Avanti London-Liverpool Frequency

[Sorcerer]

The 0616 from Euston to Liverpool via the West Midlands is balanced at New Street by the 0624 from Manchester above, and presumably reflects that demand from London to Liverpool doesn't need a high frequency service that early on.

I remember back in the Virgin days the 0526 was the earliest Liverpool service due to arrive at 0803, and after that I think it was straight to the 0707. Meanwhile from Liverpool you had the 0526, followed by the 0605, then the 0700, before finally reaching normal timetable hours at 0747. Today there is no Liverpool to London via Birmingham despite there being one in the opposite direction, so evidently the demand is more Liverpool-London than vice versa. It's certainly among the quietest of the main InterCity West Coast routes.

 

[LPJOHN]

I remember back in the Virgin days the 0526 was the earliest Liverpool service due to arrive at 0803, and after that I think it was straight to the 0707. Meanwhile from Liverpool you had the 0526, followed by the 0605, then the 0700, before finally reaching normal timetable hours at 0747. Today there is no Liverpool to London via Birmingham despite there being one in the opposite direction, so evidently the demand is more Liverpool-London than vice versa. It's certainly among the quietest of the main InterCity West Coast routes.

I was looking at Realtime Trains a few weeks ago and I wondered why there were two trains leaving Liverpool on a Sunday just a few minutes apart (09:34 and 09:43).

The 09:43 on a Sunday Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston goes via Birmingham.

Realtime Trains | 9A50 0943 Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston | 24/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 9A50 0943 departure from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston on 24/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Tetragon213]

Avanti probably hasn't got enough stock to do that though an hourly extension of existing services from Birmingham to Manchester and Liverpool might be useful. Some Class 350s (soon be) and Class 221s going spare.

Are the 221s not going to XC? God knows they need them!

I think a lot of people might appreciate this given how crowded some XC services can be.

An electric service between the 2nd and 3rd largest (which way round those placements apply to Birmingham and Manchester is up for debate) would be greatly appreciated, especially if it means avoiding XC given their atrocious overcrowding and customer service. It would also be good for reducing the use of diesel.

 

[Sorcerer]

I was looking at Realtime Trains a few weeks ago and I wondered why there were two trains leaving Liverpool on a Sunday just a few minutes apart (09:34 and 09:43).

The 09:43 on a Sunday Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston goes via Birmingham.

Realtime Trains | 9A50 0943 Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston | 24/08/2025

Real-time train running information for 9A50 0943 departure from Liverpool Lime Street to London Euston on 24/08/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Sunday morning services in general are slower than the Monday-Saturday ones because of increased calling points and/or running on the slow lines for a good portion of the journey, so I'm not too surprised that the only via Birmingham running in the Up direction from Liverpool is on a Sunday.

 

[Class 170101]

Are the 221s not going to XC? God knows they need them!

Not all of them apparently