Pendolinos at Liverpool South Parkway

[Peter0124]

Currently there's been plenty of times an 807 has been swapped for a 390 on the Liverpool runs and South Parkway was skipped.

But according to this random RTT search I made for a Sunday in June 2018 (using the paid feature), back then Virgin Trains terminated at South Parkway during engineering works. They could only have used Pendos as the services interworked with Manchester/Glasgow etc.

How come they were able to stop at South Parkway back then if they can't now?

RTT links:

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/detailed/gb-nr:LPY/2018-06-17/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=actual&toc=VT

 

[Benjwri]

There were temporary scaffolding based platform extensions constructed for this period while Lime Street was being shut.

 

[sonic2009]

Platform 4 was extended to the south temporarily to allow London services to terminate at Liverpool South Parkway

Platform work complete at Liverpool South Parkway in time for Lime Street upgrade

Redirecting services to Liverpool South Parkway will play a vital part in keeping passengers on the move and the Liverpool City Region open for business during Lime Street’s major upgrade later this month (30 Sept – 22 October)

www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've been on one that terminated there on the slow lines after serious disruption closed the line for some hours. We had to all leave via the front crew door. I wonder if it's the only time that has happened?

 

[Tomnick]

Platform 4 was extended to the south temporarily to allow London services to terminate at Liverpool South Parkway

If I'm not mistaken, Up trains departed from platform 4 in the Down direction for the driver to then change ends and run non-stop through platform 1 or 3, which must've put an extra 10 minutes or so into the journey time.

That block, and a very specific set of circumstances, also led to a Nottingham-bound service departing from platform 4, which was certainly both a first and a last in recent history at least!

 

[biggerisbetter]

One thing I've wondered, is that it if was possible to temporarily extend the platforms to allow Pendolinos to call during blockades, would it not have been possible to extend them permanently to allow greater fleet flexibility and the 807s to be ordered as 9-car?

 

[Benjwri]

One thing I've wondered, is that it if was possible to temporarily extend the platforms to allow Pendolinos to call during blockades, would it not have been possible to extend them permanently to allow greater fleet flexibility and the 807s to be ordered as 9-car?

Cost. The things they did with the scaffolding round structures and overhanging off the bridge just wouldn’t be possible with a permanent platform. You’d certainly need to rebuild the overbridge to allow a platform over the road, and move assets such as OLE supports. I believe a signaling reconfiguration would be needed too.

 

[185143]

If I'm not mistaken, Up trains departed from platform 4 in the Down direction for the driver to then change ends and run non-stop through platform 1 or 3, which must've put an extra 10 minutes or so into the journey time.

That block, and a very specific set of circumstances, also led to a Nottingham-bound service departing from platform 4, which was certainly both a first and a last in recent history at least!

Do those very specific set of circumstances involve the words "London Midland" and "derailment"?

Speaking as someone who got caught up in that mess!

 

[Tomnick]

Do those very specific set of circumstances involve the words "London Midland" and "derailment"?

Speaking as someone who got caught up in that mess!

No, this one was a little more straightforward – fatality at Widnes, so diverted via a reversal at Edge Hill station and then Chat Moss. We were on the reception line at Wavertree Jn (as booked) at the time so went into platform 4 at Allerton to pick up the punters and change ends to head back to Edge Hill.