Sunday Manc-Leeds Line Closures Aug 2016

[moose2001]

Over the past few weeks, the mainline between Manchester and Leeds has been closed on Sundays due to works. Could not find a mention of it in the National Rail Engineering Works pages. Due to open again Sunday 28 August. Does anyone know what the closure is for and why the pages have not been updated as normal? TIA

 

[Iskra]

There are some diverted trains via Rochdale and Salford Crescent. Roughly every other train looked to be running from Dewsbury but diverted, with some bustitution when I booked for Sunday the 21st.

Perhaps due to the fact that services are still running, but diverted it doesn't need to be advertised as closed.

 

[notlob.divad]

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/123920.aspx

Ta da

 

[1D53]

Annual works in Standedge plus some electrification prep work.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

NCL-LIV 3 car and YRK/MBR-MIA 6 car run via calder valley while SCA and HUL services terminate @ HUD.

 

[alexl92]

There are some diverted trains via Rochdale and Salford Crescent. Roughly every other train looked to be running from Dewsbury but diverted, with some bustitution when I booked for Sunday the 21st.

Perhaps due to the fact that services are still running, but diverted it doesn't need to be advertised as closed.

If the services are diverted they're going to take longer, in which case passengers need prior warning to plan their journeys appropriately - surely TOCs and NR have a duty to advertise this stuff?

(Not having a go at you Iskra!)

 

[Dr Hoo]

TransPennine have produced posters for the changes, with a map. I saw these at Manchester Piccadilly and elsewhere on two recent Sunday's when making journeys on the diverted services. It all seemed to work very smoothly with no confused or distressed passengers. Good announcements from guards explaining about reversal at Salford Crescent and so on.

The message clearly got across.

 

[BurtonM]

Down here at Stalybridge the rail replacement buses of a Sunday are better timetabled than the actual rail services usually are - good on whoever saw how idiotic the service pattern is and did something about it.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

If the services are diverted they're going to take longer, in which case passengers need prior warning to plan their journeys appropriately - surely TOCs and NR have a duty to advertise this stuff?

(Not having a go at you Iskra!)

They are not changes to the advertised timetable though. The timetable, when published, showed these times. The times the trains are running is what is shown in the printed and published timetables, so there are no changes to the timetable to advertise.

 

[zuriblue]

TransPennine have produced posters for the changes, with a map. I saw these at Manchester Piccadilly and elsewhere on two recent Sunday's when making journeys on the diverted services. It all seemed to work very smoothly with no confused or distressed passengers. Good announcements from guards explaining about reversal at Salford Crescent and so on.

The message clearly got across.

TPE have also produced a revised timetable booklet which shows the changes on Sundays.

https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/mediafile/100425684/tt_north_insides_15may-23oct2016_48pp.pdf

 

[moose2001]

Thank you for the replies. I had searched at NR under TPE for changes to the published timetable but came up blank. Obviously I did it wrong. I was also aware that the line was closed as I checked the times before travelling.

What I have found amusing is that each Sunday on leaving Manchester Victoria to go to Manc Piccadilly - 500m as the pigeon flies that currently takes 20 minutes - one or two people get up and stand by the door. Optimistic I think. Roll on December 2017.

 

[CheshireCrusty]

What I have found amusing is that each Sunday on leaving Manchester Victoria to go to Manc Piccadilly - 500m as the pigeon flies that currently takes 20 minutes.

Very strange pigeon - it is 1.2 Km concourse to concourse or 1.5 Km from platform to platform as the crow flies!

For once, if in a hurry they might actually be quicker using Metrolink - about 12/15 minutes depending on wait time. It is also in the free zone if ticketed to Manchester Central Zone stations.

 

[Iskra]

If the services are diverted they're going to take longer, in which case passengers need prior warning to plan their journeys appropriately - surely TOCs and NR have a duty to advertise this stuff?

(Not having a go at you Iskra!)

There were warnings when I booked; some services were advertised as a bus. The longer journey times were also displayed on the services that are diverted.

As an enthusiast on the way to the airport for a continental railtour on a dirt cheap advance 1st class ticket, I was quite happy with the longer journey time taking in an unusual route

 

[Boysteve]

Depending on pathing of other trains they don't actually take much longer, certainly Westbound. I traveled on the 19:44 from Leeds last Sunday and it pulled into Manc Vic at 20:37, just 53 minutes late with a stop in Dewsbury.
Strangely (for me) the TPEx website was selling the Manchester to Leeds return via Hebden Bridge tickets which are £3 cheaper than the 'any permitted route' tickets. These cheaper tickets are usually a way for Northern to poach a few TPEx customers who do not mind the longer journey times in return for a £3 saving. My understanding of the rules was that a train had to actually stop at Hebden Bridge for these tickets to be valid but apparently not.

 

[Starmill]

The rule is exactly as it says, the train must go via Hebden Bridge. More specifically you must use a permitted route that passes through Hebden Bridge, if there is one. Definitely no need for it to stop.

 

[lincolnshire]

Well next Sunday 21st August is the last of weekend works also no trains between Stalybridge and Manchester Victoria next Saturday.

So back to a Sunday service then from Bank Holiday weekend.