Liverpool to Llandudno direct service

[gray1404]

It has been confirmed this will begin May next year. Anyone any ideas of the timetable and stopping pattern?

 

[Cheshire Rover]

It has been confirmed this will begin May next year. Anyone any ideas of the timetable and stopping pattern?

Is this an extension of the existing Chester to Liverpool via Runcorn service? At the moment it calls at LSP, Runcorn, Frodsham, Helsby and terminates at Chester. I would assume it would be all stops to Llandudno in the future?

 

[spp]

Is this an extension of the existing Chester to Liverpool via Runcorn service? At the moment it calls at LSP, Runcorn, Frodsham, Helsby and terminates at Chester. I would assume it would be all stops to Llandudno in the future?

Announced by TFW so would assume so.

I’ve noticed in recent months on the very odd occasion that train actually carries on to Wrexham after Chester. As I say only very occasionally so not sure if it was for specific reasons.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Is this an extension of the existing Chester to Liverpool via Runcorn service? At the moment it calls at LSP, Runcorn, Frodsham, Helsby and terminates at Chester. I would assume it would be all stops to Llandudno in the future?

Currently, two of these trains start from Wrexham (one actually from Shrewsbury), with one returning to Wrexham in the evening.
Wrexham will now also get a new hourly shuttle from Chester (starting in December).
It remains to be seen how all this is integrated next May.
The xx47 from Liverpool currently arrives in Chester around xx32, which suggests a departure down the coast around xx35, if they keep the same path.

 

[gray1404]

I am hoping these services will call at Abergele and Pensarn.

 

[Djgr]

I am hoping these services will call at Abergele and Pensarn.

I would be surprised if they don't.

 

[BeijingDave]

So many scousers holiday along the coast, it would be daft to not stop everywhere. They should even open a station at Talacre.

 

[cle]

Currently, two of these trains start from Wrexham (one actually from Shrewsbury), with one returning to Wrexham in the evening.
Wrexham will now also get a new hourly shuttle from Chester (starting in December).
It remains to be seen how all this is integrated next May.
The xx47 from Liverpool currently arrives in Chester around xx32, which suggests a departure down the coast around xx35, if they keep the same path.

True - the Crewe-Chester-Wrexham shuttle might well be a compensation for this going to Llandudno instead.

Although I was of the view that it would be a double-unit and split - one half to Llanduds, one half to Shrewsbury each hourly - with aims for every 2 hours on to Cardiff. Would be way better for the route as a whole, to try do 2tph total, with a faster pattern potentially.

 

[Oxfordblues]

I'm reminded of the summer Saturdays-only Lime Street-Bangor hauled by a Speke Junction Standard-5 (73xxx) which in 1967 was one of the last steam-hauled trains on the coast. Even in those days there was only one train a week.

 

[NorthWalian]

True - the Crewe-Chester-Wrexham shuttle might well be a compensation for this going to Llandudno instead.

Although I was of the view that it would be a double-unit and split - one half to Llanduds, one half to Shrewsbury each hourly - with aims for every 2 hours on to Cardiff. Would be way better for the route as a whole, to try do 2tph total, with a faster pattern potentially.

The Crewe Shuttle is staying separate from the new Chester - Wrexham one.

Shame as it would have made Wrexham - London easier.

 

[Djgr]

So many scousers holiday along the coast, it would be daft to not stop everywhere. They should even open a station at Talacre.

Not all stations lend themselves to holiday trips. Shotton, for example, is a bit of an ask.

However, there is also a lot of traffic into Liverpool (retail, stags and hens, sport etc.) from North Wales, as anyone trying to board the swamped Merseyrail at Chester on a Saturday will tell you.

 

[BG2024]

The National Express coaches running this route got scrapped last year due to lack of demand. They filled up at the weekend, but when I used them midweek it was like my own personal chauffeur service.

It'll be interesting to see what level of service TfW run on grim winter weekdays.

 

[Djgr]

The National Express coaches running this route got scrapped last year due to lack of demand. They filled up at the weekend, but when I used them midweek it was like my own personal chauffeur service.

It'll be interesting to see what level of service TfW run on grim winter weekdays.

Ah yes 3 hours from Manchester to Llandudno on a coach! As I said, there is also a lot of traffic FROM North Wales (retail, leisure, John Lennon airport etc.)

 

[frodshamfella]

True - the Crewe-Chester-Wrexham shuttle might well be a compensation for this going to Llandudno instead.

Although I was of the view that it would be a double-unit and split - one half to Llanduds, one half to Shrewsbury each hourly - with aims for every 2 hours on to Cardiff. Would be way better for the route as a whole, to try do 2tph total, with a faster pattern potentially.

Right at the beginning when TFW were promoting the service a Cardiff link was being suggested, along with Llandudno . Taken a very long time.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Oct 2025 ==

Ah yes 3 hours from Manchester to Llandudno on a coach! As I said, there is also a lot of traffic FROM North Wales (retail, leisure, John Lennon airport etc.)

I have friends in Llandudno who will definitely use the service to reach Liverpool Airport.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have friends in Llandudno who will definitely use the service to reach Liverpool Airport.

It will also be extremely popular with tourists, I'd think, particularly those going for a day out in Snowdonia or for a bucket and spade day. Sure, it's not hard to do it changing at Chester now, but direct is a very powerful marketing tool.

 

[Llandudno]

It will also be extremely popular with tourists, I'd think, particularly those going for a day out in Snowdonia or for a bucket and spade day. Sure, it's not hard to do it changing at Chester now, but direct is a very powerful marketing tool.

I hope it will be operated by more than 2 coaches on Saturdays all year and every day during the summer school holidays….

 

[cle]

The Crewe Shuttle is staying separate from the new Chester - Wrexham one.

Shame as it would have made Wrexham - London easier.

That is a shame, I had heard it might be threaded together, which would give Wrexham a lot of new options, London, but also for Manchester too. And up the WCML.

It opens up Liverpool as a commutable job market too, for the coast and Wrexham (if directs) - especially if there is a faster pattern one day or in the peaks.

 

[craigybagel]

The Crewe Shuttle is staying separate from the new Chester - Wrexham one.

Shame as it would have made Wrexham - London easier.

That's only supposed to be temporary in the December timetable. The aim is to have it as a through service with the recast in May.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

It won't be easy to maintain good connections between the various services crossing Chester.
If, say, you have the three hourly services down the coast at 20 minute intervals, you are going to have significant waits between the Liverpool-Llandudno, Manchester-Holyhead and Birmingham-Holyhead services, not to mention the Crewe-Wrexhams (and the Avantis, and Gerald).
Will we really have 2tph west of Llandudno Jn, or will one just go to Bangor?
Will everything repeat hourly, or will we have some alternate routings?
Will evening trains give up at Chester as most do now, requiring unnecessary changes?

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's meant to be Manchester-Bangor, not Manchester-Holyhead.

 

[NorthWalian]

That's only supposed to be temporary in the December timetable. The aim is to have it as a through service with the recast in May.

Where did you see that as a direct route to Crewe would be useful

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 21 Oct 2025 ==

That is a shame, I had heard it might be threaded together, which would give Wrexham a lot of new options, London, but also for Manchester too. And up the WCML.

It opens up Liverpool as a commutable job market too, for the coast and Wrexham (if directs) - especially if there is a faster pattern one day or in the peaks.

The new timetable has binned off the Wrexham - Liverpool directs actually

 

[childwallblues]

Liverpool to Landudno wioll bring back memories of our holidays in North Wales with Edge Hill Black 5s hauling Lime Street to Llandudno Saturday trains. A day trip in January is in prospect for me.

 

[Llandudno]

Liverpool to Landudno wioll bring back memories of our holidays in North Wales with Edge Hill Black 5s hauling Lime Street to Llandudno Saturday trains. A day trip in January is in prospect for me.

I think you will have to change at Chester in January, the through trains from Lime Street to Llandudno are not planned to start until May 2026 - mind you I am not holding my breath!

 

[childwallblues]

I think you will have to change at Chester in January, the through trains from Lime Street to Llandudno are not planned to start until May 2026 - mind you I am not holding my breath!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Oct 2025 ==

Wishful thinking on my part. Mind you it is much easier changing at Helsby (or Frodsham) and admire the signal box and fine array of semaphore signals.

 

[frodshamfella]

It will also be extremely popular with tourists, I'd think, particularly those going for a day out in Snowdonia or for a bucket and spade day. Sure, it's not hard to do it changing at Chester now, but direct is a very powerful marketing tool.

Its been a long outstanding missing link, and an obvious connection for Liverpool. I expect there will also be shopping / theatre / football and concert passengers going the other way too. Your right about direct, people do prefer it.