Historic services at Kidsgrove

[AJS90]

Today Kidsgrove station is well served by three groups of hourly services: Crewe-Newark, Manchester-Stoke & Stafford-Crewe, but am I correct that until the big WCML timetable change in 2008 it was only service by a Derby-Crewe service with the Manchester service being peak hours only? I believe what is now the Northern service only ran as far as Macclesfield for most of the day back then, although some peak services may have gone as far as Stafford or even Birmingham? And I know Congleton have XC calls until fairly recently.

Also, was there a time when there was no Sunday service at Kidsgrove, and what were the service patterns at Longport and Etruria like?

 

[Bald Rick]

Can’t answer all of your question, but I know there was a Sunday service from Kidsgrove in 1993 as I caught a train to Nottingham from there one (very hungover) Sunday morning.

 

[jfollows]

In 1977 there was an hourly EMU service between Stoke and Manchester calling at Kidsgrove, some extended to/from Stafford plus extra services starting at Macclesfield southbound (ECS from Longsight). So how far back do you want to go?

https://history.networkrail.co.uk/uncategorized/SO_9305941a-b249-44ea-bc39-d988585d6e81/ has timetables for the period I think you’re talking about

But in 1977 there was 1 fast train every 2 hours to London (through Kidsgrove) and Birmingham, so plenty of capacity for stopping trains. Now just trying to have one extra rush hour Stoke stopping service requires a Birmingham service to be sent via Crewe.

 

[30907]

The 1982 ti

In 1977 there was an hourly EMU service between Stoke and Manchester, some extended to/from Stafford plus extra services starting at Macclesfield southbound (ECS from Longsight). So how far back do you want to go?

A similar pattern applied in 1982 (it's on timetableworld.com!) with Longport and Etruria having almost the same.
Etruria had no Sunday service on either route (the Manchester stoppers were fairly limited anyway).
I suspect, without being able to check, that the same basic pattern had applied since electrification.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

Yes, the same pattern applied from electrification in 1967, but in the run up to privatisation the hourly Stoke stoppers were chopped back to Macclesfield, except in the peaks. Congleton had to be served by occasional XC calls. They service was restored sometime post- privatisation but before the VHF timetable I think - I'm travelling at the moment so can't check.

 

[AJS90]

But in 1977 there was 1 fast train every 2 hours to London (through Kidsgrove) and Birmingham, so plenty of capacity for stopping trains.

Thank you.

I’m guessing this was when London to Manchester was hourly and the alternated between going via Stoke and Crewe, and when XC used to alternate between Manchester and Liverpool?

 

[jfollows]

Thank you.

I’m guessing this was when London to Manchester was hourly and the alternated between going via Stoke and Crewe, and when XC used to alternate between Manchester and Liverpool?

Yes, essentially that.
And quite often the up London trains were followed by the up Birmingham 11 minutes later, leaving a gap of almost two hours until the next fast train.

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

I have the September 1992 to May 1993 timetable which shows the following;
Monday to Saturday the Manchester to Stoke-on-Trent service ran hourly with some extras at peak times, a handful of which extended to Stafford, and all serving Kidsgrove, Longport and Etruria.
On Sundays there were three each way. Leaving Kidsgrove for Piccadilly at 1825, 2035 and 2225 and for Stoke at 1726, 1931 and 2130. They also served Longport but not Etruria, the latter had no Sunday service.
The Crewe to Derby service called at Kidsgrove every hour Monday to Saturday but only served Longport and Etruria in the peaks, the early morning and the late evening. On Sundays Kidsgrove and Longport were served every hour but the first journey left Crewe at 1420 and in the other direction 1320 from Nottingham.
The only Intercity call at Congleton is shown as the 0830 Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston (Congleton 0900) and the 1850 (Saturday) or 1900 (Monday to Friday) London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly, in both cases calling at Congleton at 2058.

 

[Bald Rick]

Can’t answer all of your question, but I know there was a Sunday service from Kidsgrove in 1993 as I caught a train to Nottingham from there one (very hungover) Sunday morning.

On Sundays Kidsgrove and Longport were served every hour but the first journey left Crewe at 1420 and in the other direction 1320 from Nottingham.

Evidently my ‘morning’ trip with hangover was rather later than I remembered!

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

Evidently my ‘morning’ trip with hangover was rather later than I remembered!

It must have been lol... unless a better service was introduced in May?

 

[jfollows]

May 1993 public timetable pages attached, 14:46 Kidsgrove to Nottingham first Sunday service and From 18 July only.