1728 Blackpool North to Hazel Grove - cancellations

[Tarquin88]

I am hoping to board this train tomorrow, Wed 15th, as part of a longer journey.

If I’ve used Real Time Trains correctly, this train was cancelled on Tues 07/06, Wed 08/06, yesterday Mon 13/06 and it looks as though it is cancelled today.

What is the earliest/latest I can find out whether it will be cancelled tomorrow?

 

[The exile]

I am hoping to board this train tomorrow, Wed 15th, as part of a longer journey.

If I’ve used Real Time Trains correctly, this train was cancelled on Tues 07/06, Wed 08/06, yesterday Mon 13/06 and it looks as though it is cancelled today.

What is the earliest/latest I can find out whether it will be cancelled tomorrow?

Not being facetious but the latest is presumably “shortly after 1728” or whenever it’s decided that the unit which has just failed isn’t going to right itself in a hurry!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Tarquin88. Presume you're not actually travelling to Hazel Grove. What alternative options are available if tomorrow's 1728 is also a "non runner"? (As does appear to be the case today).

 

[RAPC]

There are a few services being semi-regularly cancelled on the Blackpool services at the moment. If a whole diagram is out of action due to a staff shortage, then cancellations may well be showing well in advance. (I can already see 3 Hazel Grove to Blackpool services cancelled for this afternoon and evening)

Others might get cancelled much nearer the time, so it is very much a case of some being shown early in the day if a diagram is not running. Others may get cancelled late on due to an unexpected staff issue, unit failure etc.

 

[Purple Orange]

There may be another thread for this, but why are there regular cancellations on Nirthern services due to availability of crew? Last week the same Alderley Edge-Southport train was cancelled every day (leaving Alderley Edge at roughly 3pm, I forget the exact time). We are told crew shortages, but there must be a reason for that. Its not exactly business as usual.

 

[driver9000]

Jouneycheck should be updated sometime later tonight with tomorrow's alterations.

 

[Tarquin88]

@Tarquin88. Presume you're not actually travelling to Hazel Grove. What alternative options are available if tomorrow's 1728 is also a "non runner"? (As does appear to be the case today).

Thanks: you're right. Only using 1728 ex Blackpool North between Poulton-le-Fylde and Preston. Planned journey is Poulton-le-Fylde/Preston/Wolverhampton/Basingstoke on off-peak return via Banbury (not London). Timetabled departure times are PFY 1735, PRE 1817, WVH 1942. There is an earlier PFY departure at 1728 but I'm not certain I can make that: hence concern over 1735 PFY being cancelled. Timings would then become PFY 1803 to Manchester Piccadilly and MAN 1927 direct to BSK arriving 2307 rather than 2210 - and it relies on the last through train of the day.

Thanks also to driver9000.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Presume the connection at Preston for Wolverhampton is the London Euston train starting from Blackpool North at 1747. Any chance of boarding the Avanti at Blackpool North? Might need a taxi as don't think there's a suitable train connection from Poulton-le-Fylde after 1717.

 

[td97]

Realtimetrains is slow to update with cancelled services. Use Northern's journey planner on their website to view their pre-planned cancellations. I can see RTT is currently not showing any tomorrow but I can view several on Northern's website

 

[IanXC]

Realtimetrains is slow to update with cancelled services. Use Northern's journey planner on their website to view their pre-planned cancellations. I can see RTT is currently not showing any tomorrow but I can view several on Northern's website

For the avoidance of doubt this is not a Realtimetrains fault, its simply that the two underlying industry systems have different purposes and are updated differently, with different priorities.

 

[Jamesrob637]

It's operating today.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Tarquin88. How did you get on?

 

[Jamesrob637]

Not running again today I see.

 

[Tarquin88]

@Tarquin88. How did you get on?

Thanks. When I made my original posting, it was in connection with making seat reservations from Preston/Wolverhampton/Basingstoke (if the 1728 ex Blackpool North was running) or Manchester Piccadilly/BSK (if not). The ticket office told me that I couldn’t book seats on both trains to BSK so I had to decide. As the 1735 from Poulton-le-Fylde and connections was my preferred train, I took a chance that it was running yesterday and reserved accordingly. In the event, I managed to be at PFY in time for for the 1728 (bound for York) and as it happened the 1735 did run yesterday as jamesrob637 predicted.

Subsequent to reserving seats, I found out about Cross Country’s Ten Minute Reservation (available from 0600 on day of travel, via mobile) so reserved a seat on the 1927 ex MAN (which the ticket office would not do). Others may see this as excessively cautious (boarding at the start point on a train you’re hoping not to get) but it’s a 3 hour 40 min journey.

The 1817 from PRE (ex BPN, for Euston) was terminated early at WVH but didn’t affect my onward journey. For the future (your post 8) it might be worth boarding that at BPN if the logistics locally can be overcome.

[The outward journey on 0548 from BSK (via Birmingham International & PRE) was delayed due to broken down train/congestion in the Birmingham area so I was 25 mins late at PFY but will complete a delay repay with Avanti.]

 

[Geeves]

My friend was booked to drive that 1728 from Blackpool yesterday and even he was confused by controls reason for cancellation. He was right there to drive it! They told him it was due to the strikes?!

 

[Jamesrob637]

Tarquin was lucky to catch this service on the only day it ran this week so far.