The Transport Game (UK)

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 2323 First Devon & Cornwall service 17 to St Erth (Railway Station), arriving there at 2335 on Friday evening.

 

[Springs Branch]

Even at this time of night, we still have a choice of public transport options in west Cornwall.
To complete a full day on the buses we board First Devon & Cornwall Service 17 from St Erth Railway Station at 0030 early Saturday morning, arriving at Penzance Bus Station at 0046 Saturday morning.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I must say I'm also incredibly impressed by the late night services available in Cornwall; here in Cardiff, a sizeable city much larger than any settlement in the south west, the last bus is at 11.20 on all routes!

We call it a night before we head to the station and board 1S43, the 0630 CrossCountry service to Leeds, arriving there at 1400 on Saturday afternoon.

 

[bnsf734]

We then walk over to platform 12A and board the 1420 Northern Rail service to Todmordenwhere we arrive at 1514 on Saturday afternoon.

 

[Springs Branch]

We board the 1530 Northern Rail departure and travel via the new Todmorden curve, arriving in Accrington at 1559 on Saturday afternoon.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board 1B26, the 1621 Northern service to Blackpool North, arriving there at 1713 on Saturday afternoon.

 

[AndrewR232]

We then board 2F65, the 1803 Northern service to Huyton, arriving 1914 on Saturday evening.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board 2J38, the 1935 Northern service to Eccles, arriving there at 2009 on Saturday evening.

 

[Springs Branch]

It's a 400 yard walk from the rail station to Eccles Interchange, leaving plenty of time to wait for the 2049 Stagecoach Wigan Service 33 alighting at Hindley Bird i'th' Hand at 2134 Saturday evening.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 2213 Stagecoach Wigan service 33 to Boothstown (Post Office), arriving there at 2242 on Saturday evening.

 

[Springs Branch]

From here we board a First Manchester Service 26 from Boothstown Post Office / Simpson Road at 2321, alighting at Salford Shopping Centre at 2343 Saturday evening.

 

[PermitToTravel]

We've travelled a very long way today, but our options are far from over. Here we catch the 50 bus operated by Stagecoach Manchester; and alight at Kingsway / Moseley Road at 0020 on Sunday morning

 

[Springs Branch]

We're now in an unfortunate predicament.
- We've alighted from the last bus & there are no more in either direction along Kingsway tonight.
- But it's Saturday night & we're in Manchester, where buses run on other main routes until 3 or 4am.
- There are two frequent all-night routes not far away from us in Levenshulme & Fallowfield which could return us to the city centre.
- But the closest stop (for the 192 on Stockport Road) is ¾ mile, significantly beyond the maximum allowable walking distance of 0.5 miles.

So we must call it a night where we are, and resume the following morning:

We board the 0843 Stagecoach Manchester Service 50 from Kingsway / Moseley Road to East Didsbury (Parrs Wood), arriving 0852 Sunday morning.
.

 

[PermitToTravel]

Apologies for snookering us, I thought that the southbound Owen's Park stop was under half a mile away (Google calls it 0.7mi :/)

From East Didsbury tram stop we take the 0913 Metrolink service, getting off at Chorlton at 0924 Sunday morning.

 

[Springs Branch]

Being Sunday morning, the tram is punctual and we have no trouble making a connection at the adjacent bus stop on Wilbraham Road (Stop F) onto the 0929 First Manchester Service 168, alighting at Longsight (Slade Lane) at 0954 Sunday morning.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 1052 Stagecoach Manchester service 168 to Ashton (Bus Station), arriving there at 1152 on Sunday evening.

 

[Springs Branch]

From Ashton Bus Station, we take First Manchester's Service 409 departing at 1200 to Oldham Bus Station, arriving 1219 Sunday afternoon.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 1303 Stagecoach Manchester service 74 to Failsworth (Day Drive), arriving there at 1342 on Sunday afternoon.

 

[Springs Branch]

Next is a First Manchester Service 52 departing at 1438 from Failsworth Day Drive to Newton Heath, Dean Lane (Stop B, adjacent to Newton Heath & Moston Metrolink) arriving at 1446 Sunday afternoon.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Entering the Metrolink station, we then board the 1452 Metrolink service to East Didsbury, arriving there at 1530 on Sunday afternoon.

Please note the Metrolink and the National Rail station are separate (about 200m apart), so when planning the next move make sure you allow enough time to transfer between the two.

 

[AndrewR232]

We then board the 1652 Northern service to Heald Green, arriving 1657 on Sunday afternoon.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board 1N68, the 1733 First TransPennine Express service to Poulton-le-Fylde, arriving there at 1854 on Sunday evening.

 

[Springs Branch]

It's a 2 minute walk from Poulton station around the corner into Ball Street, where we catch the 1902 Stagecoach in Lancashire Service 84 bus from St Chad's Church, alighting at Fleetwood Queen's Terrace (adjacent the ferry terminal) at 1948 Sunday evening.

 

[ValleyLines142]

Walking around the corner to the tram stop, we then board the 2015 Blackpool Tramway service to Burlington Road West, arriving there at 2106 on Sunday evening.

 

[Springs Branch]

We cross the Promenade to the nearby bus stop at Burlington Road West and board the 2118 Blackpool Transport Service 1, alighting at Starr Gate at 2122 Sunday evening.

 

[bnsf734]

We then walk round the corner to Squires Gate Lane (Starr Gate) and board the Stagecoach in Lancashire service 68 departing at 2231 and alight at the edifice that is Preston Bus Station upon arrival at 2327 on Sunday evening.

 

[Springs Branch]

After spending most of the bus trip from Blackpool anticipating a comfortable night in the seated portion of the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland, we discover Preston Railway Station is beyond our ½-mile walking limit from the bus station. But Preston Bus Station is not a bad place to spend the night (!!) until we board......

The 0600 Lancashire United Service 152 from Preston Bus Station to Blackburn Bus Station, arriving at 0633 Monday morning.

 

[ValleyLines142]

We then board the 0742 Transdev Burnley & Pendle service X41 to Prestwich (Longfield Centre), arriving there at 0906 on Monday morning.

 

[Springs Branch]

It's a ¼-mile walk to Prestwich Metrolink stop, where we board a Metrolink tram departing at 0922, alighting at Deansgate - Castlefield Metrolink at 0945 Monday morning.

 

[AndrewR232]

It doesn't take us long to walk to Deansgate NR station where we board the 1018 Northern service to Warrington Central, arriving 1045 on Monday morning.