2 XC an hour, one of which would overtake the WMT service between Wolves and New St. Plus an occasional Avanti in some hours.
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Willenhall & Darlaston station construction updates
- Thread starter The Mercian
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2 XC an hour, one of which would overtake the WMT service between Wolves and New St. Plus an occasional Avanti in some hours.
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R
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Not without at least one call between Wilmslow and Crewe being chopped.
In reality I reckon you need to chop two minimum, and all three for it to be comfortable. The current service is timed just right between Manchester Airport and Crewe around the express trains. However cutting more than one of the three would probably kill the transfer for political reasons, so it'll have to be shoe-horned in.
With the flat junctions at Stone and Kidsgrove, the single line between Alsager and Crewe, the restricted platform availability at Crewe, and a turnaround time just over fifteen minutes at Manchester Airport I think we can be confident it won't perform as well as the current service does. And that's before we factor in the Stafford - Wolverhampton - Tame Bridge Parkway - Birmingham New Street legs.
The real loss will be for the station(s) which gets its service to Crewe cut in half, and more pertinently, which get skipped during minor perturbations.
So at that point would they have three different sets of services?
Birmingham - Darlaston - Willenhall - Wolves/Shrewsbury
Wolves - Willenhall - Darlaston - Walsall
Birmingham - Darlaston - Willenhall - Stafford - Stoke - Man Airport?
To where?
The Crewe to Stafford is meant to be taking on the Tame Bridge route back to New St.
DavidGrain
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From the May timetable change, the Birmingham to Shrewsbury via Tame Bridge Parkway trains are scheduled to make unadvertised stops at Darlaston and Willenhall.
I'm old enough to remember when Central Trains ran an hourly service from somewhere in the East Midlands via Stoke and Crewe to Manchester Airport. Even though it was non-stop between Crewe and the Airport it was never very busy. I used it occasionally and the train was almost empty. I remember it being so full between Stoke and Crewe that people couldn't physically get on at Kidsgrove (this was in the day this was the only Stoke-Crewe train) but I was still the only person in the carriage after everyone else got off at Crewe.
If it works this time then good for LNWR but I'm sceptical. It'll need a path through platform 1 or 5 at Crewe as well.
Passenger loads are very different to when Central trains were a thing.
LNWR are known for aggressive ticket pricing to encourage bums on seats - Liverpool - Birmingham and Crewe - Euston are almost never quiet for instance.
I would expect it to take some time to become a commonly used service, but they wouldn't be expanding the route if they didn't think it would be a success right?
spp
Member
Maybe a silly question(s)
Whats the point of unadvertised stops?
Can you board/alight when stops are unadvertised?
Possibly to allow drivers to actually get used to the braking points given there isn't any training trains for these stations.
That way if they get it wrong and overshoot, it's not an issue like a fail to call.
They can then formally advertise stops after all the snagging is complete at the stations and drivers have confidence in their braking/stopping points.
I wonder if the stations have been added to the ticketing database yet.
WTT Gremlin
Member
Additionally, it means that when the stations are ready, the only change required to the timetable is a change of the activity code. This avoids any risk of having to replan large chunks of the WTT to account for longer journey time.
DavidGrain
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Also, as has been pointed out to me on the thread about the new stations on the Camp Hill Line, the guards need the experience of being on the trains to know stopping points, layout of the platforms etc.
I would expect that at these unadvertised stops the guard will open the real cab door and get out onto the platform but will not open the passenger doors so no one can get on or off.
I would expect that at these unadvertised stops the guard will open the real cab door and get out onto the platform but will not open the passenger doors so no one can get on or off.
The Mercian
Member
Central Trains was a thing between 97 and 07 and since then Manchester Airport has had a second runway and become the UKs third busiest (?) airport. It’s much more important for the North and Midlands than it used to be and we do need south facing services that stretch beyond Crewe if, as it looks, we can find the line and rolling stock capacity.
zwk500
Veteran Member
In 1997 Manchester was the UK's third largest Airport as well (by quite some way, as it happens).
It has doubled in the number of passengers using it though.
[1997 CAA figures, from their website https://www.caa.co.uk/data-and-anal...ts/uk-airport-data/uk-airport-data-1983-1997/]
[2025 Figures from Wikipedia article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_busiest_airports_in_the_United_Kingdom]
The Mercian
Member
Thanks for this, had no idea that was the case, useful info.
DavidGrain
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I think several of the posts on this thread would be more appropriate on the potential Birmingham to Manchester Airport thread.
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...from-birmingham-to-manchester-airport.296773/
I am not expecting the Birmingham to Manchester Airport service to stop at Willenhall and Darlaston stations even if they take this route
https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...from-birmingham-to-manchester-airport.296773/
I am not expecting the Birmingham to Manchester Airport service to stop at Willenhall and Darlaston stations even if they take this route
They will. That is the route.
New St - via Tame Bridge - Wolverhampton - Stafford - via Stoke - Crewe - via Wilmslow - Airport.
spp
Member
Shame they can’t be doing that now. Stations are ready why the further delays
I don't think that post is correct. We've (guards) have had a paper brief for these stations and are now able to stop there in service. This is different to the Camp Hill line launch.
Stations are in final stages of handover/snagging. Physically ready bar final testing of systems etc.
Won't be long now until services do call.
spp
Member
Ok sounds better, cheers
dvboy
Established Member
TFWM on have teased a “much-awaited announcement” at 1600 on Wednesday, presumably the opening dates of the new stations.
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RTT has Birmingham - Shrewsbury services calling at Darlaston and Willenhall from the 19th. Could still be pulled, of course.
Here's Darlaston for example.
Here's Darlaston for example.
WTT Gremlin
Member
Indeed, and Variations of the base WTT.
Using 2J20 as an example of changes made
18th https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W06665/2026-03-18/detailed
19th https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W06665/2026-03-19/detailed
< 3.5 > Performance Time has magically become two station calls with the pass times for Darlaston Jn and Portobello Jn per WTT.
dvboy
Established Member
Confirmed will open 19 March
Kite159
Veteran Member
I guess for the time being no Sunday services for Darlaston and Willenhall as the Shrewsbury stopper goes via Smethwick
Out of the two I can see Willenhall being the most popular (based on location) however with only an hourly service it faces an uphill battle over the frequent buses for anybody wanting to head to Wolverhampton.
Out of the two I can see Willenhall being the most popular (based on location) however with only an hourly service it faces an uphill battle over the frequent buses for anybody wanting to head to Wolverhampton.
Though Darlaston has a significantly larger car park if the information on NRE is correct. 300 spaces to Willenhall's 33.
Kite159
Veteran Member
What's that compared to say Tame Bridge Parkway? Considering if given the option to drive to a station most would probably pick one with a more frequent service.
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