Crewe Station today

[merlodlliw]

I had cause to collect a passenger at Crewe Station today,arrived noon,parked up in the car park that leads to platform eleven via the overbridge,Crewe station is open access.
I found the platforms spotless, the WC on platform 12 was also very clean just been mopped etc by contractors, VT staff very helpful, pax info signs very informative.
Down side, PA system on platforms eleven & six was distorted and unintelligible, live female announcer presumed, others also agreed with my findings, it was like AM fade in the evenings on radio five.

I noted a First Scotrail Caledonian sleeping coach abandoned on platform ten, any idea why it was parked up at noon on Sunday.

Also saw the 6 miserable ATW mark 2 coaches in the graveyard of coaches visible from platform five.

Met my colleague off a very long eleven coach pendolino going to Liverpool ,it was very full even at 1315

Marks 8 out of 10, the PA really needs sorting. Also noted a lot of Voyagers empty going North off platform 12. Not a sign of Cross Country between noon & 1400 today.

Bob

 

[tsr]

I believe the Sleeper coach would be the same one which recently had brake pipe damage due to an animal strike, for which there is a separate thread. It was separated from the herd - I mean, rake - at Crewe.

 

[6Gman]

Met my colleague off a very long eleven coach pendolino going to Liverpool ,it was very full even at 1315

Bob

Aren't all 11 coach Pendolinos the same length?

 

[dk1]

Crewe station needs a lot of money spent to restore it but they do there best. Lots of it sadly have little purpose these days. I do always enjoy changing trains here. Most trains I catch from here are very well loaded especially Virgin but things should improve on the Brum-Scotland run as more Pendos replace Voyagers in December. Last time I was there Chester races where on & things where very lively indeed.

 

[Nym]

Aren't all 11 coach Pendolinos the same length?

Could one not assume a comma in that post in order to have it make sense?

 

[Crossover]

The PA could just be the person on the other end...some really are useless from past experience!

 

[AndyLandy]

Marks 8 out of 10, the PA really needs sorting. Also noted a lot of Voyagers empty going North off platform 12. Not a sign of Cross Country between noon & 1400 today.

I don't think XC serve Crewe at all these days. All the Manchester trains run from Stafford up through Stoke-on-Trent. Although this may change in a future timetable recast.

As for the PA announcements, they really are pretty terrible. I find it very difficult to understand them a lot of the time.

 

[Eagle]

I don't think XC serve Crewe at all these days.

XC services via Crewe are:

0511 SuX Manchester to Bournemouth
0600 SSuX Manchester to Bristol
0657 SuX Birmingham to Manchester
1727 SSuX Manchester to Bournemouth
2230 SSuX Birmingham to Manchester (does not call)

0827 SuO Manchester to Bournemouth
0901 SuO Birmingham to Manchester

 

[merlodlliw]

Aren't all 11 coach Pendolinos the same length?

Indeed they are, I could have phased it better,in North Wales & Chester we don't see pendos any more.

I am sure the poor & useless PA system at Crewe is more to do with amplification than the announcer, I was impressed by lack of vegetation between the lines at Crewe ,unlike Chester,anyone know whats to happen to those six miserable looking ATW Mark2s parked up in the yard.

 

[Boothby97]

Indeed they are, I could have phased it better,in North Wales & Chester we don't see pendos any more.

I am sure the poor & useless PA system at Crewe is more to do with amplification than the announcer, I was impressed by lack of vegetation between the lines at Crewe ,unlike Chester,anyone know whats to happen to those six miserable looking ATW Mark2s parked up in the yard.

They are owned by RivieraTrains, so either a return to traffic and charter use, or spares and then scrap.

 

[merlodlliw]

They are owned by RivieraTrains, so either a return to traffic and charter use, or spares and then scrap.

Thanks, I presume ATW must have almost given them away,the stock must have been at Canton for around 8 to 10 years, I recall the CEO who bought the Mark2s being asked to clear his desk over this buy, Sunderland were furious he put pax before profit.

 

[Brian Aylott]

The ATW Mark 2s at Crewe bar one are in good condition having been on the WAG trains until replaced by the Mark 3s in the last couple of years
The other ones that were at Canton (and Long Marston) were cut up at Kingsbury this year
Brian