Wilmslow - Styal - Airport RRBs - why?

[Sheepy1209]

I'm only an occasional visitor so apologies if I've missed something obvious in what I'm about to ask.
I've put this in Infrastructure so mods please move if I've guessed wrong.

I spent a few hours yesterday driving a coach on rail replacement between Wilmslow and Manchester Airport via Styal. My employer has been covering some of these runs for quite a while and it looks like there will be RRBs on this route for a fair bit longer.

Thing is, I haven't found anything that tells me WHY these buses are running - there must be something somewhere but I can't find anything for the life of me. It doesn't seem to be flagged up as planned engineering works and some of the passengers seemed to be surprised at having to change to a bus (I know, I know....). Even the bloke representing Northern at the airport didn't seem to know (or didn't understand why anyone would care).

Just curious really - it would make my job easier if I can at least empathise with the passengers having to change at Wilmslow.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Looks to be a similar arrangement in place between Wilmslow and Manchester Airport next Sunday (31st May 2026) and the week after (7th June 2026). Maybe longer than that? Essentially one RRB each way, every two hours. Might the reason be a shortage of available Northern staff on a Sunday, rather than any planned improvement works in the area? Anyone able to advise?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Might the reason be a shortage of available Northern staff on a Sunday, rather than any planned rail improvement works in the area? Anyone able to advise?

Yes, it's that.
Has been like that since the start of 2025, along with various lines getting cut in half to 0.5tph [1 train per 2h] (e.g. Atherton) or replaced by buses (e.g. Westhoughton)

Not enough staff choosing to do overtime means they can't run the services.

 

[Sheepy1209]

Blimey, no wonder they keep it low profile!
I just hope there's enough bus drivers willing to cover it....

Yesterday was my first time on that run, and it struck me that 99% of passengers are going to the airport, most with luggage, and the coach could get there in less than 15 minutes. But going via Styal means taking a full size coach down a narrow, twisty and busy road which is challenging, to say the least. Especially when I had to wait time for a few minutes at Styal where it's impossible to avoid being an obstruction - the number of drivers hurling abuse at someone just doing their job was shocking.

Running a smaller vehicle isn't really an option, mainly because of the luggage.

Surely a direct Wilmslow - Airport shuttle would be better with some sort of on-demand for Styal?

Anyway, clearly this doesn't belong in Infrastructure!

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Surely a direct Wilmslow - Airport shuttle would be better with some sort of on-demand for Styal?

I think the relevant question here is how would that be paid for and resourced? If it takes more drivers then that's not happening, rail replacement bus drivers / buses are already a bit in short supply as it is (at least, that's the excuse Northern use).

 

[Jamesrob637]

Just sums up Northern on a Sunday

Absolute disgrace. I remember around ten years ago there were a solid 2 trains an hour in both directions Heaton Chapel to Manchester Piccadilly. Okay they weren't at necessarily half-hour intervals, but the principle was there WERE two an hour!

 

[norbitonflyer]

Surely a direct Wilmslow - Airport shuttle would be better with some sort of on-demand for Styal?

I would havbe thought Styal was the main reason the RRBs are necessary, as both the other stations have other rail services. An easement to allow passengers from Wilmslow and points south to reach the Airport via Picadilly would surely be possible

 

[jfollows]

Northern doesn’t care about Styal and provided a token service only for a number of years. Versus one train every 30 minutes in the 1970s.

 

[TheGrew]

Apart from the prison and Quarry Bank is there really anything in Styal other than some admittedly rather nice houses? I would have thought that if you live in the Wilmslow 'suburbs', other than its namesake station, Handforth and Alderley Edge would be more convenient.

 

[43096]

Northern doesn’t care about Styal and provided a token service only for a number of years. Versus one train every 30 minutes in the 1970s.

That was the pattern I remember. Wilmslow had 4tph to Manchester: 2tph Alderley Edge-Altincham via Styal, 1tph Alderley Edge-Altrincham via Stockport and 1tph Crewe-Altrincham via Stockport. Entirely (bar the very occasional 310, until some 303s arrived) formed of Class 304 "Dinosuar" units of rather dubious ride quality.

 

[Spandau]

The theoretical Sunday train service is Liverpool Lime St-Wilmslow. This should provide the only direct southbound connection (avoiding Piccadilly) from the Airport on this day. On Mondays-Saturdays there is of course a Piccadilly-Crewe train hourly.

Since Northern struggle for staff on Sundays the Liverpool train is cut back to the Airport with a bus connection to/from Styal and Wilmslow.

Similarly Stockport-Stoke and Blackburn-Clitheroe have seen Sunday replacement buses for many months now.