Euston to Blackpool 'by 2014'

[MidnightFlyer]

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Blackpool-to-London-link-by.6565388.jp

After electrification, VT will look to run direct services Blackpool-Euston for the first time since May 2003.

 

[Toots]

Its not going to happen,it will be curtailed in the spending review.....

 

[Darandio]

Its not going to happen,it will be curtailed in the spending review.....

Philip Hammond in disguise?

 

[Toots]

No,but believe me,the main focus for regional railways will not be whats being proposed,it will be hanging on to what we've already got!.

 

[tbtc]

After electrification

Say no more.

 

[northwichcat]

I don't think Blackpool-Preston electrification has ever been given a 2014 date. Manchester to Newton-le-Willows was promised by 2012, with Newton-le-Willows to Liverpool next with their being a risk that the eletrification was complete before the 319s are available. Following that Deansgate-Bolton-Leyland was as much of a priority as Preston-Blackpool, but those were both lower priorities than Great Western electrification.

Also note open access company GNWR want to run a Blackpool-London service by 2013 using newly built diesel stock: http://www.alliancerail.co.uk/gnwr/

 

[Toots]

I don't believe the Manchester Liverpool electrification will go ahead either,that said prepatory work is already underway so it will be interesting to see if that money is wasted or not.....

 

[Kingfisher200262]

Also note open access company GNWR want to run a Blackpool-London service by 2013 using newly built diesel stock: http://www.alliancerail.co.uk/gnwr/

Correction... electro-diesel, aka Polaris. Better to use the OHLE for 9/10 of the route than go sooting up the wires.

 

[142094]

Might be implemented by 2114 but of course none of us will be around then, or will we...?

 

[Lampshade]

Well immortality is said to be only 50 years away.

 

[142094]

Didn't they say that 50 years ago?

 

[Crossforth]

Well immortality is said to be only 50 years away.

I don't think I'd want it even if it came about
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I don't think Blackpool-Preston electrification has ever been given a 2014 date.

I think Leeds - York via Cross Gates was promised by then as well but it probably won't happen :?

 

[142094]

I don't think I'd want it even if it came about
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---


I think Leeds - York via Cross Gates was promised by then as well but it probably won't happen :?

Funnily enough a 142 worked the 11.xx York - Blackpool Nth on Monday - I bet it will be running around in 10 years' time and we'll be no nearer electrification or HS2.

 

[Crossforth]

Funnily enough a 142 worked the 11.xx York - Blackpool Nth on Monday - I bet it will be running around in 10 years' time and we'll be no nearer electrification or HS2.

Yeah 142071, I was on it as far as Leeds where they subbed it for 158907

http://yorkshirerail.fotopic.net/p67536956.html
Photo to prove it

 

[142094]

I was tempted to see if it went all the way, glad I didn't.

 

[Crossforth]

I was tempted to see if it went all the way, glad I didn't.

I saw it and thought "You poor souls travelling beyond Leeds". Then the guard announced that they were subbing in a unit at Leeds.

 

[142094]

Few passengers at York looked confused when the normal 158 didn't arrive. Same as when a 153 turned up for the York - Sheffield Dearne Valley service as well.

 

[dk1]

With a little diagram swapping, could a token service not start sooner using a Voyager maybe tagging to/from Chester services at Crewe?

We can always fund electrification by scrapping child benefit altogether

 

[PhilipW]

Although HS2 is many years away, I suspect it will happen (Con or Lab). After Manchester there will have to be an electric connection back to the WCML which, I guess, may well be a connection to the Salford-Bolton-Leyland line. So Manchester-Preston is going to be wired sometime.

Unlike many of this forum, I am not quite so pessimistic that all electrification schemes will be scrapped.

Remember that the Glasgow-Electrification is going ahead full steam (to use a bnice metaphor), financed by borrowing against the Network Rail asset base. Scottish Government couldn't care what Philip Hammond says or does.

If Scottish schemes go ahead and all English schemes are scrapped. Oh dear, what a fuss there will be.

 

[tbtc]

With a little diagram swapping, could a token service not start sooner using a Voyager maybe tagging to/from Chester services at Crewe?

We can always fund electrification by scrapping child benefit altogether

TBH I'm surprised Virgin don't do a token Blackpool service in place of one of the London - Lancaster - London DMU trips. It'd be little use, but be a good political move and they cheap publicity - two things Branson knows all about

 

[dk1]

TBH I'm surprised Virgin don't do a token Blackpool service in place of one of the London - Lancaster - London DMU trips. It'd be little use, but be a good political move and they cheap publicity - two things Branson knows all about

Exactly. After the way Princess dropped Blackpool it would seem to be the very least they could do at little cost. After all this is one of the busiest holiday destinations in the UK.

 

[tbtc]

Exactly. After the way Princess dropped Blackpool it would seem to be the very least they could do at little cost. After all this is one of the busiest holiday destinations in the UK.

Not a busy holiday destination with Londoners (they'd be better doing a Glasgow - Blackpool service, albeit TPE have got there first), but it's still a decent sized town - approx 150,000 (more if you add in Lytham/ Fleetwood) compared to the 65,000 in Wrexham. Plus if things continue like they are there'll be demand from several London football teams to head to the Golden Mile next season too.

 

[The Planner]

Its already been talked about, most of you have already clued on to what could happen.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

For an example of where Lancaster services could go to Blackpool is the 1030 (ex-Euston) for Lancaster a) 1300. This departs Preston at 1242, which conflicts with no current locals on the line to Kirkham & Wesham (before at 1238, after at 1255), so it could maybe do Blackpool non-stop in about 25 mins, but arriving about 1307 as it would catch up to the xx38 service to Blackpool North. Now, at Lancaster, the service departs again at 1339, for Preston at 1356, so the Blackpool could depart at 1325, for Preston around about 1350, this would avoid all trains once more on the route (any later and it would go behind another train from North and an all stations from South)

So basically, it can be done to/from Blackpool

 

[tbtc]

For an example of where Lancaster services could go to Blackpool is the 1030 (ex-Euston) for Lancaster a) 1300. This departs Preston at 1242, which conflicts with no current locals on the line to Kirkham & Wesham (before at 1238, after at 1255), so it could maybe do Blackpool non-stop in about 25 mins, but arriving about 1307 as it would catch up to the xx38 service to Blackpool North. Now, at Lancaster, the service departs again at 1339, for Preston at 1356, so the Blackpool could depart at 1325, for Preston around about 1350, this would avoid all trains once more on the route (any later and it would go behind another train from North and an all stations from South)

So basically, it can be done to/from Blackpool

Interesting. That's the kind of "token" service I was talking about - a direct link, putting Blackpool "on the map" without taking much away from other places.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Interesting. That's the kind of "token" service I was talking about - a direct link, putting Blackpool "on the map" without taking much away from other places.

Can also be done for the other Lancaster terminator during the day, and the one in the evening (if it exists: I lost my timetable for it!). Depends which VT want more: an hourly service to Lancaster for the South Lakes, Barrow etc and maybe North Yorks, or a twice-daily service to a 'popular' holiday resort

 

[tbtc]

Can also be done for the other Lancaster terminator during the day, and the one in the evening (if it exists: I lost my timetable for it!). Depends which VT want more: an hourly service to Lancaster for the South Lakes, Barrow etc and maybe North Yorks, or a twice-daily service to a 'popular' holiday resort

It's a tricky balance.

I think Blackpool (and the coastal connurbation) is marginally larger than Lancaster and Morcambe.

Lancaster has a University and is the "railhead" for a large part of the country (albeit not a populous one).

Blackpool has a good connecting service to Preston already (so is similar to Bradford/ Sunderland/ Rotherham etc in being well connected to a bigger place with a mainline train service).

I don't think it's an "either/ or", I think there is room for both to have a London service, but I think Blackpool should be judged as a town with a 150,000 population and ignore the idea of Londoners taking their holidays there (because the extension of that "logic" is that some of the Lancaster terminators should be extended to Morcambe)

 

[Geezertronic]

http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/blackpoolnews/Blackpool-to-London-link-by.6565388.jp

After electrification, VT will look to run direct services Blackpool-Euston for the first time since May 2003.

If rumours are to believed, VT won't have the West Coast services in 2014

 

[87015]

If rumours are to believed, VT won't have the West Coast services in 2014

Which no doubt had a bearing on why they are rolling out this latest bit of spin. Will this service come before or after the 'Heathrow'-Manchester nonsense they were on about the other week? :roll:

 

[yorksrob]

If Scottish schemes go ahead and all English schemes are scrapped. Oh dear, what a fuss there will be.

I'd like to think that that were true. However, it's never stopped London Governments neglecting the "Regional Railways" sector in England before. Look at all those Scottish and Welsh re-openings over the past ten - fifteen years that never happened down here.

The Government can spend all the money it likes on a high speed race track but its benefits will be dwarfed by the economic and social problems that will come about if the RR sector is allowed to deteriorate to any substantial degree.