Stoke-on-Trent to Blackpool 2nd February

[davehsug]

Hi.
I'm trying to book a ticket from Stoke to Blackpool next Sunday, to arive at 2.00pm, 2.30 at latest.
Almost all of the trains on offer are showing as "sold out", there is 1, but that has 3 changes, Stockport, Oxford Road and Preston, I'm reluctant to take this as I have mobility issues which make excessive changes difficult. I've tried thinking of ways around this, such as catching a bus to Crewe station (I refuse to pay £9+ for a single when I can use the bus for free!). but that still ends up routing me through Manchester, presumably due to the Avanti strike.
Is it really so difficult in 2025 to make a journey on a Sunday, that should involve 1 change - Piccadilly?

 

[alistairlees]

Avanti are on strike, so their trains (which are mandatory reservation) are closed for reservation, as it is not yet known what timetable they can operate.

You might be best planning to take:
10:52 XC Stoke - Manchester Piccadilly 11:33
11:38 EM Manchester P to Manchester Oxford Road 11:40
12:00 NT Manchester Oxford Road to Blackpool North 13:20

There are no direct trains to Blackpool from Manchester Piccadilly, on Sunday 2nd February, until 13:03, which might be a bit risky for your purposes (arrives 14:24).

If you miss the EM train at 11:38, then you can get a 12:26 TPE service to Preston (arr. 13:03), then a Northern service at 13:21 to Blackpool arrive 13:45. There are two more leaving Preston at 13:44 and 13:59, so you should be covered.

 

[davehsug]

Avanti are on strike, so their trains (which are mandatory reservation) are closed for reservation, as it is not yet known what timetable they can operate.

You might be best planning to take:
10:52 XC Stoke - Manchester Piccadilly 11:33
11:38 EM Manchester P to Manchester Oxford Road 11:40
12:00 NT Manchester Oxford Road to Blackpool North 13:20

There are no direct trains to Blackpool from Manchester Piccadilly, on Sunday 2nd February, until 13:03, which might be a bit risky for your purposes (arrives 14:24).

If you miss the EM train at 11:38, then you can get a 12:26 TPE service to Preston (arr. 13:03), then a Northern service at 13:21 to Blackpool arrive 13:45. There are two more leaving Preston at 13:44 and 13:59, so you should be covered.

Thanks Alistair, I'll see if that's feasible, although that 5 minute change at Piccadilly looks a bit dodgy, with my issues and the distance between the platforms!

 

[Stuwhu]

Surely with mobility issues the 5 minute connection at Piccadilly might be a bit tight, wouldn't Stockport be a better change?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

You might be best planning to take:
10:52 XC Stoke - Manchester Piccadilly 11:33
11:38 EM Manchester P to Manchester Oxford Road 11:40
12:00 NT Manchester Oxford Road to Blackpool North 13:20

1122 XC arrival at Stockport is onto platform 3, and then a fairly straightforward cross (island) platform transfer onto the 1127 EMR service from the adjacent platform 4 at Stockport.

The proposed change at Manchester Oxford Road might need the use of stairs or lift though, to cross from platform 2 to platform 4.

 

[davehsug]

Surely with mobility issues the 5 minute connection at Piccadilly might be a bit tight, wouldn't Stockport be a better change?

I'm thinking maybe the more direct route, with the 1 change arriving at 14:24 is the best option, in reality 3 pm would be the absolute deadline. It's a little later than I would like, but just about aceptable. I'll probably have to stand to Manchester in the absence of the Avanti service, but I might get lucky!
Thanks all for the advice.

 

[RAPC]

The next issue would be Northern operating the service to Blackpool North. We’re lucky if we get a 50% service on some Sundays, so if you really need to get there by a particular time, relying on that service is a bit of a gamble.

 

[alistairlees]

I'm thinking maybe the more direct route, with the 1 change arriving at 14:24 is the best option, in reality 3 pm would be the absolute deadline. It's a little later than I would like, but just about aceptable. I'll probably have to stand to Manchester in the absence of the Avanti service, but I might get lucky!
Thanks all for the advice.

If I were you I would set off early. There is no guarantee (not even a high chance!) that the direct 13.03 Man P - Blackpool N 14.24 will run at all.

Best to:
- get the 10:52 XC to Stockport (if it's on time and you can make the cross-platform change to the East Midlands service);
- if the XC is late then carry on to Man P on it and get the 12:26 TPE service to Preston, from where you have a choice of Northern trains to Blackpool (hopefully at least one will run!)

 

[davehsug]

If I were you I would set off early. There is no guarantee (not even a high chance!) that the direct 13.03 Man P - Blackpool N 14.24 will run at all.

Best to:
- get the 10:52 XC to Stockport (if it's on time and you can make the cross-platform change to the East Midlands service);
- if the XC is late then carry on to Man P on it and get the 12:26 TPE service to Preston, from where you have a choice of Northern trains to Blackpool (hopefully at least one will run!)

Thanks again. I really don't want to repeat the horrors of the same journey made in June last year!. It's a shame we've more or less been removed from the National Express network. There used to be several coaches per day-to-day Manchester and Blackpool. It now seems we're down to 1 at 4:50 in the morning, and I'm really not that desperate!

 

[30907]

The strike timetable is now online and, according to Avanti, is bookable. There appears to be an hourly Crewe-Preston.