Quick change at Crewe platform 6 to 8 - what carriage?

[ebianchi]

For an upcoming trip I'll be arriving at Crewe on the London to Manchester Avanti West Coast service (presuming platform 6) and changing to the Shrewsbury train (presuming platform 8) (those are the platforms being used for those services today at least). There's a slow train to Shrewsbury 12 minutes after my arrival, but I saw there's also a fast train to Shrewsbury that leaves 2 minutes after my arrival into Crewe. I'm a fast (and clearly ambitious) traveller, so I'd like to try and make this if I can and presuming we arrive on time. Can anyone let me know what would be the best carriage to get off at? From the station map it looks like I'll need to take the southern footbridge. Thank you!

 

[jfollows]

Southern footbridge if the Manchester train uses platform 5 - as it often does - but the same place to get off regardless, towards the rear but not at the back of the train.

 

[StarCrossing]

You won't need a footbridge as 6 and 8 are on the same "island" in the middle of the station. You'll need to be towards the rear of the train, but I can't advise on the exact carriage. However, it's not certain that those platforms will be used - they're quite flexible at Crewe.

There's a station map here: https://images.nationalrail.co.uk/e...97bf79ea9186e6cb95f4777/Crewe_station_map.jpg

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Platform 6 to 8 (bay) is just a level walk round past the southern overbridge - no need to use it.
Shortest route will be from the 1st class end of the Avanti train - roughly where the onboard shop is.

The fast Shrewsbury TfW trains normally also use P6, but then the Avanti to Manchester around the same time usually uses P5 so the bridge crossing is required.
But sometimes it reverses so Avanti uses P6 and TfW P5, with bridge required but in the other direction.
There's no lift for the southern bridge, but there is for the northern one if you need it.

 

[jfollows]

Get off at the split between first/standard class and be prepared to use the footbridge (p5 arrival) or maybe not (p6 arrival). Unlikely to use p1 and impossible to use p11. If p1 you need to be at the front of the train.

 

[jfollows]

History is that the down Manchester trains always used platform 5, the up fast Shrewsbury trains always used platform 6, then they swapped them over for a while, now they are more flexible and use either depending on how services are running or the phase of the moon or something.

It’s reasonably clear, but you can longer assume the platform as used to be the case. If you get off near the southern stairs there’s one of the irritating departure boards which will be saying “page 2 of 3” when you look at it and you’ll have to wait for it to change twice to “page 1 of 3” to show your onward train.

 

[Lemmy99uk]

Shortest route will be from the 1st class end of the Avanti train - roughly where the onboard shop is.

Isn’t the pendolino shop in coach C, at the standard class end of the train?

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Isn’t the pendolino shop in coach C, at the standard class end of the train?

Yes of course, my bad memory - I should have said the point where 1st and standard meet is the best place for P8 and the southern bridge.

 

[jfollows]

Isn’t the pendolino shop in coach C, at the standard class end of the train?

Yes.
@ebianchi needs to get off at the back of standard class, unless (unlikely, but not impossible) the Manchester train uses platform 1.

 

[ebianchi]

Thank you all - this is incredibly helpful!! First post here and have definitely come to the right place. So glad to draw on all this knowledge! (yes the shop is coach C -- I normally travel in D but will make my way toward the back of standard class to alight and be ready to fly!) I especially appreciate the tip from @jfollows about the "page 2 of 3" board - these are the bane of my life! : - )

 

[voyagerdude220]

Thank you all - this is incredibly helpful!! First post here and have definitely come to the right place. So glad to draw on all this knowledge! (yes the shop is coach C -- I normally travel in D but will make my way toward the back of standard class to alight and be ready to fly!) I especially appreciate the tip from @jfollows about the "page 2 of 3" board - these are the bane of my life! : - )

Good luck- it might be worth looking on Traksy as you arrive at Crewe which platform your Pendolino is heading into and which platform your connection is leaving from.

 

[jfollows]

Good luck- it might be worth looking on Traksy as you arrive at Crewe which platform your Pendolino is heading into and which platform your connection is leaving from.

https://www.opentraintimes.com/maps/signalling/crewe is better for showing routes set, and the Manchester train will be 1Hxy where x>=5.
I’m just seeing 1H71 arriving in platform 6, for example.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

Thank you all - this is incredibly helpful!! First post here and have definitely come to the right place. So glad to draw on all this knowledge! (yes the shop is coach C -- I normally travel in D but will make my way toward the back of standard class to alight and be ready to fly!) I especially appreciate the tip from @jfollows about the "page 2 of 3" board - these are the bane of my life! : - )

The final annoyance is that the Page 3 display is of a single train!