Chorley blockade

[MartinsR]

I notice in the new temp timetables it states people travelling to Blackrod, Adlington and chorley to travel in front 4 coaches only. So does that mean it will be 6 coaches? How will this work?

 

[thealexweb]

I notice in the new temp timetables it states people travelling to Blackrod, Adlington and chorley to travel in front 4 coaches only. So does that mean it will be 6 coaches? How will this work?

I am guessing the train will divide at Bolton. With one of the DMU units continuing to Preston via Wigan North Western.

 

[ushawk]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/BON/2014/07/22/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

No dividing shown on this randomly picked midweek date during the blockade at Bolton.

It must be down to platform length.

 

[Solent&Wessex]

No, the train will run throughout as 6 coaches, but due to the short platforms 6 coaches cannot be accommodated at all stations. Also, due to the rules passengers cannot travel in the carriages that are locked out of use, so even though it will fit at Chorley, passengers can still not use those carriages.

 

[MartinsR]

No, the train will run throughout as 6 coaches, but due to the short platforms 6 coaches cannot be accommodated at all stations. Also, due to the rules passengers cannot travel in the carriages that are locked out of use, so even though it will fit at Chorley, passengers can still not use those carriages.

So why 6 coaches?

 

[Solent&Wessex]

So why 6 coaches?

Because they will be very busy and will need all 6 coaches open from Horwich onwards into Manchester when the platforms are long enough.

 

[thealexweb]

Which platforms are the problem. Last time i was at Blackrod I disembarked a four car DMU and noticed surplus platform behind and infront so it must be elsewhere.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

It is Blackrod by the look of things:
Horwich - 141m
Blackrod - 114m
Adlington - 127m (up) 124m (dn)
Chorley - 142m (up) 138m (dn)

One Class 150 car is just over 20m long, hence Blackrod is about 10m too short!

 

[MartinsR]

Because they will be very busy and will need all 6 coaches open from Horwich onwards into Manchester when the platforms are long enough.

I see, thanks.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Can you believe there's going to be no Summer Saturday service between bolton and chorley just buses.

 

[TOCDriver]

Northern have had plenty of time to plan for this. Why they couldn't route learn the Blackpool drivers from Wigan NW to Lostock to run the MCV to BPN service is beyond me. It's hardly a complex bit of track to learn.

 

[thealexweb]

The week starting the 4th August I need to travel Lostock to Chorley and back for work during the peaks. Should I expect ram packed services?

 

[TOCDriver]

The week starting the 4th August I need to travel Lostock to Chorley and back for work during the peaks. Should I expect ram packed services?

Best of luck, mate. You'll need it.

 

[noddingdonkey]

It is Blackrod by the look of things:
Horwich - 141m
Blackrod - 114m
Adlington - 127m (up) 124m (dn)
Chorley - 142m (up) 138m (dn)

One Class 150 car is just over 20m long, hence Blackrod is about 10m too short!

In that case why couldn't the guard just stand at the door that's off the platform so people can't get off through it? They could supply a member of platform staff to despatch.

 

[Philip]

Was it a similar timescale and level of disruption when the arches were removed in 2008? I know it was over the summer and TPE ran their Blackpool and Scottish services via Wigan and Bolton, but can't remember what Northern did.

They do seem to work to similar timescales and service reduction for related projects in subsequent years; the repairs to Leven and Arnside viaducts in 2006 and 2011 respectively worked to the exact same timescales at the exact same point of each year, late March to mid July. TPE also continued to run their Barrow services beyond Lancaster on both occasions; in 2006 they terminated at Grange and in 2011 they terminated at either Carnforth or Arnside. They certainly do their best to minimise disruption.

 

[SeanG]

Lostock to Bolton, I'd not bother with the train, best be to go to Horwich and get the 125/126 bus

 

[abbo1234]

I have just been studying the new temporary timetable,not very good in my opinion.

Why is it only evening trains stop at Euxton Balshaw Lane.Surely passengers would use this service rather than get the replacement bus service at Chorley.

The last train 23:06 from BPN to Man Vic on Saturdays only stops at Leyland and Bolton after leaving Preston.This train should stop at Euxton Balshaw Lane to serve Chorley customers.
Anyone wishing to travel to Chorley now have to get the 21:37 from BPN to Preston which arrives at 22:03,but the connecting bus to Chorley only leaves at 22:52 and arrives Chorley at 23:41.
A journey time of over 2 hours.This is just not good enough for a £12.50 return fare.

It takes less time on the 125 and 61 bus and that is only £7.20 for a Lancashire day rider.

 

[thealexweb]

Lostock to Bolton, I'd not bother with the train, best be to go to Horwich and get the 125/126 bus

The 715 passes within 100 feet of Lostock station

 

[Thomas6187]

Anyone wishing to travel to Chorley now have to get the 21:37 from Blackpool to Preston which arrives at 22:03,but the connecting bus to Chorley only leaves at 22:52 and arrives Chorley at 23:41.
A journey time of over 2 hours.This is just not good enough for a £12.50 return fare.

There is a later connection onto the 22:52 bus which leaves Blackpool at 22:16, arriving at Preston at 22:43. Also there a train which leaves Blackpool at 22:30 which connects onto the 23:15 bus arriving Chorley at 23:45

 

[RAPC]

I have just been studying the new temporary timetable,not very good in my opinion.

Why is it only evening trains stop at Euxton Balshaw Lane.Surely passengers would use this service rather than get the replacement bus service at Chorley.

The timetable does 'feel' a lot worse than the last time there was similar engineering. (I say 'feel' as I can't qualify it, except to say that my regular journey seems to be a lot harder now.)

I commute between Leyland and Manchester. With the new timetable there are 3 morning trains that stop at Leyland. There are no options to leave Leyland past 7:34am by either train or bus connection and arrive in Manchester before 9:30am. Not a massive issue, but it is a shame that one or two of the later TPE services don't also stop. This would definitely be more convenient for the combined Leyland / Buckshaw area, as many of the Buckshaw passengers are based closer to Leyland and used to be regulars from that station before Buckshaw opened. It definitely would have helped with passenger flow. As for Euxton, no morning services to Manchester at all.

On the way back in the evening it is equally frustrating. There's an Euxton and Leyland stopper just before the evening peak. There's then a Leyland service at 17:14 ex Oxford Road and then nothing until the service ex Oxford Road at 18:49, followed by 2 other trains within 50 minutes. The 17:49 ex Oxford Road would have been useful to stop at Leyland, but hasn't had the stop included. The later trains after these stop at Euxton, but not Leyland, which just seems rather curious.

Having checked with TPE, they are not accepting Leyland passengers to travel to Preston and then connect back on the Liverpool service from Preston to Leyland. Only option is to pay the excess fare to Preston, which apparently will be from Bolton or Wigan rather than Leyland as those are the stations before Preston. (I was told this by TPE staff, so double checked it with TPE who have confirmed it on email). Seems like a nice bit of profiteering by them at a time of disruption...

It's going to be a fun 6 weeks, just glad I have a 2 week holiday during part of it.

 

[abbo1234]

Sorry,must have been studying it to long.Lol

 

[RAPC]

Sorry,must have been studying it to long.Lol

I find that the longer I have been looking at the timetable, the less logical it becomes anyway

 

[MartinsR]

The timetable does 'feel' a lot worse than the last time there was similar engineering. (I say 'feel' as I can't qualify it, except to say that my regular journey seems to be a lot harder now.)

I commute between Leyland and Manchester. With the new timetable there are 3 morning trains that stop at Leyland. There are no options to leave Leyland past 7:34am by either train or bus connection and arrive in Manchester before 9:30am. Not a massive issue, but it is a shame that one or two of the later TPE services don't also stop. This would definitely be more convenient for the combined Leyland / Buckshaw area, as many of the Buckshaw passengers are based closer to Leyland and used to be regulars from that station before Buckshaw opened. It definitely would have helped with passenger flow. As for Euxton, no morning services to Manchester at all.

On the way back in the evening it is equally frustrating. There's an Euxton and Leyland stopper just before the evening peak. There's then a Leyland service at 17:14 ex Oxford Road and then nothing until the service ex Oxford Road at 18:49, followed by 2 other trains within 50 minutes. The 17:49 ex Oxford Road would have been useful to stop at Leyland, but hasn't had the stop included. The later trains after these stop at Euxton, but not Leyland, which just seems rather curious.

Having checked with TPE, they are not accepting Leyland passengers to travel to Preston and then connect back on the Liverpool service from Preston to Leyland. Only option is to pay the excess fare to Preston, which apparently will be from Bolton or Wigan rather than Leyland as those are the stations before Preston. (I was told this by TPE staff, so double checked it with TPE who have confirmed it on email). Seems like a nice bit of profiteering by them at a time of disruption...

It's going to be a fun 6 weeks, just glad I have a 2 week holiday during part of it.

I agree with all of the above. The temp timetable is awful for leyland, Buckshaw passengers. No service to Manchester in the morning from Euxton? I mean you can't make this stuff up.

 

[Dunc108]

I agree with all of the above. The temp timetable is awful for leyland, Buckshaw passengers. No service to Manchester in the morning from Euxton? I mean you can't make this stuff up.

It'll be interesting to see how the section from Chorley - Lostock copes with just an hourly service, when most people at these stations bar Adlington & Blackrod are used to upto 3 trains per hour.. Chorley & Horwich Parkway probably even pitch at 4 trains per hour at peak hours of the day?

 

[ffcphone]

Was it a similar timescale and level of disruption when the arches were removed in 2008? I know it was over the summer and TPE ran their Blackpool and Scottish services via Wigan and Bolton, but can't remember what Northern did.

They do seem to work to similar timescales and service reduction for related projects in subsequent years; the repairs to Leven and Arnside viaducts in 2006 and 2011 respectively worked to the exact same timescales at the exact same point of each year, late March to mid July. TPE also continued to run their Barrow services beyond Lancaster on both occasions; in 2006 they terminated at Grange and in 2011 they terminated at either Carnforth or Arnside. They certainly do their best to minimise disruption.

In 2008 Northern ran Manchester to Chorley only then used the cross over to bring trains back. Only TPE ran through to Preston via Wigan.

This time it's even worse. I'm already suffering a reduction in service due to the electric Scottish services already being rerouted away from Preston but now even less service to Preston during these works.

 

[adrock1976]

In 2008 Northern ran Manchester to Chorley only then used the cross over to bring trains back. Only TPE ran through to Preston via Wigan.

This time it's even worse. I'm already suffering a reduction in service due to the electric Scottish services already being rerouted away from Preston but now even less service to Preston during these works.

Has HS2 been built to Scotland already, bypassing Preston?

In peace

Adam

 

[MartinsR]

Has HS2 been built to Scotland already, bypassing Preston?

In peace

Adam

Lol

 

[Solent&Wessex]

I'm told that the lack of services stopping at the likes of Leyland and Euxton is due to Network Rail not granting paths due to conflicts elsewhere at Junctions etc if the time taken to slow down, stop, start again is added into the schedule.

 

[Darren R]

I'm told that the lack of services stopping at the likes of Leyland and Euxton is due to Network Rail not granting paths due to conflicts elsewhere at Junctions etc if the time taken to slow down, stop, start again is added into the schedule.

Not disputing what you say (and pathing on the WCML between Wigan and Preston was bound to be a problem) - but.... isn't it grand how every company involved in the railway can respond to criticism by saying 'not my fault Guv!'

 

[Dunc108]

Anyone travelled on the hourly Chorley diagrams yet? I was wondering how they fare in terms of busyness and unit strengthening..

 

[thealexweb]

The 07:16 Bolton to Chorley service ran today with the 3 x 150s. I am amazed they thought ahead and sent three units with end doors.