Man United FC Station

[HST125Scorton]

Would anyone here have the timings for the last time Man United FC Station was used back around 10th December 2017 off the top of my head. I am lead to believe they were extensions of the Stoke/Crewe services. I've had a good look around but I've been unable to source timings between Piccadilly and Man United FC Station and back. I'm mainly looking for timings on Saturday & Sundays for when matches were on. I've been searching about but not come across timings. I also checked WTTs (CE) from 2011 to 2017 and that doesn't seem to show any timings.
Many Thanks.

 

[jfollows]

They weren’t in the WTT because they were special services on match days only; they were usually extensions of local EMU services as you say. I don’t have more details.

 

[HST125Scorton]

They weren’t in the WTT because they were special services on match days only; they were usually extensions of local EMU services as you say. I don’t have more details.

Thank you, I had a feeling there weren't WTT. Meaning there STP between Piccadilly/MUFC/Piccadilly.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

It's a few years since I did this service. My memories are that trains were irregularly spaced and, after matches, would leave the MUFC platform before they were full, leaving queues of passengers waiting to get onto the narrow platform with a long wait for the next train. In the olden days (1960s), specials ran from Manchester Central.

 

[Rail Ranger]

Pre-privatisation, trains which had brought supporters to MUFC Halt used to lay over in Trafford Park Sidings during the match before working specials back to Manchester after the game. This came to end on privatisation because the freight companies refused to allow passenger trains to be stabled in the sidings. So services had to be "tacked on" to existing services. The positive element in this was that trains brought supporters direct from some local lines to the stadium rather than having to change trains in Manchester. But it made for long gaps in services after the game.

 

[LowLevel]

At one point towards the end it was a 6 car double 323 set shuttling from Piccadilly.

 

[splashoutradio]

Not sure if I'll have a definitive date for the last trains, but will likely have timings for December 2017. Shall have a look, and if available, compile a timetable.

 

[HST125Scorton]

Not sure if I'll have a definitive date for the last trains, but will likely have timings for December 2017. Shall have a look, and if available, compile a timetable.

Thank you, I only remember ever seeing one of these trains back in 2017 when I was noting some units for couple hours. I think then it was just a 323 rammed with fans quite funny some of them onboard.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

At one point i think they were extensions of services that normally terminated at Deansgate. On non-matchdays the 323s which terminated at Deansgate used the MUFC platform (or possibly the Trafford Park sidings) to turn back.

 

[LowLevel]

At one point i think they were extensions of services that normally terminated at Deansgate. On non-matchdays the 323s which terminated at Deansgate used the MUFC platform (or possibly the Trafford Park sidings) to turn back.

They used the Trafford Park Reversing Line which is the siding next to the Liverpool line on the opposite side to the halt.

 

[splashoutradio]

Having done some digging, it looks like Tuesday 5th December 2017 may have been the last day passenger trains ran to Manchester United Football Ground.

Attached is a timetable of passenger and ECS moves for the day. Oddly, there appears to be only one inbound journey, but three return journeys - perhaps in an attempt to get round the issue of getting everyone onboard after the match, as mentioned by Old Yard Dog?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Tuesday 5th December 2017 was an evening Manchester United vs CSKA Moscow (UEFA Champions League group A) fixture, so the date likely fits.

 

[Redmike]

I used to get these to Old Trafford quite often. One stand out memory was on New Year's Day 2001 when a Class 101 showed up at Cheadle Hulme running through to MUFC.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Having done some digging, it looks like Tuesday 5th December 2017 may have been the last day passenger trains ran to Manchester United Football Ground.

How about the service provision on the following Sunday, 10th December 2017 (which the OP mentioned upthread) when Manchester United hosted Manchester City in a Premier League fixture at Old Trafford?

One stand out memory was on New Year's Day 2001 when a Class 101 showed up at Cheadle Hulme running through to MUFC.

That likely would have been cosy! Wonder if it was the last ever occasion on which the Manchester United Football Ground station was served by a Class 101 DMU?

 

[splashoutradio]

How about the service provision on the following Sunday, 10th December 2017 (which the OP mentioned upthread) when Manchester United hosted Manchester City in a Premier League fixture at Old Trafford?

Whilst it's entirely plausible that there's an error in the data, but I can't find any use of MUFC halt in the 12 months following December 5th.

December 10th 2017 was also the start of a new timetable period, so would serve as a convenient point to apply any timetable changes.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I'm sure I remember seeing Pacers running to MUFC at some point.

 

[185143]

I definitely travelled there on a 6 car 323 which had come from Crewe via the Styal line.

Can't remember where the train I boarded there was going to, I was more interested in getting out of there before everyone else did!

 

[HST125Scorton]

Having done some digging, it looks like Tuesday 5th December 2017 may have been the last day passenger trains ran to Manchester United Football Ground.

Attached is a timetable of passenger and ECS moves for the day. Oddly, there appears to be only one inbound journey, but three return journeys - perhaps in an attempt to get round the issue of getting everyone onboard after the match, as mentioned by Old Yard Dog?

Thank you so much for this. If there is any Saturday or Sunday timings you could source that will also be very grateful. I'm going through my own unit notes from Piccadilly. Oddly I didn't seem to record the date but only the month which was a Saturday in 10/2017 this when I noticed these workings. With me been a Blackpool local at the time I didn't venture fully until I moved to where I am now in 2019 which by then they stopped them on H&S grounds.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

If we're now talking about October 2017, Manchester United's only home Saturday fixture at Old Trafford that month was on Saturday 28th October 2017.

 

[HST125Scorton]

If we're now talking about October 2017, Manchester United's only home Saturday fixture at Old Trafford that month was on Saturday 28th October 2017.

Yes that it!. That's the date as it ties with with my travels as I did some units at Preston that morning before heading into Manchester. Having just gone through my tickets yes I keep them, 28th Oct 2017 I was on a Lancs Day Ranger.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Having just gone through my tickets yes I keep them, 28th Oct 2017 I was on a Lancs Day Ranger.

Trust you paid the extra fare(s) due! A Lancashire Day Ranger wouldn't have been valid to 'Manchester F C'.

 

[HST125Scorton]

Trust you paid the extra fare(s) due! A Lancashire Day Ranger wouldn't have been valid to 'Manchester F C'.

I've only ever done it once when I was in a run for another unit not realising it was going via Warrington Central.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I've only ever done it once when I was in a run for another unit not realising it was going via Warrington Central.

Oops! A Lancashire Day Ranger isn't valid via Warrington Central either. Reckon we're drifting off topic though. Certainly be interesting to know what the service provision to/from Manchester United Football Ground station was, if any, on Saturday 28th October 2017.

 

[splashoutradio]

Thank you so much for this. If there is any Saturday or Sunday timings you could source that will also be very grateful. I'm going through my own unit notes from Piccadilly. Oddly I didn't seem to record the date but only the month which was a Saturday in 10/2017 this when I noticed these workings. With me been a Blackpool local at the time I didn't venture fully until I moved to where I am now in 2019 which by then they stopped them on H&S grounds.

If we're now talking about October 2017, Manchester United's only home Saturday fixture at Old Trafford that month was on Saturday 28th October 2017.

No problem at all. Always happy to delve into the timetable archives. Here's the timetable for October 28th 2017. Seems a bit more going on operationally.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@splashoutradio. Good stuff. The timings look right given it was a 12.30 p.m. kick off at Old Trafford that day.

 

[HST125Scorton]

No problem at all. Always happy to delve into the timetable archives. Here's the timetable for October 28th 2017. Seems a bit more going on operationally.

Thank you so much again!. My query has been solved. To my notes it would seem 323224 was the unit in question as I put next to it arrival in P14 ex Crewe with Special on the display boards.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Would have liked to have used the station in May 2011 when Old Trafford hosted the League One and League Two play-off finals... unfortunately the shuttles didn't seem to be running for those games... and even if they had been, that end of the stadium was allocated to Peterborough United.

 

[splashoutradio]

@splashoutradio. Good stuff. The timings look right given it was a 12.30 p.m. kick off at Old Trafford that day.

If there's any other dates or matches with varying kickoff times that may be of interest, let me know

Thank you so much again!. My query has been solved. To my notes it would seem 323224 was the unit in question as I put next to it arrival in P14 ex Crewe with Special on the display boards.

Sounds like that's the one!

A quick look at the planned platforms for the 09:34 Crewe to Manchester United Football Ground, suggests it was booked to use:
Crewe - platform 1
Manchester Airport - platform 2A
Piccadilly - platform 14
Oxford Road - the lesser used platform 1

I like how the driver opted to display 'special' in the destination blinds. Remember seeing a 323 displaying 'Manchester United Football Ground'. But in order for it to fit in the window, it was spread over two lines and in a tiny font

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Would have liked to have used the station in May 2011 when Old Trafford hosted the League One and League Two play-off finals... unfortunately the shuttles didn't seem to be running for those games... and even if they had been, that end of the stadium was allocated to Peterborough United.

The Manchester United Football Ground station is (was) alongside the South Side stand at Old Trafford, which is pitchside, so it's not at one "end" or the other as such.

 

[deltic]

A bit of a difference to 1949. A newspaper article in the Manchester Evening News of 26 August reports

for the first time in 10 years the railway station at the Old Trafford ground will be opened tomorrow to ease rush traffic for the Manchester United v West Bromwich Albion game

Steam trains booked to leave Manchester Central at 1.45, 1.55, 2.05, 2.15, 2.25, 2.33 and 2.40.