The Planner
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 15 Apr 2008
- Messages
- 19,748
1-4 Jan for Preston. 1-14 Jan for S&C diverts.
-
Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
Avanti West Coast via Settle (for WCML Bridge replacement next January?)
- Thread starter HST125Scorton
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
Lovely thanks
norbitonflyer
Established Member
It was the unreliabity of these 57/390 arrangements that led to the current fashion for bimodes, with heavy and expensive diesel engines being lugged around the electrified network for hundreds of miles instead of being left at the limit of electrification (cf Bournemouth 1967 - 1988)
How bad was it? Couldn't teething problems have been overcome? I wondered at the sudden abandonment of the option and wondered whether it was a good excuse to dump an operational and commercial inconvenience?
pokemonsuper9
Established Member
Didn't coupling take like 15 minutes? Now changeover takes seconds.
That’s probably true but once Virgin Westcoast acquired the Voyagers there was little incentive to bother.
Last edited:
voyagerdude220
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Oct 2005
- Messages
- 4,288
I see some Settle and Carlisle diversions are already showing on Realtime Trains for 1st January and 2nd January, although I'm aware it's subject to change.
Not just unreliable, but also slow. 2,800hp lugging 630tonnes around wasn’t exactly sprightly on the N Wales coast.
godfreycomplex
Established Member
- Joined
- 23 Jun 2016
- Messages
- 1,759
The 08:20 each morning from Wrexham General to Carlisle via the S&C is something even the speculative ideas section of this forum couldn’t come up with!
voyagerdude220
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Oct 2005
- Messages
- 4,288
Yes you're right, that did stand out to me as being ridiculously unusual.
Via Crewe & reverse too, rather than via Helsby
The Planner
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 15 Apr 2008
- Messages
- 19,748
Avanti won't sign Helsby.
Preston crews certainly did, I had some with me on route refresh a few years back.
lrbvoyager
Member
- Joined
- 2 Jan 2025
- Messages
- 372
How come Wrexham General isn’t a return service?
Yes, was used aa a regular diversionary route in the days of Voyagers.
Last edited:
godfreycomplex
Established Member
- Joined
- 23 Jun 2016
- Messages
- 1,759
They do, but only Preston (who don't sign Wrexham)
Bletchleyite
Veteran Member
Who's betting that one will carry quite a few enthusiasts... I am looking to do it in some form (last time I did something like that was the 2001ish LHCS diverts, some of which were hauled by D9000 Royal Scots Grey) and a day off work to do that one is tempting for its obscurity!
IslandLine101
Member
Diagrams certainly don't make much sense for what's uploaded. Lets see how it fleshes out over the next few months
The Planner
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 15 Apr 2008
- Messages
- 19,748
Seems odd, I've never known it used on a planned basis.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
It should all appear in the next week or so. A set will stable overnight at Carlisle.
Hooray! (see post #76...)
voyagerdude220
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Oct 2005
- Messages
- 4,288
I don't see why not. Presumably Avanti will vary the cost/availability depending on how busy they think each service will be.
Having said that, if any are single 5 cars I'm guessing they could potentially be busy.
Virgin Trains always offered Advance singles when they diverted over the S&C.
Edit: I'd be surprised if the 21:48 Carlisle to Wigan North Western was busy.
but you aren't going to see much out of the window on that one just after new year.. You probably couldn't even be sure of your route!
voyagerdude220
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Oct 2005
- Messages
- 4,288
Yes that's very true.
TheSel
Member
If they're ludicrously expensive, there's always the option of the North West Rover ticket. 7 day and 4 in 8's available. Valid from 0900, so no probs there.
The only reason they would be busy is if a large group of enthusiasts all chose the same train. Regular passengers will be on other routes / the M6 (and diversions where necessary) / not travelling. The work has been scheduled deliberately for what is by far the quietest time of year for the WCML Scotland services. (Let’s go for a weekend away to Glasgow or the Lakes. Ooh yes, when? First weekend in January…)
Last edited:
mm333
Member
That’s how I did it in April 2006. I was the only person in my Voyager carriage so I could flit from one side to the other to photograph the views.
duffield
Established Member
I think I fancy the 1038 from Wolverhampton to Carlisle on 7th January, everyone's back at work and hopefully any initial rush of enthusiasts will have died down. All in daylight. I'd just like a bit of scenic snow!
That's assuming the timings will turn out to be the same on 7th Jan as 2nd Jan.
That's assuming the timings will turn out to be the same on 7th Jan as 2nd Jan.
voyagerdude220
Established Member
- Joined
- 13 Oct 2005
- Messages
- 4,288
I'm guessing not because Preston will/should be back open although I guess it could still leave Wolverhampton 10:38 and just take a little longer because of the reversal at Preston.
Edit: No doubt someone will kindly post on here when timings for the remaining diversionary dates have been uploaded onto Realtime Trains.
== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==
I see more (but not quite all) diversionary dates have been uploaded onto Realtime Trains.
It looks like to me that each day will feature 6 services in each direction.
If I've worked it out correctly I think there are two diagrams, so two trains doing 3 return journeys. Should Avanti have enough 805s to put 10 cars on both diagrams?
Last edited:
Given the propensity of 805 engines to conk out, probably safer to have some redundancy over the Long Drag.
- Status