How have you all used the ranger in the past? I'd love to hear your stories.

 

[Bevan Price]

I have used the West Midlands Day Ranger numerous times, although not since the start of Covid.
Leamington Spa is also worth a visit - allow at least an hour because it is several minutes walk between station & town centre.
Worcester to Hereford has some pleasant scenery, but unfortunately Great Malvern centre needs a longish uphill walk from the station, so I have not done that area.
I have also occasionally purchased an additional day return from Worcester to Evesham, which is also worth an hour or two to visit.
My main use of the day ranger, however, has been to visit several stations in order to photograph trains at different locations.

 

[htafc]

As I've been wanting to do the WM Day Ranger for many years, I decided to do one with the missus tagging along; thought I'd get another rover/ranger done just before the clocks went back. I mainly wanted to tick off Worcester (my whole 'visiting every city' schtick) and then bash a couple of other lines and experience some of the Midlands traction. Initially, I would've wanted to bash a 170 all the way to Hereford but given it's predominantly 172s now and I've already visited Hereford a different way, I'll save it for when the 196s start running on that line. Started with a TfW Off-Peak Return to Crewe (cheapest one to get to the nearest point I can use the ranger) from Manchester, which was surprisingly a 6-car 175 (yes, two 3-car units working multiple to Cardiff - a rare sight with TfW - with one unit splitting off to proceed to Swansea) and used the new Avanti diagrams to my advantage (plenty of fast trains from Crewe to the WM-Conurbation).

Here was the itinerary we ended up doing:
TfW Class 175 Manchester Piccadilly to Crewe
Avanti Class 390 Crewe to Birmingham New St
WMR Class 172 Birmingham New St to Worcester Foregate St
** 1 hour break to explore Worcester City Centre **
View attachment 122920
WMR Class 172 Worcester Foregate St to Stourbridge Junction
WMR Class 139 Stourbridge Junction to Town Shuttle and Back
View attachment 122921
WMR Class 172 Stourbridge Junction to Birmingham Moor St
** 1 hour break to have lunch in the Bullring **
View attachment 122922
Chiltern Class 168 Birmingham Moor St to Leamington Spa
Chiltern Class 165 Leamington Spa to Stratford-upon-Avon
** Walked through town and back in half an hour **
WMR Class 172 Stratford-upon-Avon to Birmingham Moor St
XC Class 220 Birmingham New St to Coventry
Avanti Class 390 Coventry to Crewe
TfW Class 175 Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly

Overall, it was a fun day out, exploring some new places and riding an amazing variety of trains. The Stourbridge Shuttle was a highlight for my wife as she was fascinated by the uniqueness of the Parry People Movers; I found the ride rather interesting myself as well. We ended up riding pretty much all the Snow Hill Lines after exploring Worcester for a bit due to my decision to go to Stratford-upon-Avon instead of ticking off Coventry and Wolverhampton (I can visit those cities another time) in order to make better use of the ranger ticket. The Class 172 was a decent train for regional hops up to an hour, although the seats looked rather bare without armrests or tables on the spacious 2+2 layout. Chiltern Railways definitely had some nice trains, especially given the 168 was just as good as I expected it to be, and the 165 was perfectly suited to rural branch line work. Of course, I was impressed by how stunning Stratford-upon-Avon was, especially how clean and well-kept the town was and the peaceful vibe of the square by the river; definitely somewhere I would visit properly again in the future. In the end, we did manage to squeeze in a quick hop to Coventry to check out the new concourse, which was nice and airy (reminded me of Bolton Interchange Bus Station), although the trains were very crowded between BHM and COV; even with 8 carriages (double Voyager), the XC service became full and standing between BHM and BHI, although we managed to grab a seat quick enough before it filled up. Birmingham's central stations (New St and Moor St) had some really striking contrast which I loved, given one had the vibes of a futuristic airport while the other takes you back in time to a bygone era. Moor Street is rather strange given how it retains its Victorian character in the midst of modernity, but I loved its location right next to the Bullring and World's Largest Primark; it must be extremely convenient for shoppers. But then again, New Street IS a shopping centre!

View attachment 122931View attachment 122929
How have you all used the ranger in the past? I'd love to hear your stories.

Excellent. Sounds like a great day out, and a wide-ranging ranger!

 

[Sunil_P]

I did the whole West Midlands Day Ranger map over several weeks in early 2014, plus the Severn Valley.

 

[Techniquest]

Given I'm in Hereford, I've done a number of WMDRs over the years. I did one earlier this year, and it took on all sorts from memory. 30th June 2022 I see in my notes, and it was a combination of trains and cycling. It featured amongst other things 68014, as well as my first actual visit to Leamington Spa but it still needs more looking around, same for Warwick which is also being done on a walking expedition one day. The day should have been clearer in mind, as it was the day I finally cleared the 1,250km cycling challenge on Strava. The day after, I came down with Covid!

Every WMDR has a different objective, to be honest. In the past, they've been used to tick off stations/trains on many occasions, and once I even used a WMDR as the most cost-effective way to position myself for a part-fare on a railtour!

As for your trip, it sounds like you had a great time! How did you find Worcester? Lots to go and see/do there, depending on interests! Stratford-upon-Avon is nice, I agree, and if you go back the Stratford Greenway is good to do

Coventry, I recommend a look at the cathedral which is nice, but I have to say I haven't seen much in Coventry to rush there for!

 

[Ayman Ilham]

I have used the West Midlands Day Ranger numerous times, although not since the start of Covid.
Leamington Spa is also worth a visit - allow at least an hour because it is several minutes walk between station & town centre.
Worcester to Hereford has some pleasant scenery, but unfortunately Great Malvern centre needs a longish uphill walk from the station, so I have not done that area.
I have also occasionally purchased an additional day return from Worcester to Evesham, which is also worth an hour or two to visit.
My main use of the day ranger, however, has been to visit several stations in order to photograph trains at different locations.

I might have to check out Leamington Spa next time I bash a Chiltern train with the WMDR then. Also, I was definitely thinking of Worcester to Hereford, but due to the current 172 takeover and how long it would take out of the day, I decided I'll save it for next summer when the 196s will be on the route. I could also consider an additional day return from Northampton to MK Central, given how wildly different MK is in its design from other city centres; unlike most people, I really dig the modern vibe.

Every WMDR has a different objective, to be honest. In the past, they've been used to tick off stations/trains on many occasions, and once I even used a WMDR as the most cost-effective way to position myself for a part-fare on a railtour!

As for your trip, it sounds like you had a great time! How did you find Worcester? Lots to go and see/do there, depending on interests! Stratford-upon-Avon is nice, I agree, and if you go back the Stratford Greenway is good to do

Coventry, I recommend a look at the cathedral which is nice, but I have to say I haven't seen much in Coventry to rush there for!

Worcester was a rather nice city if you ask me; we mainly walked down the street after alighting at Foregate Street, as well as through the Crowngate Shopping Centre (loved the integrated bus station underground) to the A44 bridge across the Severn, followed by a walk towards the Cathedral along the riverside, then back up the high street. The riverside was especially nice, and it was quite interesting that one prominent spire was left behind to stand when the rest of the church that surrounded it was knocked down. As for Coventry, I just like how well the city centre is designed, given it was modernised following its destruction in the war and now they seemed to have made the station approach leading to the city centre much more walkable. The latter also appears to be the case for Wolverhampton.

 

[Techniquest]

I agree completely on the approach to Coventry station, I did it in the summer and the difference from the past was incredible!

Sounds like a good walk in Worcester, took in some highlights for sure. Good call on leaving the Worcester to Hereford line until the 196s enter service, although I do recommend a few hours to explore the Malvern Hills. Truly wonderful to do, I go at least once a year. Plenty of them that I haven't done yet too!

 

[Ayman Ilham]

It's been 3 months since the trip but I've finally got round to editing the video for it (rarely find time for that these days)

 

[Techniquest]

I will have a look this evening, as I've seen this pop up but I'm getting ready to head out for a mini adventure. Good to hear the video is ready though, it might inspire me to return to the Midlands!