TV Alert North West

[northwichcat]

Granada Reports are to do a report on rail overcrowding in the North West tomorrow. The preview they showed tonight featured a rammed 2 car 156.

Presenter Tony Morris hinted the Motorway was an alternative but he got a disapproving response off his co-presenter Lucy Meacock.

 

[northernchris]

Can't comment on the North West but recently in West Yorkshire the overcrowding seems to have got worse, although some of it is down to short formations. However the road networks have been really bad too (possibly encouraging more people on to trains?) with a seemingly daily incident on the motorways gridlocking surrounding areas. I've signed up to Metro's Twitter alerts which is routinely advising of delays of up to an hour on bus service due to congestion across Leeds and Bradford. Think it highlights the transport infrastructure in general is struggling to cope with the volumes

 

[Gathursty]

It's a shame that there is probably no spare capacity or stock to consider this as a peak service in the morning and evening considering the M6 in the morning every day and evening:

Manchester Piccadilly and back via Newton-le-Willows - Warrington BQ - Acton Bridge - Northwich - Knutsford - Stockport. (These are for routing purposes, not preferred station stops) - timed to connect with an intercity service with Wigan and Crewe as next stops accordingly.

Not a response to the current overcrowding, more a plea to reduce my M6 car park every day!

 

[northwichcat]

It's a shame that there is probably no spare capacity or stock to consider this as a peak service in the morning and evening considering the M6 in the morning every day and evening:

Manchester Piccadilly and back via Newton-le-Willows - Warrington BQ - Acton Bridge - Northwich - Knutsford - Stockport. (These are for routing purposes, not preferred station stops) - timed to connect with an intercity service with Wigan and Crewe as next stops accordingly.

Not a response to the current overcrowding, more a plea to reduce my M6 car park every day!

Certain people will have a heart attack at that suggestion Edgeley Junction to Weaver Junction is electrified and you're proposing a through diesel service.

While I'm aware of a number of people commuting between the Wigan and Warrington areas and Knutsford, I'm not sure a direct train to Knutsford would tempt them out of their cars, due to most of the offices in the Knutsford area being 1 mile or more from the station and only Barclays run coutsery buses for their workers. If there was also a second station in the Knutsford area serving Over ward (including Parkgate and Knutsford Business Park) it might be a different matter.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
They're going to focus on a commuter from Bolton who claims 4 out of 5 days per week he is unable to board the first train which shows up. It seems the report on Granada Reports is actually going to be a shortened version of a longer report they will use on their political program Party People this evening.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It's a shame that there is probably no spare capacity or stock to consider this as a peak service in the morning and evening considering the M6 in the morning every day and evening.

Not a response to the current overcrowding, more a plea to reduce my M6 car park every day!

Do you mean by building a toll road version of the M6 to supplement the existing M6, as they did in the Midlands?

 

[Ianigsy]

As a daily bus commuter into Leeds, I'd say that the infrastructure has definitely been creaking since the schools and colleges went back, and there's usually been one incident a week either in the morning or the evening which causes major delays. I suspect that the latest turn of the screw has been another year's intake of students staying at home and studying in the nearest city because of tuition fees- I reckon the number of people on my regular bus has doubled in the last month because of college and university students.

 

[Firefly]

Thanks for the heads up

 

[Gathursty]

Do you mean by building a toll road version of the M6 to supplement the existing M6, as they did in the Midlands?

To be honest Paul, I'd rather borrow a Crossrail TBM and begin excavating an underground tarmaced route from the end of my estate to the west of Knutsford! :P Everyone else can stay on the Thelwall or Warburton Bridges!

 

[terryc]

I've been commuting from NLW to Knutsford for the past 20-odd years, so that route would be perfect for me, and I'd probably use it. Even the 20-30 min walk that I'd have each way from Knutsford station wouldn't phase me.
Going via Chester or Manchester isn't viable time wise, despite the traffic chaos.
Driving over Thelwall twice a day is no joke!
<Edit> thought the suggested route was circular via Hartford CLC junction... (wishful thinking on my part!) apologies!

 

[Class 170101]

I've been commuting from NLW to Knutsford for the past 20-odd years, so that route would be perfect for me, and I'd probably use it. Even the 20-30 min walk that I'd have each way from Knutsford station wouldn't phase me.

You might change your mind if it was raining, which it frequently seems to do in the Northwest.