Heald Green station infrastructural queries.

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Heald Green station is currently having its ticket office refurbished until the end of this month.

Does anyone have any news concerning the condition of the scaffolding supported ramped access to the airport line platform 1....or the final decision concerning the concrete footbridge that was demolished some time ago.

 

[Andrew Nelson]

Heald Green station is currently having its ticket office refurbished until early June. Does anyone have any news concerning the condition of the scaffolding supported ramped access to the airport line platform 1....or the final decision concerning the concrete footbridge that was demolished some time ago.

Was there Yesterday evening, though on other platform (after walking from Styal). Didn't notice much, other than the Departure boards kept re-booting.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Was there Yesterday evening, though on other platform (after walking from Styal). Didn't notice much, other than the Departure boards kept re-booting.

The problem with the Departure Boards is said to be something connected with the electrical works inside, whilst the remedial works are being carried out.....or so a collegue of mine was informed by "someone in authority wearing a suit and a hi-vis vest".

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Well, it is now 26th May 2011 and my wife , yesterday, was at Heald Green station to collect two elderly ladies returning home from Windermere and she was told that the refurbishments are taking much longer than expected.

A staff member said to her that the contractors working in the Booking Office had built a new wall, painted it....then demolished it a few days later, as the wall had been built in the wrong place. :roll:

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is now 28th June 2011 and passengers are still not allowed into the station waiting room. My friend who used this station yesterday, manned by two exterrnal male ticket issueing officers, was told by one of these that the project was very late and that the contractor concerned had been summoned to a site meeting later this week.

External painting to the seating units had been completed.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is now 13th August and the never-ending saga still continues.

This week, my wife drove a neighbour in our village to Heald Green station, as her nephew was coming to Heald Green by train from Holmes Chapel. Our neighbour gave my wife a copy of a letter from Northern Rail at Leeds she had received in response to her letter which said:-

Unfortunately, we have an issue with the newly fitted counter top. The site managers and contractors are addressing the issue and I would apologise for any inonvenience to our regular customers. We will be opening the station office as soon as possible.

Since the ticket office was closed on 11th April, more than four months have now elapsed since the commencement of the refurbishment works, which were supposed to have been completed by mid-June.

 

[ANorthernGuard]

from what I have been told, Northern are refusing to pay for some of the work as they are considering sub-standard (these are rumours and I have no proof) however it would explain alot of the delays.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

My wife took our neighbour and her young nephew to Heald Green station this morning, so he could return to Holmes Chapel...and the booking office was finally open (after four months closure).

 

[Poss Planner]

The ramp to the Airport Bound Platform is to be rebuilt/extended. Work is likely to start around March 2012

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

The ramp to the Airport Bound Platform is to be rebuilt/extended. Work is likely to start around March 2012

.......providing that the scaffolding that has been a feature of the "temporary" structure can see the winter through :roll:

Welcome to the forum and making your first posting.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

My friend from Cheadle Hulme and I attended a meeting in Heald Green last Thursday where a spokesman from National Rail and Mark Hunter, the local MP, gave details on future infrastructure developments at this station. The shelter from the former Oldham Loop line has been recoated and has just been erected on the airport bound platform.

The new ramped entrance to the airport bound platform referred to by Poss Planner was discussed in some depth. A completely new structure will be built, which will give a ramp commeasurate with current disability regulations, commencing in December 2011 and due for completion in April 2012. A temporary access structure will be provided during these construction works.

 

[hmott9000]

Hi Paul,

I have just moved to Heald Green and interested in the station.

Do you know if there are any further plans for the station? they seem to have cleared some of the bank on the station approach side. will they re-ensate the foot bridge?

plus will we be getting any more trans pennie services, other than the blackpool train?

 

[Nym]

I dowbt you'll get any TPE services over the BPN service, that is more a legacy left over from the days before the south facing junction for the airport was in place, and when FNW ran the Airport - Blackpool as a local service rather than an 'express'

Don't think Heald Green is delt a perticularly bad hand when it comes to services anyway, 3tph to Manchester, 3tph to Airport isn't that bad...

 

[hmott9000]

very interesting! don't you think there are too many express trains to the airport?

 

[Nym]

No, if these where only express to Piccadilly then it would be excsessive (opening a can of worms here) but these services go for an hourly pattern to a lot of places around the north.
(Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Barrow / Scotland, Liverpool, Blackpool, Southport, Cleethorpes) Not to mention places served on route... (Leeds, York, Sheffeild, Doncaster, Bolton, Preston, Wigan, Lancaster, Carlisle, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham, Scunthorpe etc.)

 

[hmott9000]

Yea i think that maybe these long distance trains are ok as express but i think that northern run some sprinters and pacers which are always empty, cant these stop at some stations on the styal line? what do people think?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Hi Paul,

I have just moved to Heald Green and interested in the station. ....Do you know if there are any further plans for the station? They seem to have cleared some of the bank on the station approach side. Will they re-ensate the foot bridge?

Unfortunately, the footbridge will not be re-instated and I was at a meeting with National Rail when this point was raised. Passengers purchasing a ticket from the booking office for destinations to Manchester Airport, Wilmslow, etc, will still have to walk out of the booking office, up the approach road to Finney Lane, cross the railway on the road bridge then take the route from there downwards to the Airport bound platform.

The works that you see in progress are for the installation of the new ramped access to the airport-bound platform (which are commensurate with the current Disability Regulations) from Finney Lane which are scheduled for completion in April 2012.

I think that Nym has answered your questions with regard to operational matters. It is not just the Blackpool TPE services that stop there, but certain TPE services to Windermere, Glasgow and Edinburgh also stop there. Heald Green is quite a well-patronised railway station.

Northern Rail "hourly" services from both Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly (Styal Line) and the shuttle service from Manchester Airport to Manchester Piccadilly both make stops at Heald Green, in addition to any TPE services.

 

[Nym]

And to be honest, it's a similar layout at Lostock Parkway, and they seem to have similar passenger numbers...

Well, 380,000 for Heald Gn and 209,000 for Lostock, but Lostock continues to grow, and has less services...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

And to be honest, it's a similar layout at Lostock Parkway, and they seem to have similar passenger numbers...

Well, 380,000 for Heald Gn and 209,000 for Lostock, but Lostock continues to grow, and has less services...

There is a very noticeable difference in one certain facility between these two stations. Lostock Parkway has a very large number of car parking spaces for intending rail passengers...Heald Green has barely 10 such spaces outside the booking office. The large car park at the Heald Green Hotel is now a £5 daily charge, redeemable against a meal, etc, and the numbered car park spaces that are nearest to the road and the property of Stockport Council can only be used for no charge within the published time limits as displayed on the signs. These spaces are normally taken by people without car parking spaces at Greencourts Business Park very early each morning.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

so basically, Heald Green only serves services stopping at Preston northbound? That's what I've gathered, and I've considered HG to be a Manchester terminal minus the terminus bit, along with Wilmslow, Stockport, Vicky, Picky, Oxford Road, Salford Crescent, Stalybridge, and the Airport. Meh..

 

[MidnightFlyer]

so basically, Heald Green only serves services stopping at Preston northbound? That's what I've gathered, and I've considered HG to be a Manchester terminal minus the terminus bit, along with Wilmslow, Stockport, Vicky, Picky, Oxford Road, Salford Crescent, Stalybridge, and the Airport. Meh..

Well, bearing mind five of those aren't even in Manchester (city I should add, I'm not getting into Greater Manchester terms, otherwise Wigan could be too!).

I have absolutely no idea what you mean in the first sentence - northbound M-F off-peak it has 2tph stopper to Piccadilly and 1tph to Blackpool North via Chorley. Southbound there are 2tph to Airport only, and 1tph to Crewe via Airport.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

so basically, Heald Green only serves services stopping at Preston northbound?

I think that the best thing for you to obtain is the Northern Rail timetable 21 that details the services not just of Northern Rail, but also of First TPE, that stop at the stations at Heald Green, Gatley, East Didsbury, Burnage and Mauldeth Road. The footnotes gives all the required service information in a basic form. This should be there at the booking office of Heald Green railway station.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

http://www.northernrail.org/pdfs/timetables/20111211/18.pdf - For details of Crewe services
http://www.northernrail.org/pdfs/timetables/20111211/21.pdf - For all others (as detailed above)

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

http://www.northernrail.org/pdfs/timetables/20111211/18.pdf - For details of Crewe services
http://www.northernrail.org/pdfs/timetables/20111211/21.pdf - For all others (as detailed above)

Thank you for posting this information. I am no good at all about posting such things.....nor can I post photographs ...:roll: