Wigan North Western complete blockade - 13-21 July

[AntoniC]

Just bumping up this thread with a rather surprising annoucement. When I was at Rufford station today, I noticed a signpost stating that the Liverpool-Blackpool trains for this week of engineering are to be diverted to Ormskirk station, there to meet Merseyrail trains!

For one week only, then, the Ormskirk branch will enjoy an hourly all-stations service, which is probably better than it has enjoyed at any other point in its career: certainly even in 1969, before the line was severed, it only saw six or seven stopping trains each way per day. Surprisingly enough, these Blackpool-Ormskirk trains won't be crossing at Rufford, implying some pretty tight turnarounds: they'll be on and off the branch within an hour. I suspect that may be optimistic, but we shall see!

Might be worth someone with a camera going down to take a look, anyway.

This is from the Mersey Travel website

Northern Rail City Line trains between Liverpool - Blackpool
There will be no direct services between Liverpool Lime Street and Blackpool North while the engineering work takes place. If you are travelling between Liverpool Lime Street and Blackpool North, you can travel on trains via Ormskirk. Merseyrail Northern Line services will run between Liverpool Central and Ormskirk and Northern Rail services will run between Ormskirk and Blackpool North.

http://www.merseytravel.gov.uk/trav...l---St-Helens---Blackpool-North-services.aspx

 

[Darren R]

Trains appear to be running hourly in each direction and non-stop between Preston and Blackpool North. Four minute turn-around at Ormskirk and the same again at Blackpool North - that's gonna need some very nifty footwork by train crews!