'Ardwick Blockade' - February 2026 (timetable alteration updates)

[The Planner]

Couple of questions - can someone explain the 1213 Piccadilly (arr/terminate Oxford Road 1215) as seen on the screenshot? Also, the station's not completely closed, are the retail units fully open; and would they get compensation for lack of footfall? Seen pictures of Piccadilly this morning and hardly a soul in sight!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Feb 2026 ==


Hopefully helping passengers find the right bus and checking their tickets!

Why would retail get compensation? Do shops on a high street get compensation if a utility digs it up?

 

[Howardh]

Why would retail get compensation? Do shops on a high street get compensation if a utility digs it up?

Pretty sure they would? If I were a shop owner and folks couldn't get into my shop because they were digging up the pavement to lay cables for some other people I'd be darned annoyed and certainly want compensation. Those retail units are paying high rents (I assume) so at least they might get a cut in that for a week!

 

[Bayum]

My mum is on an open return from Manchester Airport to York after being in Copenhagen. What route is best for her to get to York? Is it worth her going to Piccadilly, Victoria and then a train? Or straight to Huddersfield and get a train from there?

 

[AndrewE]

My mum is on an open return from Manchester Airport to York after being in Copenhagen. What route is best for her to get to York? Is it worth her going to Piccadilly, Victoria and then a train? Or straight to Huddersfield and get a train from there?

Traveline gives various options:



== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Feb 2026 ==

Traveline gives various options:

although oddly tne RRB at 1655 doesn't say walk to the station
it does give a silly journey though: 25mins bus to picc, walk 10 mins to Picc Gardens, wait 30 mins for another bus to Vic (5 mins) and walk to the station - with just 8 mins between the bus arriving and the train to York departing!

 

[Fokx]

My mum is on an open return from Manchester Airport to York after being in Copenhagen. What route is best for her to get to York? Is it worth her going to Piccadilly, Victoria and then a train? Or straight to Huddersfield and get a train from there?

The easiest way will be the hourly bus straight to Huddersfield and change for a direct train (4ph) to York

 

[Southern Beau]

Couple of questions - can someone explain the 1213 Piccadilly (arr/terminate Oxford Road 1215) as seen on the screenshot? Also, the station's not completely closed, are the retail units fully open; and would they get compensation for lack of footfall? Seen pictures of Piccadilly this morning and hardly a soul in sight!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Feb 2026 ==


Hopefully helping passengers find the right bus and checking their tickets!

I was travelling from MAN to PRE this afternoon.

All retail seemed to be open.
Relatively busy.

Engineering train positioned on platform 11/12.

Maintenance workers on some of 1-6.

Platform 13-14 were busy. Trains coming in to 13, emptying an then going back to MCO and onwards.

Plenty of station staff around.

 

[43096]

From what I gathered freights will going through P14 to stop between MP334 to MP306 on the DS to enable the reverse. I believe 'Correct me if wrong' that FL, DB & DRS are running in top & tail with additional locos coming on/off at Arpley and Basford Hall while DRS will be on/off at Daventry. Some of these trains are well over 200mtrs+ in length and can go up to near 600mtrs. I believe the US/DS slow points are been done first to allow this, then from around 18th some can go through P14, DS, Longsight DG to Slade Lane Jn both ways.

Reported elsewhere that Freightliner are hiring in four Class 66s (two from Heavy Haul Rail and two from DB Cargo) to resource their trains during the block.

 

[td97]

Surprised to see the cancellation of the 23:32 Manchester Piccadilly to Blackpool North "due to a member of train crew being unavailable"

 

[800001]

Surprised to see the cancellation of the 23:32 Manchester Piccadilly to Blackpool North "due to a member of train crew being unavailable"

Why? Is it a Blackpool Crew member not available? And they finish in Blackpool?

Who else would work it?

 

[Howardh]

Surprised to see the cancellation of the 23:32 Manchester Piccadilly to Blackpool North "due to a member of train crew being unavailable"

That would have been my train but due to... everything...staying in Bolton Le Moors tonight!

 

[Trackman]

Pretty sure they would? If I were a shop owner and folks couldn't get into my shop because they were digging up the pavement to lay cables for some other people I'd be darned annoyed and certainly want compensation. Those retail units are paying high rents (I assume) so at least they might get a cut in that for a week!

They can, depends on access and the such, plus you have to prove a loss in takings. It happened to a friend who had an electronics shop, the road and pavement was cut off.

Back to retail units at Picc, maybe they will get a cut in rent or if they pay a %. It's not all passengers who visit these retail units.

 

[Starmill]

Pretty sure they would? If I were a shop owner and folks couldn't get into my shop because they were digging up the pavement to lay cables for some other people I'd be darned annoyed and certainly want compensation. Those retail units are paying high rents (I assume) so at least they might get a cut in that for a week!

Lots of Network Rail's leases are calculated primarily on turnover, rather than a traditional fixed monthly amount. So if the trains are off for several days the shop usually has the right to stay closed, and thus they get to save the majority of the rent for that day. Usually the leaseholder will get the latitude to decide on staying open or not during periods of large scale service changes.

 

[Paul AC]

can someone explain the 1213 Piccadilly (arr/terminate Oxford Road 1215) as seen on the screenshot?

This is happening hourly (less often on Sundays) during the blockade. The train from Liverpool Lime Street via Chat Moss runs to Manchester Piccadilly platform 13B but can't wait there for it's return working - so it runs to Oxford Road platform 1 to get out of the way. Then it runs back to Piccadilly 13B before returning to Liverpool. These shuttles run in passenger service (why not?) and are advertised on the departure screens at both ends. All visible on RTT.

Oxford Road platform 1 has no step-free access so I hope the Piccadilly platform staff take care not to put 'unsuitable' passengers on these shuttles.

Piccadilly to Oxford Road is 44 chains so becomes, for the duration, the shortest end-to-end passenger journey on the UK network, beating the 62 chains of the Stourbridge Town shuttle. It's also a fairly rare eastbound departure from Oxford Road platform 1.

I gather that if disrupted the trains will simply omit the shuttle part.

 

[Howardh]

This is happening hourly (less often on Sundays) during the blockade. The train from Liverpool Lime Street via Chat Moss runs to Manchester Piccadilly platform 13B but can't wait there for it's return working - so it runs to Oxford Road platform 1 to get out of the way. Then it runs back to Piccadilly 13B before returning to Liverpool. These shuttles run in passenger service (why not?) and are advertised on the departure screens at both ends. All visible on RTT.

Oxford Road platform 1 has no step-free access so I hope the Piccadilly platform staff take care not to put 'unsuitable' passengers on these shuttles.

Piccadilly to Oxford Road is 44 chains so becomes, for the duration, the shortest end-to-end passenger journey on the UK network, beating the 62 chains of the Stourbridge Town shuttle. It's also a fairly rare eastbound departure from Oxford Road platform 1.

I gather that if disrupted the trains will simply omit the shuttle part.

Thanks for the explanation, tmy immediate thought was it could be the record - if it's scheduled all week I MUST go on it!!

 

[Starmill]

They can, depends on access and the such, plus you have to prove a loss in takings. It happened to a friend who had an electronics shop, the road and pavement was cut off.

Back to retail units at Picc, maybe they will get a cut in rent or if they pay a %. It's not all passengers who visit these retail units.

Apart from Sainsbury's Local they appear to be closed from what I could see. Some may just be on shorter than usual opening hours, but certainly nothing other than the Sainsbury's was open at the time I visited.

 

[Fokx]

Apart from Sainsbury's Local they appear to be closed from what I could see. Some may just be on shorter than usual opening hours, but certainly nothing other than the Sainsbury's was open at the time I visited.

Only M&S and the Pasty Shop have been closed.

Boots is currently closed for refurbishment. Everything else including Cafe Nero Express near p13/14 is open.

 

[Howardh]

Only M&S and the Pasty Shop have been closed.

Boots is currently closed for refurbishment. Everything else including Cafe Nero Express near p13/14 is open.

I suppose Avanti's first class lounge is closed, thus devaluing their ticket cost a bit!

 

[scrapy]

Whilst units on the station generally pay a percentage of sales as rent, those outside that rely on footfall probably wont get anything.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Traveline gives various options:

I'm surprised there isn't the option of taking Metrolink from the Airport direct to Victoria (every 12 minutes), then TPE to York as normal.
There appears to be ticket acceptance on Metrolink.

 

[AndrewE]

I'm surprised there isn't the option of taking Metrolink from the Airport direct to Victoria (every 12 minutes), then TPE to York as normal.
There appears to be ticket acceptance on Metrolink.

I think it did, the two slowest options - but not by much.

 

[jfollows]

I think it did, the two slowest options - but not by much.

Metrolink takes ages to get to Victoria from the airport, I’ve done it once for the hell of it, but since then only as far as Sale Water Park to walk into Sale, which is probably still quicker than changing at Trafford Bar (annoying walk around station) or Cornbrook.

 

[Starmill]

Metrolink takes ages to get to Victoria from the airport, I’ve done it once for the hell of it, but since then only as far as Sale Water Park to walk into Sale, which is probably still quicker than changing at Trafford Bar (annoying walk around station) or Cornbrook.

Manchester Airport - Manchester Victoria is just over an hour by tram. The replacement buses between Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly are about half that.

 

[DarloRich]

My mum is on an open return from Manchester Airport to York after being in Copenhagen. What route is best for her to get to York? Is it worth her going to Piccadilly, Victoria and then a train? Or straight to Huddersfield and get a train from there?

I used the coach replacement from Huddersfield to Stockport this weekend. it worked ok. A decent coach with good luggage space. The journey ran smoothly until turning onto Wellington Road (the street from the motorway to Stockport station) where it was gridlock. it took over an hour for the journey but it was easy.

it was fine getting on at Hudds and I suspect it will be fine at the airport. It was a bit chaotic at Stockport.

 

[185]

XCs currently terminating short, but looks like Stockport may not be the problem.

 

[jfollows]

XCs currently terminating short, but looks like Stockport may not be the problem.

Platform 2 showing “LB”, ie Line Blocked, although it may be temporary.

CrossCountry JourneyCheck - Train times and live real time delay/cancellation/disruption information.

CrossCountry JourneyCheck provides real time, up-to-date train times and train disruption information keeping you informed about any delays or cancellations on the network and helping you know what to do when your journey is affected. Train Cancellations, Delays, Alterations and Engineering...

www.journeycheck.com

Alterations to services at Stockport


Due to a fault with the signalling system at Stockport fewer trains are able to run on all lines.
Impact
Train services running through this station will be suspended between Stockport and Macclesfield. Disruption is expected until 13:00 16/02.

EDIT at 12:10, “LB” has disappeared and 1A35 11:59 (delayed) to Euston is usung it.

 

[The Planner]

XCs currently terminating short, but looks like Stockport may not be the problem.

Loss of signalling earlier at Heaton Norris.

 

[CHAPS2034]

Loss of signalling earlier at Heaton Norris.

I believe there was also a signalling issue somewhere around Stockport on Saturday morning (the first day) which caused some delays. To compound this, some of the northbound Avanti and XC were running late due to delays elsewhere and this complicated the situation. Some trains were taking 20 minutes for the short distance from Cheadle Hulme to Stockport (usually 4-5 minutes), presumably awaiting a platform.

I used the coach replacement from Huddersfield to Stockport this weekend. it worked ok. A decent coach with good luggage space. The journey ran smoothly until turning onto Wellington Road (the street from the motorway to Stockport station) where it was gridlock. it took over an hour for the journey but it was easy.

There have been plenty of reports locally about traffic congestion on the A6 (Wellington Road) due to more road traffic accessing the station. For those unfamiliar with the station, there are two road accesses on the east side of the station, both cul-de-sacs and both controlled by traffic lights. The northern one is reserved for buses but is also an access for the local McDonalds on Wellington Road which has a small cark park and is also a drive through and it appears the congestion is caused at this junction by traffic not being able to move along towards the station.

I caught a normal service bus into Stockport yesterday which passes through this junction northbound and it was bob on time until about 800 yards from the junction and finally arrived in the bus station 6 minutes late. The queue southbound on the A6 looked to be about a mile to this junction. There are a lot of traffic lights on the A6 through Stockport and road narrowings too which doesn't help.

I couldn't see exactly what the problem was on the station approach as the view wasn't great from the bus, but there were some guys moving orange barriers around, but I have to go in again in a couple of days when I will have a chance to look in a bit more detail at how they are dealing with the RRBs.

Meanwhile the town appears to be awash with RRBs; the service bus I caught home doesn't use the A6 (due to the Greek St bridge diversions still in place ) and there were at least 4 RRB double-deckers parked-up on the road behind the Town Hall awaiting their next turn.

I have also read on a local board that the Northern RRBs all stations Stockport-MAN have been binned and passengers are advised to catch the 192 service bus instead - runs every 3-5 minutes. They are certainly not showing on RTT anymore.

Hopefully experience of the last couple of days will men that some of these issues delaying the RRBs will be resolved resulting in less missed connections.

 

[87015]

So LNR/NR have retimed the fast line 1Yxx services from Euston, totally unadvertised with no word to any passengers and have complete schedule clashes at Ledburn with crossing moves, and even some belters where a Pendo goes straight over it at Ledburn at the same time overtaking as well as a dead crossing move against an up one, quality stuff.

 

[The Planner]

So LNR/NR have retimed the fast line 1Yxx services from Euston, totally unadvertised with no word to any passengers and have complete schedule clashes at Ledburn with crossing moves, and even some belters where a Pendo goes straight over it at Ledburn at the same time overtaking as well as a dead crossing move against an up one, quality stuff.

What has that got to do with Ardwick?

 

[87015]

What has that got to do with Ardwick?

Reaction to amended timetables for that isn't it, unless something else is affecting WCML south this week?