Half hourly trains on the Ribble Valley Line?

[Ant158]

The recent Northern franchise changes and rail improvements map shows that there will be a half-hourly daytime service from Blackburn to Manchester via Bolton. However only this section of the line is highlighted. Does this mean that Clitheroe and the stations between it and Blackburn will continue to see the current hourly service? (Excluding the peaks).

Thanks, Ant158

 

[bradders1983]

This could have been asked in the very large, ongoing thread, but anyway...

The tender spec stipulated a minimum M-F hourly service between Clitheroe and Ramsgreave & Wilpshire

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...tsr-table-december-2017-monday-to-friday.xlsx

(see tab MCR4A)

So more than likely one of the two trains an hour from Bolton to Blackburn will be extended to Clitheroe (either that or the Manchester V-Blackburn via Rochdale service that is currently hourly will be extended up there instead). As you can see from row 33 of that tab, Blackburn gets roughly double the numbers that Clitheroe (row 38) does. Of course, Arriva may decide to put more on, but that is the minimum and I havent seen anything to suggest they are going to provide a half hour service north of Blackburn.

The 2019 spec suggests an identical service to the above - https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...tsr-table-december-2019-monday-to-friday.xlsx

Sunday service looks to be hourly up to Clitheroe, dunno if that matches the current level of service.