TPE give themselves a new name for Manchester Pride

[northwichcat]

TPE are going to refer to themselves as First TransPride Express over the next few days relating to transporting people to/from Manchester Pride. They also apparently have 1000 rainbow coloured cakes to hand out on trains.

It used to be the case that if you started typing TransPennine in to Google it's auto complete feature started suggesting transgender related sites - something which they seem to have fixed now!

 

[Searle]

Good on TPE, really pleased to hear this

 

[GatwickDepress]

Excellent work from TPE. I love this.

 

[theshillito]

Check out their Twitter account - some great pictures coming through. I especially like the rainbow decor at Manchester Airport now!

 

[Bayum]

Sounds good in principle...

 

[Emyr]

I think some rainbow vinyls might improve the "dynamic" TPE livery.

 

[Howardh]

Love it!
It would be nice if TPE could put on extra evening trains, say 'till 3 in the morning so punters could get back to towns on their routes.
As for Pride itself, I know numbers grew so large that the event had to be ticketed, but the entry fee is way too much, and you spend all night trying to get served (feel sorry for the bartenders - horrible job and I hope they get triple time considering the cost of entry!). Used to be great fun in the nineties, happy days!

 

[Johnny_w]

Brilliant!

Fully support this.

 

[Gemz91]

Don't understand this, must just be me.

 

[northwichcat]

It would be nice if TPE could put on extra evening trains, say 'till 3 in the morning so punters could get back to towns on their routes.

TPE do operate some overnight services from Manchester. However, I accept that there's places they usually serve with no overnight services such as Stalybridge and Warrington.

 

[Howardh]

TPE do operate some overnight services from Manchester. However, I accept that there's places they usually serve with no overnight services such as Stalybridge and Warrington.

Dunno about lines east (Leeds?) and west of Manchester, but I do know the last train on a Saturday night (Sun AM) is a RRB at 12.30am northwards (Bolton, Preston, Blackpool only) and a train 00.16 other days (same stations).

This seems absurd - on a Sat night the RRB is packed, and even more so this weekend I presume. There must be money to be made on a Fri/Sat and bank hol Sun by running a train (RRB if necc) at 0016 and 0116 (0216?) calling at the above + Horwich, Chorley and Buckshaw?

And why doesn't the 0016 call at the intermediate stations - is the cost of opening the stations more than the money from the increased footfall?

I understand these are airport services which just happen to call at Piccadilly so the late-nighters use them.....but don't people at these intermediate stations want to go to the airport too?

Adds - I've never seen any trouble (drunks) on the 0030 RRB or on the Sat AM 0016 train....maybe I've been lucky (?) > never dis when we had trains at 0120 either.

Manchester; great party capital but without the infrastructure to get people home! Makes one wish we were London

 

[ainsworth74]

Dunno about lines east (Leeds?)

York though they used to go all the way to Newcastle.

 

[bb21]

And why doesn't the 0016 call at the intermediate stations - is the cost of opening the stations more than the money from the increased footfall?

Easier to arrange diversionary routes if needed I suppose.

 

[LexyBoy]

Well, that sounds like a nice bit of fun. Somehow apt that the 319s will be heading up north soon

 

[185]

Manchester Pride has become a rip-off managed by crooks that got caught lying on the stand in court.

Just like F-K TPE really :P

 

[bb21]

Does the ticket allow you free admission at all the clubs in Canal Street?

 

[Howardh]

Does the ticket allow you free admission at all the clubs in Canal Street?

Dunno about that, but in the past the bouncers of the ordinary pubs have had buckets "asking" punters for a "donation" which would go to "charity".

 

[GatwickDepress]

Well, that sounds like a nice bit of fun. Somehow apt that the 319s will be heading up north soon

Aye, highly suitable for when Brighton Pride is on.

I think Brighton Pride is nicer than Manchester's festival, but don't kill me for saying that!

 

[berneyarms]

Don't understand this, must just be me.

It's a bit of clever marketing supporting what is now one of the biggest social events in Northwest Britain.

 

[Mugby]

Manchester Pride has become a rip-off managed by crooks that got caught lying on the stand in court.

True, I'm afraid. It's lost all it's meaning now and become just another commercial event which everyone cashes in on. The ticket prices are ridiculous now, about £22 just to walk down a street!

Does the ticket allow you free admission at all the clubs in Canal Street?

No it certainly does not. Most clubs hike up their prices during Pride weekend!

 

[Darren R]

It's a bit of clever marketing supporting what is now one of the biggest social events in Northwest Britain.

Personally I would have said "It's a bit of cynical marketing..." And that's all that it is; nothing more, nothing less.
(But perhaps that's just me! )

 

[Howardh]

Personally I would have said "It's a bit of cynical marketing..." And that's all that it is; nothing more, nothing less.
(But perhaps that's just me! )

I don't think they will gain any more passengers over this - maybe over the weekend but they would probably travel by train anyway. It's a bit of fun and a bit of publicity that's harmless. Personally I'd rather they say "half-price fares for anyone with a Pride ticket" or something, but it's nice to have a bit of colour around and I might put in a bid on ebay for that pink skirt!
Northern used to (still do??) sponsor a Rugby League tournament; did that gain any new passengers?

 

[knight2004]

Does the ticket allow you free admission at all the clubs in Canal Street?

Answer to this, no you have to buy club tickets separate, some clubs are charging normal rates for entry some have inflated their prices for entry, best to check on the pride site

 

[boyaloud]

You can now walk through all the streets for free as they are (and always have been) a public right of way - signs are up from department for transport at all entrances. It's a public highway.

 

[Trog]

The trains may however be delayed as in solidarity they will be making the trains up out of pairs of units not originally designed to couple.

 

[scotsman]

The trains may however be delayed as in solidarity they will be making the trains up out of pairs of units not originally designed to couple.

That sure sounds homophobic. Sure it's not meant to be, but still...

 

[Silv1983]

Don't understand this, must just be me.

No, there are others who find this "hey look how diverse and culturally aware we are" ethos by painting everything rainbow coloured quite distasteful. I used to be indifferent but a gay friend told me many in the community find this stereotyping (the camp, prancy rainbow flag waving) quite offensive.

 

[table38]

No, there are others who find this "hey look how diverse and culturally aware we are" ethos by painting everything rainbow coloured quite distasteful. I used to be indifferent but a gay friend told me many in the community find this stereotyping (the camp, prancy rainbow flag waving) quite offensive.

I don't find it offensive, but I find it hard to relate to. I got fed up with other gay people telling me what I should do and how I should behave a long time ago, and now actively avoid things like Pride.

It was more fun in the old days when we just had a fun fair, the raft races on the canal and fireworks at the end

 

[GatwickDepress]

The trains may however be delayed as in solidarity they will be making the trains up out of pairs of units not originally designed to couple.

As it's First Trans Express, a closer approximation would be a 171 identifying as a 170, before undergoing a change from a Dellner to a BSI coupling.

Hmmm, this makes 170 392 trainsgender, it seems.

 

[reb0118]

There was some sort of Pride thing on in Edinburgh a few years ago and some wags in the bothy had a go at renaming some stations on the Fife Circle to try to encourage folk to use the train to travel to the event. No offence intended:-

Edinburgh
Gaymarket
South Gayle
Dalmeny for Queensfairy
North Queensfairy
Inverqueerthing
Dalgety Gay
Aberdour
Burntisland
Queenhorn
Queerkaldy
Glenrothes with Thornton
Cardenden
Lochgelly
Cowdenbeath
Dunfermline Queen Margaret
Dunfermline Town
Rosyth Halt.

There are obviously a few (well most) that have not been renamed so if anyone can come up with suitable suggestions? Keep it clean!............

Back on topic to the new liveried TPE trains - I think they are rather fetching and with lots of colours they will not show the dirt so well as a self coloured unit - or does that just work with carpets?

Railway companies see themselves as businesses and as has been pointed out above Manchester Pride is a big money spinning opportunity. The railway will chase the pink pound as much as any other business. (And indeed any other colour of pound - in that we are all equal, in that there is always someone after your hard earned dosh!)

Although I fear the good burghers of Fife will not see any temporary name changing at their stations for any Pride like events similar to the changes that we saw at certain stations for the Commie Games.