Long term lack of investment in the Marches line

Krokodil said:

Trains from Crewe already run through to Wrexham. How do you propose to get any more trains through Chester? There are only three through platforms, and one of those is of comparatively limited use because of Merseyrail.

Click to expand...

How many trains do Thameslink push through Blackfriars?

Much as it is nice to see Wrexham doing better, I doubt there is suddenly a massive market to get to Manchester. There is plenty of scope (but not resource) to add resource onto the Chester to Manchester services, but that has not been done yet. To me that suggests that there is a lot further to go before resource would be used to create an extra train from Manchester to Chester (with associated paths at the Manchester end being another constraint). I suspect that more carriages on the Chester to Manchester services is the best that can be hoped for medium term.

Unless Chester has some very archaic signalling, it would seem that the constraints would not be paths at Chester.

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

richard_S said:

Yes I think so. document ( https://tfw.wales/projects/network-north-wales ) says by 2035 "Increase platform capacity at Chester railway station."

Click to expand...

That says they will electrify the Marches. Ambitious

Is there any confirmation that more capacity means a new island and not simply something that allows Merseyrail to be passed on Platform 7 and/or brings another of the Crewe facing bays into use?

Even a split of Platform 3? would enable use as two through platforms because it is far longer than most of the trains that use it.

It also says capacity rather than "add new"

richard_S said:

Yes I think so. document ( https://tfw.wales/projects/network-north-wales ) says by 2035 "Increase platform capacity at Chester railway station."

Click to expand...

Thank you useful info.

No problem. It shows quite a bit of their future plans. Lets hope they all happen. Chester needs to be electrified to Crewe and Acton Grange junction. This would be a start to the electrification of the line to Holyhead.

Looking at some of the numbers and talk of using Platform 1 makes me think that there is confusion. To me 1 is the platform for the Crewe shuttle and not a lot else



Whether there is an option to add another island, I do not know. I do not know what the impact on the Chester depot would be. I want them to move 197 maintenance to somewhere more suitable for so many trains, but then I know that is not happening. Maybe a new island links to a move of the depot. Big money though. That unused platform area is a more natural location for a platform.

Another option is pushing 3a out so 3b is a bay. The associated loss of that track at the East end would mean the point for the current through line was now the point for the platform track. There is then a decent amount of room to extend 3a Eastwards.

Another option is a platform on what is marked as the West Car Park. That would add capacity towards Wrexham for turning trains.

I would favour pushing 3a out.

There is room for an island platform. There is a larger than normal gap between the line at platform 7 and the down through. This could be brought nearer to the platform 7 line and the down up goods line could be the location for an island platform.

richard_S said:

There is room for an island platform. There is a larger than normal gap between the line at platform 7 and the down through. This could be brought nearer to the platform 7 line and the down up goods line could be the location for an island platform.

Click to expand...

Google shows a lot of what I assume are 175s parked there. It is a while since I was in Chester, but I assume that the fact the depot is servicing more 197s than it ever did 175s means that those lines get used to park trains a lot more than before.

There are 3 more empty lines and the Northern one could take another train.

Topological said:

How many trains do Thameslink push through Blackfriars?

Click to expand...

I suspect that dwell times at Chester would be much shorter if TfW didn't try and cram everyone into their two-coach sardine specials.

Topological said:

Much as it is nice to see Wrexham doing better, I doubt there is suddenly a massive market to get to Manchester.

Click to expand...

There always was a market, but it would be better served by splitting the Crewe-Chester-Wrexham shuttle into two and retiming the Wrexham end so that passengers to/from Wrexham can connect with the existing Holyhead-Manchester Airport services, rather than missing them every time. Sure, Crewe-Wrexham passenger would have to walk from platform 1 to 2 again but they still maintain a connection and everyone else (Holyhead-Wrexham, Wrexham-Manchester etc.) gains one. All for no additional unit or crew resources.

Topological said:

Google shows a lot of what I assume are 175s parked there. It is a while since I was in Chester, but I assume that the fact the depot is servicing more 197s than it ever did 175s means that those lines get used to park trains a lot more than before.

Click to expand...

Chester is extremely short of stabling space - to the extent that shed drivers sometimes have to take excess units out towards the tunnels and sit there with them for a few hours overnight.