Birmingham > Liverpool Saturday Evenings

[Roverman]

Anyone know why there is a such a poor service between these two cities on a Saturday? The LAST DIRECT train is 20:01, followed by a train at 20:57 where one has to change at STA to get to Liverpool. After that it doesn't seem possible to get any further than Chester where one must then get a Merseyrail but that only gets as far as Hooton!

Frankly this 'service' between two major cities is unacceptable, especially when one can stay in Brum until 22:31 and still get back to places like Stafford, S-O-T, Macclesfield or even Manchester Piccadilly and I actually think that's rather early!

If we look at it the other way, the last train from LIV to BHM is 21:34. Better but still not brilliant.

As an indirect comparison one can travel home from London to Billericay in Essex as late as 00:50 or Brighton to Chichester until 23:14, even in Wales you can leave Cardiff as late as 23:08 and still get home to Swansea!

 

[All Line Rover]

The last direct service from our capital city to Stoke is at 20:20. To Crewe and Manchester, at 21:00.

Many routes have early finishes on Saturday evenings. Liverpool to Birmingham is no exception.

One of the justifications for this appears to be the facilitation of longer periods of overnight engineering work.

 

[tractakid]

Interesting when the opposite applies- last train to Watford Junction is 0134 on weekday nights, but 0200 on a Saturday night. (of course all these are on the following calendar date)

This thread could do with moving forum too.

 

[t0ffeeman]

The last LM train on the mainline on a Sat is 0015. The 0200 service is formed of a LO train and goes up the DC to Watford, hence the extra time to get there

 

[tractakid]

Yes, I understood it was operated by London Overground staff- but it's still a train that gets you back to WFJ later than on a weekday.

 

[Roverman]

I did wonder how long before the pedant police would decide this was in the wrong forum, I actually couldn't decide and placed it here as it seemed the best overall.

A-L-R-you are quoting trains from London up to the North West, a minimum 2.5 hour if not 3 hour trip, hence the 8-9pm start.

Liverpool is around 1hr 45 from Birmingham so the last train should a be a lot closer to 22:30 IMO, during the week there is a 22:36, they could offer that on Saturday Nights.

Tractakid has hit the nail on the head. The average punter doesn't care what TOC is running the train, but what time the last train is.

 

[sonic2009]

The last LM train on the mainline on a Sat is 0015. The 0200 service is formed of a LO train and goes up the DC to Watford, hence the extra time to get there

It's operated by London Midland, who use a 378 and LO staff

Train to Watford & bus connections up the WCML to Milton Keynes.

 

[Eagle]

Two buses in fact, the slower of which gets to MKC just in time to form the first bus service of Sunday morning.

 

[kieron]

Frankly this 'service' between two major cities is unacceptable, especially when one can stay in Brum until 22:31 and still get back to places like Stafford, S-O-T, Macclesfield or even Manchester Piccadilly and I actually think that's rather early!

If you catch the Manchester train, a National Express bus goes to Liverpool from there at 00:30, reaching the city centre at 01:45. This is well after the last Northern train to Liverpool.

Saturday night isn't an especially popular time for people to make long distance journeys, so I doubt this is a high priority for the DfT.