Surprising (former removal of Cosham calls) as ISTR the Cardiffs have quite a long turn around at Portsmouth Harbour. Reminds me of the infuriating omission of Brockenhurst by XC since Covid, thus removing a call that had been made IIRC since the late 80s.
The calls at Brockenhurst by XC are returning in May, on all services except one (1O24 at 2001).
Just because a station call has not been included does not mean that "it was deemed impossible". There a very large number of contributing factors to why a station call is or is not included, and the only one who will know all of the reasons are XC.
I don't understand how it can be objectively seen as bizarre. There is a very clear and obvious major factor involved in the call being dropped that you cite, and of which the medium term effects were not fully known. Given that scenario caution in reintroduce something which may have made sense in a different time seems entirely sensible and rational. Clearly by the re-introduction a value is seen to Brockenhurst calls, but that doesn't mean the data has always shown a value since Covid.
Just sounds like a typical XC attitude to me. Over the top during the pandemic and reluctant to budge ever since. I’ll never understand them.
Same with Audley End except on a two daily services.
There used to be an early service to Bristol, then two services are routed via Wilmslow (down morning, up evening) to create a path for the extra Stoke-Manchester rush hour stopper. Even longer ago there used to be a late down service which was occasionally useful from Birmingham.
I suppose those that do assist with route retention purposes. Not all appear to call at Crewe either.
The up evening Crewe call got dropped a number of years ago, yes. The only time they serve Wilmslow is on diversions when the Stoke line is closed, sometimes at weekends. So route retention definitely useful.
Cheers. I recall them calling at Congleton too.
The ETUG minutes form a while back had said Dec 26 was being looked at. Not May. The GDH services starting back from HFN referred to two AM and PM peaks. And I suspect done to remove need for platform staff rather than passengers..
Not today, nor in the May 2026 timetable, I don’t think.
Do they? Can’t see anything SX in RTT. I thought they’d stopped during the pandemic when XC had a wobble.
True, but there is additionally an 02.34 arrival from Paddington, so the station needs to be open for that.
There were services in the May 2019 timetable, for example 1H09 06b58 Congleton to Manchester, 05:57 from Birmingham New Street.
A station doesn't have to be 'open' to allow people to leave it. Passengers can be directed to leave by a single exit, with no one allowed to dawdle in leaving the station.
Both before Covid and when XC decided to reduce the number of stations they called at (ie at one stage Winchester & Chesterfield were limited calls by XC) on grounds of Social Distancing to reduce local usage.
It acts as a railhead for quite a large area and annual usage is fast approaching one million. Higher than that if including connecting passengers. That will greatly assist with connections for Bury and Ely/Cambridge/Peterborough should there be issues with the direct route via Thetford from Norwich.
A senior manager lives but a stones throw from Buckenham Station
