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Last timetabled departure midweek from Blackburn to Liverpool Lime St. is 21:21 arriving Preston 21:41, and then a ridiculous 1 hour 2 minute wait for the 22:43 Preston to Liverpool Lime St.
There are two later departures from Blackburn to Preston at 22:09 (arriving Preston 22:36) and 22:20 (arriving Preston 22:40), both of which should allow connection to the 22:43 departure from Preston to Liverpool. This would also allow me to see a full 90 minutes of the game at Ewood Park. Has anyone ever made this "untimetabled" journey sucessfully? Where would I stand if I was delayed on the 22:09 ex Blackburn and missed my (last) connection at Preston?
The minimum connection time at preston is 8 minutes. The 2220 arriving 2240 is absolutely not a valid connection and it would be unwise to attempt it as you would not receive any help from the railway in the event of a missed connection.
I think you need to recheck the time table for the 2209 as i can see it arriving at 2236 (which sadly fouls the minimum connection time at Preston by 1 minute so is also not valid).
The 2209 seems fairly reliable overall so there is a likely chance you'd be ok in practise but you must remember you'd be on your own if you missed the connection.
Last timetabled departure midweek from Blackburn to Liverpool Lime St. is 21:21 arriving Preston 21:41, and then a ridiculous 1 hour 2 minute wait for the 22:43 Preston to Liverpool Lime St.
There are two later departures from Blackburn to Preston at 22:09 (arriving Preston 22:36) and 22:20 (arriving Preston 22:40), both of which should allow connection to the 22:43 departure from Preston to Liverpool. This would also allow me to see a full 90 minutes of the game at Ewood Park. Has anyone ever made this "untimetabled" journey sucessfully? Where would I stand if I was delayed on the 22:09 ex Blackburn and missed my (last) connection at Preston?
The minimum connection time is 8 minutes at Preston. You’d be standing at Preston until you got yourself transport unfortunately. You have no right to onward travel or accommodation if you decide to risk an untimetabled connection.
I’d definitely write to Northern and see if the timetable could be tweaked though - that seems a nonsensical situation.
Northern are generally completely uninterested in how their trains connect to their own trains, and certainly not to other operators. a 1 minute change in the last timetable change adds 2 hours to a 1hr15 journey near me. The train is generally at least 3 minutes late (now 4 minutes late) so it is completely ridiculous though i agree that they should at least make them aware.
Good shout, thank you (I did explore this option but foolishly entered Piccadilly instead of Oxford Road). It's a better service too as it gets me to Liverpool South Parkway
I've also sent an email to Northern regarding the silly connection time at Preston and the later (seven minute) connection.
Good shout, thank you (I did explore this option but foolishly entered Piccadilly instead of Oxford Road). It's a better service too as it gets me to Liverpool South Parkway
I've also sent an email to Northern regarding the silly connection time at Preston and the later (seven minute) connection.
Although it's worth noting that it's affected by routine engineering work on Monday-Thursday nights in many weeks.
When the train is cancelled in full, Northern normally run two replacement buses - one which stops at all stations and gets to Liverpool Lime Street at 02:49, nearly 2 hours later than the train would. And another which only stops at Birchwood and Warrington, and hence arrives at 00:45, the same time as the train normally does.
Other weeks the train terminates at Warrington Central, and a bus then runs to Liverpool calling at all stations, arriving at 01:45.
Accordingly, travelling to Liverpool South Parkway will in some weeks mean arriving between 1 and 2 hours later than the train.
If you planned to get the 22:09, I reckon you'd struggle to see all the game at Ewood. It's a good 25 min walk up a hill and bus timetables aren't too reliable once football traffic gets involved.
If the 22:09 stops at Mill Hill (I think it does, but I drive to and from home games these days so my memory is hazy), you'd be able to catch the train from there as it's closer to the ground than Blackburn station.
If you planned to get the 22:09, I reckon you'd struggle to see all the game at Ewood. It's a good 25 min walk up a hill and bus timetables aren't too reliable once football traffic gets involved.
If the 22:09 stops at Mill Hill (I think it does, but I drive to and from home games these days so my memory is hazy), you'd be able to catch the train from there as it's closer to the ground than Blackburn station.
2209 does stop at Mill Hill at 2212 as it's the service from Colne to Preston which i believe serves most stations in the area, not familiar with the stopping patterns around the Blackburn area.
2209 does stop at Mill Hill at 2212 as it's the service from Colne to Preston which i believe serves most stations in the area, not familiar with the stopping patterns around the Blackburn area.
Based on a 19:45 KO and the inevitable added time, I would hope to be away from Ewood Park by approx. 21:35. As an away fan can any locals please advise if Lancashire's finest ever "hold" the away fans in the ground after the final whistle? I'm hoping to make it to the game v Derby on 15th March and I absolutely detest leaving before the end of a game?
I also note that apart from "TrainSplit", non of the other ticketing website show a Blackburn - Liverpool South Parkway service as available via MCO.
Based on a 19:45 KO and the inevitable added time, I would hope to be away from Ewood Park by approx. 21:35. As an away fan can any locals please advise if Lancashire's finest ever "hold" the away fans in the ground after the final whistle? I'm hoping to make it to the game v Derby on 15th March and I absolutely detest leaving before the end of a game?
So the away end (the Darwen End) is the furthest end from both Blackburn and Mill Hill stations. We've started putting away fans in the upper tier of the stand, which will add to the length of time taken to exit. Away fans won't be held for any length of time after full time but I can't envisage you leaving the ground before 21:45 if truth be told.
Mill Hill station is a 15-20 minute walk from Ewood, probably closer to 20 from the Darwen End. Even so, barring an excessive length of injury time, you should make it there for the 22:12 to Preston. Even if this is on time then the 6 minute connection at Preston is fairly tight, you're likely to arrive on one of the southern bay platforms (3c/4c) and the Liverpool train will be departing from platform 2.
I know it's crazy that a 90 minute game takes 2 hours! I'm old enough to remember when Saturday games finished at 16:40 and midweek games at 21:10, (there was only ever a 10 minute half-time break). The BBC 9 o'clock news back in the day used to show the results of the midweek games at the end of the bulletin.
I guess if I make it to the game, I'll have to hope were not relying on our recent 90+ minute goals to dig us out of the mire and leave a bit earlier than I would prefer.
Is there no possibility via Ormskirk? I wonder if the arrival from Colne at Preston forms the 22:37 (22: 38 on Saturday) to Ormskirk. I haven't checked onward connections to Central and LPY. And I don't know if Liverpool-Blackburn returns are valid by both routes. They ought to be.
Is there no possibility via Ormskirk? I wonder if the arrival from Colne at Preston forms the 22:37 (22: 38 on Saturday) to Ormskirk. I haven't checked onward connections to Central and LPY. And I don't know if Liverpool-Blackburn returns are valid by both routes. They ought to be.
Might not work. Using tonight's timetable, the 2220 departure from Blackburn to Preston arrives Preston at 2241. Last Preston to Ormskirk departure is 2237.
Even if you get the 2209 departure from Blackburn, that doesn't arrive Preston until 2236. Far too tight a connection!
We're talking the same Northern who left the system set up so that through Ormskirk-Blackpool South services (when those were operating) showed as two different services, and thus put an entirely unnecessary one hour wait into any itinerary?
I know it's crazy that a 90 minute game takes 2 hours! I'm old enough to remember when Saturday games finished at 16:40 and midweek games at 21:10, (there was only ever a 10 minute half-time break). The BBC 9 o'clock news back in the day used to show the results of the midweek games at the end of the bulletin.
I guess if I make it to the game, I'll have to hope were not relying on our recent 90+ minute goals to dig us out of the mire and leave a bit earlier than I would prefer.
We're talking the same Northern who left the system set up so that through Ormskirk-Blackpool South services (when those were operating) showed as two different services, and thus put an entirely unnecessary one hour wait into any itinerary?
Probably a bit late now, but could have brought a Lancashire Day Ranger, valid as far South as Manchester Piccadilly but, not valid via Warrington, £25.90 adult or £17.10 with a railcard, here's the area map
Last timetabled departure midweek from Blackburn to Liverpool Lime St. is 21:21 arriving Preston 21:41, and then a ridiculous 1 hour 2 minute wait for the 22:43 Preston to Liverpool Lime St.
You could arrive in Liverpool a few minutes earlier (at Central) by going via Ormskirk, but you would still need to leave Blackburn at 2121 (and therefore wouldn't be able to see all the match at Ewood Park). Also, Central probably wouldn't be where you preferred.
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Although it's worth noting that it's affected by routine engineering work on Monday-Thursday nights in many weeks.
When the train is cancelled in full, Northern normally run two replacement buses - one which stops at all stations and gets to Liverpool Lime Street at 02:49, nearly 2 hours later than the train would. And another which only stops at Birchwood and Warrington, and hence arrives at 00:45, the same time as the train normally does.
Other weeks the train terminates at Warrington Central, and a bus then runs to Liverpool calling at all stations, arriving at 01:45.
Accordingly, travelling to Liverpool South Parkway will in some weeks mean arriving between 1 and 2 hours later than the train.
The usual routine is, weeks one and three the train terminates at Warrington Central, week two it's full coach substitution (not all lines get two coaches - Chat Moss doesn't!), weeks four to six it should be normal service.
On the weeks when the train terminates at Warrington Central, it then runs ECS to Liverpool Lime Street (via CLC and Chat Moss, reversing at Oxford Road) arriving Lime Street 0108. So for Lime Street hide on the train. (Only joking).
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
Probably a bit late now, but could have brought a Lancashire Day Ranger, valid as far South as Manchester Piccadilly but, not valid via Warrington, £25.90 adult or £17.10 with a railcard, here's the area map
The OP hasn't, as far as I can see, mentioned fares, nor said how he is in the habit of getting from Liverpool to Blackburn. He may work in Blackburn, and simply delays his journey home if there is a match on. If he goes from home in Liverpool to Blackburn for no reason other than to watch the match, there appears to be an off-peak day return at £16.60. A Day Ranger usually solves routing problems, but, as you imply, the Lancashire one wouldn't be valid to Liverpool South Parkway.
