New Mills Newtown to Manchester

[Teapot42]

I need to go in to Salford Quays tomorrow, and rather than face the Manchester traffic I'm planning on ditching the car at New Mills Newtown and getting the train in.

I'm a little confused by the fares on Traintimes.org.uk - is a return from NMN to MAN actually valid if you walk to New Mills Central and catch a train from there? It's even more confusing that it's showing the £13.20 via Stockport fare for a service that doesn't run via Stockport. (07:23 from NMN to MAN, walk to New Mills Central, catch the 07:46 via Bredbury)

I'm mainly thinking this might give me more options in the case of disruption, or if on the way back I time things badly and miss the Buxton train. Would I need the £13.50 ticket for this?

 

[plugwash]

I'm a little confused by the fares on Traintimes.org.uk - is a return from NMN to MAN actually valid if you walk to New Mills Central and catch a train from there?

IIRC routes starting or ending with a "walk" are not supposed to be valid, but journey planners seem to ignore this and there is a general principle that if an accredited journey planner says something is valid then it should be treated as valid, even if it was not intended to be.

It's even more confusing that it's showing the £13.20 via Stockport fare for a service that doesn't run via Stockport.

From previous discussions I belive there is an easement related this this, though i'm not sure on the details.

 

[scrapy]

030000 Journeys routed Stockport may travel via Romiley. This easement applies in both directions.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

One other observation. New Mills Newtown is now a "pay" car park. £2.20 per day. Only around 39 spaces and fills up quickly.

 

[Teapot42]

IIRC routes starting or ending with a "walk" are not supposed to be valid, but journey planners seem to ignore this and there is a general principle that if an accredited journey planner says something is valid then it should be treated as valid, even if it was not intended to be.

Interesting then that even the National Rail website gives this option. Presumably if challenged that's a pretty good get-out? I'm not convinced the time they allow for the walk is sensible considering the topology of the route, but handy as an alternative if necessary.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Mar 2026 ==

One other observation. New Mills Newtown is now a "pay" car park. £2.20 per day. Only around 39 spaces and fills up quickly.

Yes, I noticed that last time I was there. I've not been often, but never seen it full either. I wonder what residents of surrounding streets thought of the change, as I suspect this moved cars to find free alternatives.

I can't immediately think of a better alternative with a larger car park though. I don't think New Mills itself is any better for parking?

Worst comes to worst I can either drive to Hazel Grove, or just drive the whole way.

 

[Llandudno]

Grindleford may be a better option, lots of traffic congestion and roadworks on the A6…

 

[Teapot42]

Grindleford may be a better option, lots of traffic congestion and roadworks on the A6…

Handier, but poorer service in the morning. Is the double-back to Dore which Traintimes is giving me for the return actually allowed?

 

[richardderby]

My Dad drives over to Broadbottom and parks there, fares are cheap £4.50 single as GM, and parking is free, very frequent trains and you can use the tram in central Machester free.

Broadbottom Rail park and ride

View the park and ride information for Broadbottom Rail park and ride

tfgm.com

 

[Teapot42]

On the off-chance anyone picks this thread up who has a similar query, I had no trouble at all getting parked at New Mills Newtown at around 7:30 this morning. The car park was only about a quarter full. Lots of people being dropped off, not many actually parking.

I also found a ticket I wasn't previously aware of, a train+tram where for only just over a pound extra you can add tram outside the central zone. Far cheaper than tapping separately to use the tram out to Salford Quays.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I also found a ticket I wasn't previously aware of, a train+tram where for only just over a pound extra you can add tram outside the central zone. Far cheaper than tapping separately to use the tram out to Salford Quays.

Oh yes the combined rovers are very good, although they aren't valid to New Mills, only within the ticketing area https://tfgm.com/public-transport/train/ticket-area-map.
I typically also add bus for just a bit more on the chance I want one.

 

[Llandudno]

On the off-chance anyone picks this thread up who has a similar query, I had no trouble at all getting parked at New Mills Newtown at around 7:30 this morning. The car park was only about a quarter full. Lots of people being dropped off, not many actually parking.

I also found a ticket I wasn't previously aware of, a train+tram where for only just over a pound extra you can add tram outside the central zone. Far cheaper than tapping separately to use the tram out to Salford Quays.

Excellent, did you buy your ticket at the TVM, ticket office (if open?) or on board the train?

Sadly I don’t think Senior Railcard discounts apply?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

If we're talking about a £14.50 Anytime Day Return from New Mills Newtown to Metrolink Z1-2 (route "via Manchester") then I concur that Railcard discounts don't ever appear to be available.

 

[Teapot42]

Oh yes the combined rovers are very good, although they aren't valid to New Mills, only within the ticketing area https://tfgm.com/public-transport/train/ticket-area-map.
I typically also add bus for just a bit more on the chance I want one.

This wasn't a rover, it was a specific train ticket. I only found it by chance on Trainsplit - oddly sites like Traintimes and even the National Rail site don't offer it.

The station codes are NMN - QMI - I went for zone 3 as I'd forgotten to check which zone my final tram stop was and it was only 10p more than zone 2 so seemed safest.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Mar 2026 ==

Excellent, did you buy your ticket at the TVM, ticket office (if open?) or on board the train?

I'd bought in advance using Trainsplit. I'd used the office on previous occasions and it had been a bit of a struggle - things like trying to ask for a receipt (it's a business trip) confused the person on the window.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It's a fair distance to walk from New Mills Newtown to New Mills Central,culminating in a steep uphill Union Road. I did it many times in my very much younger days, but in my 80's would never consider such a walk now.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

This wasn't a rover, it was a specific train ticket. I only found it by chance on Trainsplit - oddly sites like Traintimes and even the National Rail site don't offer it.

The station codes are NMN - QMI - I went for zone 3 as I'd forgotten to check which zone my final tram stop was and it was only 10p more than zone 2 so seemed safest.

Yes, I had forgotten those were a thing! I didn't know you could buy them online.

 

[DaveB10780]

It's a fair distance to walk from New Mills Newtown to New Mills Central,culminating in a steep uphill Union Road. I did it many times in my very much younger days, but in my 80's would never consider such a walk now.

Quite a bit shorter going down from the station and over the River Goyt bridge. Almost in a straight line.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Quite a bit shorter going down from the station and over the River Goyt bridge. Almost in a straight line.

That's as may be, but it's not all that intuitive, nor is it the way that Google Maps sends you, which is schlepping it via Union Road.

 

[tomh72]

Google will go the other way if you force it but it seems to be excluding it from the default route because it thinks Torrvale Road has restricted access but I can't see anything to indicate that - possibly they have marked it restricted to exclude it from vehicle routing as it's pretty narrow but are then paying attention to that for pedestrian routes as well.

OpenStreetMap is quite happy to route pedestrians that way anyway.

 

[yorkie]

IIRC routes starting or ending with a "walk" are not supposed to be valid, but journey planners seem to ignore this...

Some do; I like to demonstrate these at fares workshops I hope they don't get 'fixed' as there can be good uses for those fares, depending on the journey But that's not for debate here!

Yes, an itinerary is contractually binding.

However, a proper, good quality journey planner, such as one used by the forum's ticketing site, behaves correctly and strips out the walk.

 

[Teapot42]

However, a proper, good quality journey planner, such as one used by the forum's ticketing site, behaves correctly and strips out the walk.

Erm.... If I search NMN to MAN on the forum site it does offer me options with the walk...

 

[DaveB10780]

Some do; I like to demonstrate these at fares workshops I hope they don't get 'fixed' as there can be good uses for those fares, depending on the journey But that's not for debate here!

Yes, an itinerary is contractually binding.

However, a proper, good quality journey planner, such as one used by the forum's ticketing site, behaves correctly and strips out the walk.

Would that include Manchester Piccadilly to Victoria which is a fairly common route coming from South Manchester/Derbyshire and heading East across the pennines.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Erm.... If I search NMN to MAN on the forum site it does offer me options with the walk...

But it correctly sells a New Mills Central -> Manchester ticket instead of one from New Mills Newtown.

 

[Teapot42]

But it correctly sells a New Mills Central -> Manchester ticket instead of one from New Mills Newtown.

True in a way. It doesn't offer open tickets if you select a leg involving a walk, only advance ones. Which for a journey of this type most people probably don't want. Although I'm also surprised how much cheaper they can be if you are able to accommodate the inflexible schedule.

I'm actually still not totally clear - other than by dint of it being offered as an itinerary, is the walk option actually valid on an NMN to MAN ticket?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I'm actually still not totally clear - other than by dint of it being offered as an itinerary, is the walk option actually valid on an NMN to MAN ticket?

I don't think so.
However it is absolutely valid if you have a Furness Vale (1 stop down the line) - Manchester (including the tram zones) ticket.

E.g. this search

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