Lancaster to Preston

[Chat Moss]

On a Sunday the first service is not until 10:51. I find this quite remarkable and not good for anyone wanting to head south early doors. Especially if trying to get to London which means you can't really get there till nearly 2pm.
How has this never been looked at?

 

[Bletchleyite]

On a Sunday the first service is not until 10:51. I find this quite remarkable and not good for anyone wanting to head south early doors. Especially if trying to get to London which means you can't really get there till nearly 2pm.
How has this never been looked at?

It is still a bit late, I agree, but the first train south from Lancaster on a Sunday from May is the 0945 to Manchester Oxford Road, so there is a bit of an improvement there.

It's better than it used to be though. The first train northbound on the WCML on a Sunday past Oxenholme used to be about 1500 in the 90s.

 

[driver9000]

It has long been that way and is quite frustrating for passengers needing an early start on Sunday. Traditionally the line is closed Saturday night (including an earlier shut down than weekdays) into Sunday morning for engineering work but for a short period before COVID we were starting to see earlier trains on Sunday mornings. The 09:45 from Lancaster (08:41 ex Barrow) only ran until mid March but I believe this is temporary until May when it will reappear

 

[Bletchleyite]

It has long been that way and is quite frustrating for passengers needing an early start on Sunday. Traditionally the line is closed Saturday night (including an earlier shut down than weekdays) into Sunday morning for engineering work but for a short period before COVID we were starting to see earlier trains on Sunday mornings. The 09:45 from Lancaster (08:41 ex Barrow) only ran until mid March but I believe this is temporary until May when it will reappear

There's also something about staffing the station - for some reason they won't allow it to be open without staff despite there being a side gate, possibly due to antisocial behaviour. It'd have a later last train if that wasn't the case; TPE wanted to run an arrival after midnight but Virgin (as was) said no. Similarly for Nuneaton Virgin wanted to call after midnight but LM said no.

 

[Chat Moss]

That is better I suppose but still not great. Some people actually have to work Sundays . It doesn't show on national rail planner yet though

 

[Bletchleyite]

That is better I suppose but still not great. Some people actually have to work Sundays . It doesn't show on national rail planner yet though

It's a bit of a nuisance but you can get to Preston by bus from Lancaster arriving at 0901 on a Sunday, which should at least suit most retail workers given that shops open late on Sundays.

 

[Chat Moss]

I'd rather drive than get a bus but thanks

 

[Bletchleyite]

I'd rather drive than get a bus but thanks

I suspect the vast majority of people wanting to do a Sunday day trip from Lancaster to London probably does exactly that - drives to Preston for the 0859.

 

[Chat Moss]

It is still a bit late, I agree, but the first train south from Lancaster on a Sunday from May is the 0945 to Manchester Oxford Road, so there is a bit of an improvement there.

It's better than it used to be though. The first train northbound on the WCML on a Sunday past Oxenholme used to be about 1500 in the 90s.

Where do you source your info re 09:45 running after May tt change

 

[Bletchleyite]

Where do you source your info re 09:45 running after May tt change

A random Realtime Trains check for June.

Turns out it runs from 25th June:

https://timetables.fabdigital.uk/nrt/may2023/100%20Manchester,%20Liverpool,%20London,%20Birmingham%20and%20Preston%20to%20Lancaster,%20Barrow,%20Windermere,%20Carlisle%20and%20Scotland.pdf

 

[Chat Moss]

I did real-time trains too but only went to end of May thanks for info

 

[The Planner]

On a Sunday the first service is not until 10:51. I find this quite remarkable and not good for anyone wanting to head south early doors. Especially if trying to get to London which means you can't really get there till nearly 2pm.
How has this never been looked at?

Because for most of the year, the only times available to block the lines is between 2330 Saturday to 0920 Sunday, in some periods we get 2330 to 1020.

 

[weepingwillowb]

Going off-topic, the first direct train from Stoke-on-Trent to Derby on a Sunday is at 14.32, and after that there's approximately 1 train per hour up to 21.44. Probably more examples of late-starting Sunday services around the UK.

 

[GordonT]

Sunday timetables have generally continued to be "production led" - provision for engineering work, constraints on staff availability especially where cover is reliant on overtime working etc. This is regrettable given that Sundays are far from being the "days of rest" which presumably influenced the reduced levels of service we continue to "enjoy".

 

[30907]

Sunday timetables have generally continued to be "production led" - provision for engineering work, constraints on staff availability especially where cover is reliant on overtime working etc. This is regrettable given that Sundays are far from being the "days of rest" which presumably influenced the reduced levels of service we continue to "enjoy".

But given how quiet the roads are on Sunday mornings before about 1000, it's not unreasonable to do rail - or road - repairs then.
The rest of the day is more problematic but that's not the OP's issue.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Because for most of the year, the only times available to block the lines is between 2330 Saturday to 0920 Sunday, in some periods we get 2330 to 1020.

Would be fairly handy in this sort of case if there was a permanent RRB to Preston in the manner of the 0200 Sunday morning services from Euston. It'd only require an Optare Solo or similar, but would be quite useful for e.g. retail workers or those wanting a day in London who don't drive (e.g. a lot of the students, so there's a reasonable market there). I'd imagine the likes of Kirkby Lonsdale Coaches could happily resource such a thing.