Option A has the fewest change from December 2019 of the three options.
• Most existing origins and destinations are retained, particularly for Newcastle to Piccadilly and Sheffield to Airport journeys.
• Some standardisation is possible in this option, for example Blackpool trains to Hazel Grove, with 4 trains per hour being provided all day from Bolton to the south of Manchester. Cumbria to Manchester Airport trains (currently routed via Wigan) instead run via Bolton.
• The current pattern of TPE Scottish, North route and South route services remain.
• Services through Victoria have been linked to reduce the number of terminating trains at this busy station, with more trains running through (e.g. Wigan – Leeds via Bradford).
• The Transport for Wales service from North Wales and Chester train is re-routed from Manchester Piccadilly and the airport to operate to Stalybridge via Victoria.
• South Manchester stays largely consistent with the December 2019 plan, but Buxton services are reduced to an hourly service outside the peak periods. The Southport service to Alderley Edge is split into a Southport to Victoria service and Piccadilly to Alderley Edge service.
Option B is a variant that maintains Airport connectivity for Liverpool and North Wales. The Cleethorpes/Nottingham service via Sheffield to Liverpool is increased to a standard 2 trains per hour. This means there is no longer a through service from Sheffield to Manchester Airport; a movement which is very operationally challenging at Manchester Piccadilly. Passengers from Warrington Central would also need to change at Piccadilly to access the Airport.
• Stopping trains on the line from Warrington Central are split at Warrington rather than running through from Liverpool, and run at only one per hour off-peak, calling at all stations. This offers an improved pattern for most stations rather than the present pattern of alternate hours at some smaller stations. The two Liverpool-Sheffield services would call at the larger intermediate stations such as Birchwood, Irlam and Urmston.
• There is some standardisation of paths at Manchester Victoria, with 2 trains per hour from Victoria to Leeds via Bradford. Southport trains run to Stalybridge/Victoria all day.
• There is some standardisation of services south of Manchester. One TPE Ordsall Chord train (i.e. that travels to Manchester Airport) is terminated at Victoria, all day.
• In the peak periods, Wigan has a fast hourly service to the south side of Manchester.
• On the Bolton line, the Scotland to Manchester Airport service calls every hour at Bolton and Chorley.
• To the south of Manchester, Buxton would retain two services per hour, but the Crewe line local station services would both be diverted to run via Styal/Manchester Airport.
Option C makes the most interventions and moves closest to 30-minute frequencies on most of the corridors into Manchester, including services on the Blackburn, Calder Valley, Chorley, Wigan, Buxton, Chester via Warrington Bank Quay, Airport (stopping) and Crewe lines.
As for Option B, the Cleethorpes/Nottingham service via Sheffield to Liverpool becomes 2 services per hour, meaning there is no direct service from Sheffield to Manchester Airport – a move that is very operationally challenging at Manchester Piccadilly.
• Stopping trains on the line from Warrington Central are split at Warrington rather than running through from Liverpool, and run at only one per hour off-peak, calling at all stations. This offers an improved pattern for most stations rather than the present pattern of alternatehoursatsomesmallerstations. ThetwoLiverpool-Sheffield services would call at the larger intermediate stations such as Birchwood, Irlam and Urmston.
• In this option, there would be no direct service from either Sheffield or Liverpool to Manchester Airport.
• In peak periods, one train per hour would run via the Ordsall Chord to Manchester Airport. The train from Newcastle would terminate at Manchester Victoria. Off-peak, the train will run to Manchester Airport.
• The TfW North Wales and Chester service also loses its direct airport link, with the service instead diverted to run to Manchester Piccadilly via Knutsford. This offers a new semi-fast service on the Mid-Cheshire line in addition to the existing hourly service.
• There would be regular calls in the Scotland and Cumbria trains at Bolton and Chorley, with these services running at 30 minute intervals.
• Chester would have two trains per hour to Manchester Victoria at 30 minute intervals, continuing on to Leeds.
• In the peak periods Wigan maintains a fast hourly service to the south of Manchester.
• To the south of Manchester, Buxton retains two trains per hour.
• The Crewe line local station services run at 30 minute intervals and call at all stations, and run via Manchester Airport.
