In @ BR catering, especially in the '80s and '90s was pretty good. Don't know about TTL, however.
In @ BR catering, especially in the '80s and '90s was pretty good. Don't know about TTL, however.
That would be wise;
however getting a tacsi would be better.
I do wonder how many people have been deposited at Dyfi Junction as part of drunken student hijinks.
teg
Wednesday 17th June 2015
Not too early a start today as I want to get a tram to Manchester Victoria and I don't want them too full of commuters whilst I brandish my small trolley bag.
Victoria had the reputation for being very dilapidated, but with the resurgence of the trams, which have 6 platforms here, it has got a lot better. It still isn't wonderful, a lack of money will do that and only the areas around the trams really got much better, the roof still needs a lot of work and several of the platforms are underused and have a lot of boarding up. Could be worse, it could be the former Manchester Exchange which has long since gone under.
The purpose of this is to catch one of the rare trains outside the peak hours which go along the old Manchester and Wigan railway, which was almost closed under Beeching but has survived in a shadowy form to this day. The LNWR line and it's branches are in line for the next phase of the trams, so it is well worth doing. In common with other tram-threatened lines the service can be erratic and tends to be any old stock that's available. Today it's one of the handful of class 101 units which are to be found in some of the creakier parts of the North West. The initial run out is along the Liverpool Line, you pass through Salford Central with its two abandoned platforms but none on the Liverpool Line and then try and spot both Seedley and Weaste with the Manchester end of the M52 lurking above them. First call is Eccles, which always prompts me to make Goon Show noises and then onwards to the end of the quadruple track as the Manchester and Wigan diverges off dips under the M52 and rapidly becomes a single track.
Once busy with colliery traffic and the long closed LNWR Bolton service, a single track now suffices and although in a much better state than the Wigan Central branch. As we enter the branch, we are reminded that several stations are request stop only. We pick up some people at Moncton Green, but not at the poorly situated Worsley and don't even call at Ellenbrook, although the station looks tidy enough. There is a lengthy call at Tyldesley itself, probably long forgotten waiting time for branches that no longer exist. Tyldesley has a smart, tidy platform with flower baskets and painted benches, a shame about the other two half hidden behind a security fence showing every sign of 40 years of decay. However, we then run to Howe Bridge where we pick up a dozen lads who have been using the Leisure Centre and then it is a medium-paced run into a bay platform at Wigan North Western.
My next train is from Wigan Wallgate, but that is a very short walk via a handy bakery, there are plenty of handy bakeries in Wigan and the next destination is Southport. Now this is a line which has never really been any danger, in fact at one point it boasted services with private club cars and a well-filled first class. The quality of Manchester often lived in Southport and commuted in on crack fast trains. That has all gone, but the service is still good, two trains an hour, only hourly after 8pm or on Sundays and you get some decent quality stock and today's is a class 157 Super Runners in the Manchester PTE livery and it is certainly at about 50% occupancy even at 11am. We run through to Southport on time and I notice how this line has stations that are well kept, that have kept both platforms and that are clearly manned in several instances. Only a couple of the more rural ones have no one leaving or joining the train. We get into Southport on time.
Southport is also a station in fine fettle, although the Merseyside PTE signage scheme is somewhat jarring. There are seven platforms, three for Liverpool, three for Manchester and one for Preston, the rest have long been turned into car parking. The one for Preston is not occupied by the Jogger I expected, but by a rather tatty looking class 153 Dogbox, oh dear. Of course, this service is for Blackburn with a reversal at Preston, which is actually quite useful because I am heading for Blackburn. We depart a few minutes late and the train is fairly empty as we head out towards Crossens, the line is single track but the rusting set of rails on the right-hand side are the remnant of the electric service to Crossens, finally withdrawn with the class 502's at the start of the 1980's. We drop off about half the passengers, mainly elderly on the stops to Crossens but the rest are clearly here to at least Preston. Originally the stations to Preston were fairly desolate and had few passengers, but Preston has grown considerably in the last 30 years as it has become a place to put Government Agencies and more senior civil servants have found the West Lancashire villages more congenial. Hence the addition of a crossing loop at Hoole with its large car park and the service becoming hourly in the peaks. We clearly pick up a few people going shopping at the growing village stops into Preston, it leads me to think that this line is probably safe. A very winding entrance going under the West Coast Main Line and then over the Ribble on the ELR bridge sees us into the station.
It's only a short call at Preston, but it's enough time to nip out and get a cup of tea to go with the lunch I bought in Wigan. The Preston-Blackburn service is fairly well protected these days, trains run through to either Blackpool South or Southport, but it does give a chance to use the Todd Lane Loop which has been retained solely for the purpose of keeping trains off the WCML. Not all services use it, just ones where there would otherwise be a clash with WCML services I'd heard this one was likely to use it and it does. It is an unedifying piece of trackage, but it is one off the list. The run through to Blackburn is fairly dull, although as we get nearer the level of faded graffiti for the BNP becomes noticeable. Now they have disappeared, it is easy to forget that they nearly won Blackburn in 2006 in an unpleasant three way contest and the council had them as the official opposition for a couple of years.
Blackburn station is fairly compact and lacks a buffet, so I have to take a short walk in search of a drink. It lets me have a look at Blackburn Cathedral which is quite impressive in a way for what was a large Victorian parish church. It is, however, very plain I suspect the Evangelicals are in charge here. However, back to Platform 1 for a train up the Ribble Valley line. They go hourly to Clitheroe, but only 2 hourly to Hellifield so I don't want to miss this one. That is an improvement on the former Parliamentary service and I suspect that if there is an axe it may become weekend only. Certainly the attempts to reopen two of the stations north of Clitheroe have never got off the ground despite both recently going over the social station limit, but they closed in 1962 which means they are exempt.
The line has long been promised new trains as passenger numbers have increased to Clitheroe, but they have yet to materialise and a rather decrepit class 141 Runner turns up with the dreaded bus seats. It's a good job that the line is very scenic so I'll be concentrating on the scenery rather than the seating. The section to Clitheroe is slightly spoiled by the stations, all have been modernised including Clitheroe, whilst old photos say that they were once rather attractive. Clitheroe is one of those concrete and glass interchanges which none likes except planners. After Clitheroe, I am the only passenger left in my coach, the ticket inspector tells me this is often the case as it is really only walkers, tourists and trainspotters that use the line.
Hellifield is quite lovely and in the middle of nowhere, the station is Grade 2 listed which is certainly the only thing which keeps the canopy up rather than BR remove it as they have so many others. It looks like it could do with some care and attention, however, the station buildings have been converted for commercial use and there is a proper cafe there, not a Travellers Fare horror which means its time for tea and cake, which are priced at around the same level as Travellers Fare but about five times nicer, they even have real milk. From here I have two choices, either the two hourly Leeds-Morecambe service or the three hourly Leeds-Carlisle service, the daily InterCity to use the old Settle and Carlisle does not call here.
As it is the Carlisle-Leeds calls first, a class 31 with two Mark II TSO's and two brake vans. I raise my eyebrows at the two brake vans but I'm told that some services can carry up to 60 bicycles. It's only a short non-stop run for me down to Skipton because despite the allure of Leeds, I'm actually intending to go to the Jewel in the Crown today. Skipton is the northern most limit of the West Yorkshire Electrification and an aged class 308 is standing in the electric platforms waiting for passengers, these are well past their sell-by date and are supposed to be replaced by "Electric Networkers". The other diesel platform has a one coach Runner in it to operate to Colne which gets an irregular service mainly around the peaks. However, a small subway takes me to the platform of my choice, platform 5 which is for trains to Ilkley and was another one of the lurking places of the former DR Railbuses for many years, now it just gets a one coach Runner, mercifully with real seats. Platform 6 lies abandoned, but compared to many abandoned platforms it has at least been tidied up.
There are only four of us on the three stop run to Ilkley and we don't pick up except for some tourists at Bolton Abbey, but I can see why it has been kept open when we get into Ilkley, there's quite a few on the platform waiting for the train to go back, given the other ways of getting to Skipton, I'd guess these are commuters to rapidly growing Addingham. Ilkley is another station where things can be confusing, with two ways of getting to Leeds, on the electric service or on the service via Otley. I still have some time, so I get an Otley train, whilst I am going to the Jewel, my bed for the night is nearer to Idle, so my target is Apperley Bridge and Rawdon - a station which has seen a considerable revival over the last decade.
The Otley service is surprisingly a Class 152 three coach suburban unit, which feels like a bit of overkill really, but it will be a 6pm return working from Leeds, carrying commuters to Otley and Pool in Wharfdale and providing extra service on the hard-pressed Leeds Northern. There are a surprising number of people waiting for the train, but I suppose if you work in Bradford and live in Otley this is the best way to get there rather than a bus. However, just as it's getting to 6:30, I arrive at Apperley Bridge and Rawdon, an evening with a GP friend of mine, a decent curry and a free bed for the night are on the cards.
Not too early a start today as I want to get a tram to Manchester Victoria and I don't want them too full of commuters whilst I brandish my small trolley bag.
Victoria had the reputation for being very dilapidated, but with the resurgence of the trams, which have 6 platforms here, it has got a lot better. It still isn't wonderful, a lack of money will do that and only the areas around the trams really got much better, the roof still needs a lot of work and several of the platforms are underused and have a lot of boarding up. Could be worse, it could be the former Manchester Exchange which has long since gone under.
The purpose of this is to catch one of the rare trains outside the peak hours which go along the old Manchester and Wigan railway, which was almost closed under Beeching but has survived in a shadowy form to this day. The LNWR line and it's branches are in line for the next phase of the trams, so it is well worth doing. In common with other tram-threatened lines the service can be erratic and tends to be any old stock that's available. Today it's one of the handful of class 101 units which are to be found in some of the creakier parts of the North West. The initial run out is along the Liverpool Line, you pass through Salford Central with its two abandoned platforms but none on the Liverpool Line and then try and spot both Seedley and Weaste with the Manchester end of the M52 lurking above them. First call is Eccles, which always prompts me to make Goon Show noises and then onwards to the end of the quadruple track as the Manchester and Wigan diverges off dips under the M52 and rapidly becomes a single track.
Once busy with colliery traffic and the long closed LNWR Bolton service, a single track now suffices and although in a much better state than the Wigan Central branch. As we enter the branch, we are reminded that several stations are request stop only. We pick up some people at Moncton Green, but not at the poorly situated Worsley and don't even call at Ellenbrook, although the station looks tidy enough. There is a lengthy call at Tyldesley itself, probably long forgotten waiting time for branches that no longer exist. Tyldesley has a smart, tidy platform with flower baskets and painted benches, a shame about the other two half hidden behind a security fence showing every sign of 40 years of decay. However, we then run to Howe Bridge where we pick up a dozen lads who have been using the Leisure Centre and then it is a medium-paced run into a bay platform at Wigan North Western.
My next train is from Wigan Wallgate, but that is a very short walk via a handy bakery, there are plenty of handy bakeries in Wigan and the next destination is Southport. Now this is a line which has never really been any danger, in fact at one point it boasted services with private club cars and a well-filled first class. The quality of Manchester often lived in Southport and commuted in on crack fast trains. That has all gone, but the service is still good, two trains an hour, only hourly after 8pm or on Sundays and you get some decent quality stock and today's is a class 157 Super Runners in the Manchester PTE livery and it is certainly at about 50% occupancy even at 11am. We run through to Southport on time and I notice how this line has stations that are well kept, that have kept both platforms and that are clearly manned in several instances. Only a couple of the more rural ones have no one leaving or joining the train. We get into Southport on time.
Southport is also a station in fine fettle, although the Merseyside PTE signage scheme is somewhat jarring. There are seven platforms, three for Liverpool, three for Manchester and one for Preston, the rest have long been turned into car parking. The one for Preston is not occupied by the Jogger I expected, but by a rather tatty looking class 153 Dogbox, oh dear. Of course, this service is for Blackburn with a reversal at Preston, which is actually quite useful because I am heading for Blackburn. We depart a few minutes late and the train is fairly empty as we head out towards Crossens, the line is single track but the rusting set of rails on the right-hand side are the remnant of the electric service to Crossens, finally withdrawn with the class 502's at the start of the 1980's. We drop off about half the passengers, mainly elderly on the stops to Crossens but the rest are clearly here to at least Preston. Originally the stations to Preston were fairly desolate and had few passengers, but Preston has grown considerably in the last 30 years as it has become a place to put Government Agencies and more senior civil servants have found the West Lancashire villages more congenial. Hence the addition of a crossing loop at Hoole with its large car park and the service becoming hourly in the peaks. We clearly pick up a few people going shopping at the growing village stops into Preston, it leads me to think that this line is probably safe. A very winding entrance going under the West Coast Main Line and then over the Ribble on the ELR bridge sees us into the station.
It's only a short call at Preston, but it's enough time to nip out and get a cup of tea to go with the lunch I bought in Wigan. The Preston-Blackburn service is fairly well protected these days, trains run through to either Blackpool South or Southport, but it does give a chance to use the Todd Lane Loop which has been retained solely for the purpose of keeping trains off the WCML. Not all services use it, just ones where there would otherwise be a clash with WCML services I'd heard this one was likely to use it and it does. It is an unedifying piece of trackage, but it is one off the list. The run through to Blackburn is fairly dull, although as we get nearer the level of faded graffiti for the BNP becomes noticeable. Now they have disappeared, it is easy to forget that they nearly won Blackburn in 2006 in an unpleasant three way contest and the council had them as the official opposition for a couple of years.
Blackburn station is fairly compact and lacks a buffet, so I have to take a short walk in search of a drink. It lets me have a look at Blackburn Cathedral which is quite impressive in a way for what was a large Victorian parish church. It is, however, very plain I suspect the Evangelicals are in charge here. However, back to Platform 1 for a train up the Ribble Valley line. They go hourly to Clitheroe, but only 2 hourly to Hellifield so I don't want to miss this one. That is an improvement on the former Parliamentary service and I suspect that if there is an axe it may become weekend only. Certainly the attempts to reopen two of the stations north of Clitheroe have never got off the ground despite both recently going over the social station limit, but they closed in 1962 which means they are exempt.
The line has long been promised new trains as passenger numbers have increased to Clitheroe, but they have yet to materialise and a rather decrepit class 141 Runner turns up with the dreaded bus seats. It's a good job that the line is very scenic so I'll be concentrating on the scenery rather than the seating. The section to Clitheroe is slightly spoiled by the stations, all have been modernised including Clitheroe, whilst old photos say that they were once rather attractive. Clitheroe is one of those concrete and glass interchanges which none likes except planners. After Clitheroe, I am the only passenger left in my coach, the ticket inspector tells me this is often the case as it is really only walkers, tourists and trainspotters that use the line.
Hellifield is quite lovely and in the middle of nowhere, the station is Grade 2 listed which is certainly the only thing which keeps the canopy up rather than BR remove it as they have so many others. It looks like it could do with some care and attention, however, the station buildings have been converted for commercial use and there is a proper cafe there, not a Travellers Fare horror which means its time for tea and cake, which are priced at around the same level as Travellers Fare but about five times nicer, they even have real milk. From here I have two choices, either the two hourly Leeds-Morecambe service or the three hourly Leeds-Carlisle service, the daily InterCity to use the old Settle and Carlisle does not call here.
As it is the Carlisle-Leeds calls first, a class 31 with two Mark II TSO's and two brake vans. I raise my eyebrows at the two brake vans but I'm told that some services can carry up to 60 bicycles. It's only a short non-stop run for me down to Skipton because despite the allure of Leeds, I'm actually intending to go to the Jewel in the Crown today. Skipton is the northern most limit of the West Yorkshire Electrification and an aged class 308 is standing in the electric platforms waiting for passengers, these are well past their sell-by date and are supposed to be replaced by "Electric Networkers". The other diesel platform has a one coach Runner in it to operate to Colne which gets an irregular service mainly around the peaks. However, a small subway takes me to the platform of my choice, platform 5 which is for trains to Ilkley and was another one of the lurking places of the former DR Railbuses for many years, now it just gets a one coach Runner, mercifully with real seats. Platform 6 lies abandoned, but compared to many abandoned platforms it has at least been tidied up.
There are only four of us on the three stop run to Ilkley and we don't pick up except for some tourists at Bolton Abbey, but I can see why it has been kept open when we get into Ilkley, there's quite a few on the platform waiting for the train to go back, given the other ways of getting to Skipton, I'd guess these are commuters to rapidly growing Addingham. Ilkley is another station where things can be confusing, with two ways of getting to Leeds, on the electric service or on the service via Otley. I still have some time, so I get an Otley train, whilst I am going to the Jewel, my bed for the night is nearer to Idle, so my target is Apperley Bridge and Rawdon - a station which has seen a considerable revival over the last decade.
The Otley service is surprisingly a Class 152 three coach suburban unit, which feels like a bit of overkill really, but it will be a 6pm return working from Leeds, carrying commuters to Otley and Pool in Wharfdale and providing extra service on the hard-pressed Leeds Northern. There are a surprising number of people waiting for the train, but I suppose if you work in Bradford and live in Otley this is the best way to get there rather than a bus. However, just as it's getting to 6:30, I arrive at Apperley Bridge and Rawdon, an evening with a GP friend of mine, a decent curry and a free bed for the night are on the cards.
Alex Richards
Donor
Yeah, though it fits in with the slightly grim run down image of the country TTL.
I know the Ribble Valley line well - I used to play in a band based in Clitheroe, which meant plenty of weekend services up and down that line with trombone and paraphernalia in tow. The scenery is gorgeous, particularly the view over Whalley Arches.
I always did find it odd that Salford Central doesn't have any platforms on the Liverpool Line. I'm guessing nobody ever saw the need with Victoria just up the line, and of course it'd never happen ITTL.
Glad to see this is still ongoing!
I always did find it odd that Salford Central doesn't have any platforms on the Liverpool Line. I'm guessing nobody ever saw the need with Victoria just up the line, and of course it'd never happen ITTL.
Glad to see this is still ongoing!
Great timeline!
I really like the glimpses of the world behind the creaking railway- feels like there was no SDP, or a much stronger one with Castle, and Owen governments. John Smith as PM is an intriguing idea.
I would hope that in this timeline Kenilworth station was saved, as was St. Johns Station in Worcester. Also Perhaps Coventry didn't get the really ugly 60's box they got in OTL. BTW- did you save Euston?
I really like the glimpses of the world behind the creaking railway- feels like there was no SDP, or a much stronger one with Castle, and Owen governments. John Smith as PM is an intriguing idea.
I would hope that in this timeline Kenilworth station was saved, as was St. Johns Station in Worcester. Also Perhaps Coventry didn't get the really ugly 60's box they got in OTL. BTW- did you save Euston?
There was no SDP.
Kenilworth was saved - a silly closure at the best of times. Henwick will still be open, although that does bring up the spectre of the Bromyard branch. It is probably best for the world if the Bromyard branch remains closed.
I'm afraid the outbreak of brutalism along the WMCL happened when the knitting went up, so Coventry will be a nasty concrete box, similarly Euston is just before the point of departure. and it's LNWR rubbish anyway
Penultimate update this weekend.
Liverpool trains ran to Manchester Exchange IIRC, which was even closer to Salford Central than Victoria is. I believe that Central is to gain Liverpool-bound platforms with the Ordsall Chord though, now the plan to open west-facing bays at Victoria has been dumped.
Nice update Iain: I can well see the WLR thriving now, though I'm a little surprised that the apparently well-supported electric service through the Southport suburbs hasn't survived. I'm almost inspired to write something myself about the railways between Liverpool and Preston ITTL myself!
Horray, my local halt is open- getting to work in Malvern will be a lot easier!
Any chance you can save/revive the Lines around Oban in Scotland? They would be massive tourist assets if they could be saved, esp the Aluminium Line to Kinlochlevan!
It's been pointed out to me that that particular train up top right is in Worst Late Fester'n livery on the seats.
While Northern Fail know how to grind you into the dirt with a 142, it's paradise compared to a Portsmouth-Bristol by FGW (2007-2011).
And THAT'S paradise compared to most commutes TTL.
While Northern Fail know how to grind you into the dirt with a 142, it's paradise compared to a Portsmouth-Bristol by FGW (2007-2011).
And THAT'S paradise compared to most commutes TTL.
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Where has this update been diverted too?
I really hope that you will finish this wonderful timeline.
Thursday 18th June 2015
I wasn't entirely convinced that today was the best intentioned of days. It had been a pleasant night with the good doctor in the Jewel, a decent curry, a couple of good pints and slightly too much Crimson King. I decided to skip going into the grim edifice that is Bradford Interchange, despite the useful Gregg's at the bottom of the escalator and got dropped at Laisterdyke which is an increasingly busy station, although more for the direct Leeds services than the obscure and lesser used Mirfield, Pudsey Loop or Wakefield services.
It was the quondam that attracted me, 9 trains a day, 3 in each of the peaks and 3 trains during the rest of the day. Mainly, I suspected for residents of Bradford who hated Leeds so much that they would avoid it at any costs even of an extra 25 minutes on their journey. Of course the Queensbridge lines could have a option as well - but they were notoriously bustituted at the drop of a hat. It was bad enough enduring Jogger Hell for most of the day, without having to deal with rail replacement buses as well.
Laisterdyke has become increasingly busy for the Leeds trains and boasts a ticket office rather than the usual machine, but other than that it is a couple of bus shelters on what look like recently extended platforms to take six coach trains. However, it is a two coach Jogger which turns up to take us to Wakefield and it trundles off very slowly along one of West Yorkshire's cinderella lines. As is common here, the line has been effectively singled, the second track is mothballed and has been since the 1970s, the service does not need passing places on the first stretch of its route, as you go through a set of junctions before passing through the sites of some stations that closed in the 1950's before stopping at Drighlington and Adwalton. Here there is a very basic 2 platform station, although West Yorkshire have done their usual fine job of keeping the place moderately clean and demolishing old buildings etc.
You then take another junction, there is another line here which runs through to Ardsley, but as that is served on a different service and the intermediate stations have been closed since Eden was Prime Minister so it has been allowed to be mothballed. So we head towards Batley again passing through the sites of two closed stations before reaching the separate island platform at Batley where a few passengers get off and a handful get on. We set off down the original line the Dewsbury loop having been mothballed then put through the tortuous closure process in the 1970's - one of the last lines to actually be closed. This involves a stop at one of West Yorkshire's reopenings - Chickenley - in the midst of a large post-war council estate. Whilst the station is up to scratch, the area certainly isn't and the amount of racist graffiti around is very telling of the divided nature of Dewsbury. The original station was closed in the 1930's, but this very basic station single platform station replaced it in 1982 as part of a regeneration effort. A handful of people get on and off and a ticket check and sales are done immediately after leaving as "the machine has been vandalised again". The next stop is Ossett, which is fairly busy and an island platform before carrying on to Wakefield Westgate where most of the passengers get off. Sadly this is not my stop, we have to continue to THERE,
Five minutes later, I arrive at the abomination of desolation of the railway network - Wakefield Kirkgate. To be fair, apart from the smell of urine in the subway, the condition is similar to Wigan Central apart from the listed building status means that it still has buildings, well except for the bits that have collapsed and are now fenced off. It is an interchange for three lines, but people try to avoid changing here, the track record of robbery, assault and even a rape is somewhat off-putting. It is so notorious that complaints have been made by a Government minister and still nothing has been done. Luckily, I only have a few minutes here before another two coach Jogger turns up for Barnsley. Not many get off here and only a few get on.
The run to Barnsley Interchange is fairly quick, no one uses the request stop at Crigglestone, it's too far from the village, similar for the station at Haigh. We do stop at Darton which is quite busy before arriving into Barnsley. You can tell we are back in South Yorkshire, the face of Comrade Betts is gurning at us from everywhere extolling the cheap fares. After nipping out to get a roll and a cup of tea from the nearby Greggs and remembering a previous pleasant visit to Barnsley. It's time to get on one of Comrade Betts' red liveried unrefurbished Runners to Penistone, which is why the fares are cheap, like the plans to reopen the intermediate stations on this line have never happened because the fares are cheap.
However, it is a quick run to Penistone although there are a reasonable number of passengers for the time of day. It is quite an attractive station with a nice ex-GCE signal box, it is supposed to be replaced a power box at Barnsley soon. Previously, the station used to have trains to Doncaster via Wath Central and the express service from Manchester to Sheffield through the Woodhead. Both are freight only routes and the only work that has been done on either line for the last twenty years is the removal of the old 1,500kV equipment in the mid 80s. However, Comrade Blunkett, the previous Dear Leader of Sheffield City council to Comrade Betts did get a service restarted along the old Don Valley Line. Many of these stations had been shut down in the 1950's, but the clogged roads of Sheffield meant that this was a moderate success. The trains run from Penistone to through to Woodhouse every hour and there is even a limited Sunday service. It is, of course, a two coach Jogger but one that has been refurbished which at least means there's a toilet on board. It must be said that does pick up quite a few passengers at each of the stations down to Sheffield Victoria.
Sheffield Victoria isn't what it was by a long chalk, in fact it is completely different station. It is one platform with a small shelter on it on what used to the the old freight avoiding line, everything else has been demolished and replaced. It's no place to wait for hour and a half until the next train, however, 10 minutes away is the Harlequin pub which is a splendid hostelry which will supply a decent pint and a hot lunch.
Suitably refreshed, it is time to head back to one of the highlights of the trip one of the very rare trains down the old Grand Central Main Line. The GC Main Line is used by a fair amount of freight these days and is in better nick than it notoriously was in the 1970's but the passenger service is minimal. There are no Master Cutler's anymore - instead, there is a very minimal service to Chesterfield, a regular service between Chesterfield and Rugby, a very minimal service between Rugby and Aylesbury and the commuter journey to London Marylebone. There is not a staffed station between Sheffield Victoria and Aylesbury.
Nor do the service attract anything like a modern unit, whilst a few Runners have found their way to the Marylebone commuter services and the Bubble Cars look after the services to Rugby Central, everything else is operated by a selection of ancient and increasingly unreliable DMUs stabled at Rugby Central. My train is 2 coach class 108 to Chesterfield Central, calling at Killamarsh and Renishaw and Staveley all by request only. There are actually requests for all three and the train is busier than I thought it would be. each of the stations is, however, quite run down with nothing more than an bus shelter on the platforms.
Chesterfield Central is very similar, the buildings and awnings are long since gone giving a clearer view of the famous crooked spire, the only building left is a small portacabin the train crew. It is noticeable that there are posters advising people that service from Chesterfield Midland is faster but what it doesn’t mention is that it is more expensive - a Chesterfield to Nottingham season ticket is cheaper GC ONLY than ANY PERMITTED ROUTE. Similarly for Nottingham to Leicester although the difference there is more marginal. The Rugby service is actually relatively frequent and has been increased over the last 10 years due to this, it sometimes even sees a 3-coach class 108, there has also been a Runner sighted checking clearances leading to speculation that an upgrade is in progress.
At least BR have stopped trying to tell people that all stations are request stops on this line, it’s 3:30 and we depart with about 50 people on board, this section of the line was all collieries but the majority of them have long closed and the remaining couple are probably for the chop under Ms George’s new government. However, there is still a decent amount of non-coal freight up the Great Central and some passenger trains actually go into passing loops to be passed by express parcels or Freightliner services. Each of the stations sees some people get on and off, all have been stripped of everything but the island platform, the shelter and the footbridge a long time ago, but at Tibshelf some effort has been made by a Friends group to keep things tidy and painted and some flower beds have been put in. The area is also a lot greener than it was so the run is quite attractive until you get to the Nottingham suburbs.
Nottingham Victoria is long gone, the two lines at the rear of the former station, the Down Loop and the Down Main are now the through lines, the station is a small shopping complex although the old railway hotel remains in use as a rather poorly reviewed hotel. The GC services call at Nottingham Arkwright Street instead which is unusual as the only open station on the former GC London Extension which isn’t an island platform as it is on a viaduct. It is also still in possession of its booking office which is open at peak hours only, Nottingham Midland is not far at other times. It has this facility because the booking office is also a small shop, a trial scheme from the Fowler government which was actually successful but never expanded. The remnants of the Pinxton service also use this station, although the Bubble Car that does the 6 trips a day remains usually in a siding just to the south of the station.
The slow trundle southwards continues after a short halt. The line speed is officially 70mph, but the 108’s rarely break 45 mph, after Nottingham the ride to Leicester is through some very attractive countryside and each of the stations has been well maintained by its friends group, although stripped of faciities. Leicester Central on top of its viaduct is a good example of this, just one island platform is still open, but the rest of the area has been turned into a small and successful railway museum, whilst the station is officially an unstaffed halt, the museums facilities include a shop and a cafe and make the station feeling safer than some of the others. It also means that it has kept its awnings and station buildings some of which have been turned into start up offices. There has been some talk of re-opening the booking office but the trend is still to close those rather than re-open them.
The final section of the journey is to Rugby Central, only Lutterworth is a formal stop, but Whetstone is well used by commuters on this service and we do stop at Ashby Magna. Whetstone looks poorly maintained, Ashby Magna is obviously carefully looked after. Lutterworth where we are passed by a northbound service is a bit too far out of town and with too small a car park to be successful but after that there is nothing until Rugby Central, although there has been some talk ny Rugby council to open a halt in North Rugby. Not many passengers remain on to Rugby, the station is used by less than 200 passengers a day now and that shows with there only being a handful of us on board at what is peak time. However, I’m glad to be off the 108, they are rattletraps these days and I think I see signs of life in the Great Central, looking at the loadings it may even be making money these days. I wait for a while outside whilst watching the 5:55 to Aylesbury leave, it’s a bubble car and its the last service of the three a day southwards to Aylesbury. At that point, my friends arrive and we travel by road to Long Buckby for the evening.
I shall be glad to get back home tomorrow, but there are some lesser known lines of the Midlands to be dealt with before that.
I wasn't entirely convinced that today was the best intentioned of days. It had been a pleasant night with the good doctor in the Jewel, a decent curry, a couple of good pints and slightly too much Crimson King. I decided to skip going into the grim edifice that is Bradford Interchange, despite the useful Gregg's at the bottom of the escalator and got dropped at Laisterdyke which is an increasingly busy station, although more for the direct Leeds services than the obscure and lesser used Mirfield, Pudsey Loop or Wakefield services.
It was the quondam that attracted me, 9 trains a day, 3 in each of the peaks and 3 trains during the rest of the day. Mainly, I suspected for residents of Bradford who hated Leeds so much that they would avoid it at any costs even of an extra 25 minutes on their journey. Of course the Queensbridge lines could have a option as well - but they were notoriously bustituted at the drop of a hat. It was bad enough enduring Jogger Hell for most of the day, without having to deal with rail replacement buses as well.
Laisterdyke has become increasingly busy for the Leeds trains and boasts a ticket office rather than the usual machine, but other than that it is a couple of bus shelters on what look like recently extended platforms to take six coach trains. However, it is a two coach Jogger which turns up to take us to Wakefield and it trundles off very slowly along one of West Yorkshire's cinderella lines. As is common here, the line has been effectively singled, the second track is mothballed and has been since the 1970s, the service does not need passing places on the first stretch of its route, as you go through a set of junctions before passing through the sites of some stations that closed in the 1950's before stopping at Drighlington and Adwalton. Here there is a very basic 2 platform station, although West Yorkshire have done their usual fine job of keeping the place moderately clean and demolishing old buildings etc.
You then take another junction, there is another line here which runs through to Ardsley, but as that is served on a different service and the intermediate stations have been closed since Eden was Prime Minister so it has been allowed to be mothballed. So we head towards Batley again passing through the sites of two closed stations before reaching the separate island platform at Batley where a few passengers get off and a handful get on. We set off down the original line the Dewsbury loop having been mothballed then put through the tortuous closure process in the 1970's - one of the last lines to actually be closed. This involves a stop at one of West Yorkshire's reopenings - Chickenley - in the midst of a large post-war council estate. Whilst the station is up to scratch, the area certainly isn't and the amount of racist graffiti around is very telling of the divided nature of Dewsbury. The original station was closed in the 1930's, but this very basic station single platform station replaced it in 1982 as part of a regeneration effort. A handful of people get on and off and a ticket check and sales are done immediately after leaving as "the machine has been vandalised again". The next stop is Ossett, which is fairly busy and an island platform before carrying on to Wakefield Westgate where most of the passengers get off. Sadly this is not my stop, we have to continue to THERE,
Five minutes later, I arrive at the abomination of desolation of the railway network - Wakefield Kirkgate. To be fair, apart from the smell of urine in the subway, the condition is similar to Wigan Central apart from the listed building status means that it still has buildings, well except for the bits that have collapsed and are now fenced off. It is an interchange for three lines, but people try to avoid changing here, the track record of robbery, assault and even a rape is somewhat off-putting. It is so notorious that complaints have been made by a Government minister and still nothing has been done. Luckily, I only have a few minutes here before another two coach Jogger turns up for Barnsley. Not many get off here and only a few get on.
The run to Barnsley Interchange is fairly quick, no one uses the request stop at Crigglestone, it's too far from the village, similar for the station at Haigh. We do stop at Darton which is quite busy before arriving into Barnsley. You can tell we are back in South Yorkshire, the face of Comrade Betts is gurning at us from everywhere extolling the cheap fares. After nipping out to get a roll and a cup of tea from the nearby Greggs and remembering a previous pleasant visit to Barnsley. It's time to get on one of Comrade Betts' red liveried unrefurbished Runners to Penistone, which is why the fares are cheap, like the plans to reopen the intermediate stations on this line have never happened because the fares are cheap.
However, it is a quick run to Penistone although there are a reasonable number of passengers for the time of day. It is quite an attractive station with a nice ex-GCE signal box, it is supposed to be replaced a power box at Barnsley soon. Previously, the station used to have trains to Doncaster via Wath Central and the express service from Manchester to Sheffield through the Woodhead. Both are freight only routes and the only work that has been done on either line for the last twenty years is the removal of the old 1,500kV equipment in the mid 80s. However, Comrade Blunkett, the previous Dear Leader of Sheffield City council to Comrade Betts did get a service restarted along the old Don Valley Line. Many of these stations had been shut down in the 1950's, but the clogged roads of Sheffield meant that this was a moderate success. The trains run from Penistone to through to Woodhouse every hour and there is even a limited Sunday service. It is, of course, a two coach Jogger but one that has been refurbished which at least means there's a toilet on board. It must be said that does pick up quite a few passengers at each of the stations down to Sheffield Victoria.
Sheffield Victoria isn't what it was by a long chalk, in fact it is completely different station. It is one platform with a small shelter on it on what used to the the old freight avoiding line, everything else has been demolished and replaced. It's no place to wait for hour and a half until the next train, however, 10 minutes away is the Harlequin pub which is a splendid hostelry which will supply a decent pint and a hot lunch.
Suitably refreshed, it is time to head back to one of the highlights of the trip one of the very rare trains down the old Grand Central Main Line. The GC Main Line is used by a fair amount of freight these days and is in better nick than it notoriously was in the 1970's but the passenger service is minimal. There are no Master Cutler's anymore - instead, there is a very minimal service to Chesterfield, a regular service between Chesterfield and Rugby, a very minimal service between Rugby and Aylesbury and the commuter journey to London Marylebone. There is not a staffed station between Sheffield Victoria and Aylesbury.
Nor do the service attract anything like a modern unit, whilst a few Runners have found their way to the Marylebone commuter services and the Bubble Cars look after the services to Rugby Central, everything else is operated by a selection of ancient and increasingly unreliable DMUs stabled at Rugby Central. My train is 2 coach class 108 to Chesterfield Central, calling at Killamarsh and Renishaw and Staveley all by request only. There are actually requests for all three and the train is busier than I thought it would be. each of the stations is, however, quite run down with nothing more than an bus shelter on the platforms.
Chesterfield Central is very similar, the buildings and awnings are long since gone giving a clearer view of the famous crooked spire, the only building left is a small portacabin the train crew. It is noticeable that there are posters advising people that service from Chesterfield Midland is faster but what it doesn’t mention is that it is more expensive - a Chesterfield to Nottingham season ticket is cheaper GC ONLY than ANY PERMITTED ROUTE. Similarly for Nottingham to Leicester although the difference there is more marginal. The Rugby service is actually relatively frequent and has been increased over the last 10 years due to this, it sometimes even sees a 3-coach class 108, there has also been a Runner sighted checking clearances leading to speculation that an upgrade is in progress.
At least BR have stopped trying to tell people that all stations are request stops on this line, it’s 3:30 and we depart with about 50 people on board, this section of the line was all collieries but the majority of them have long closed and the remaining couple are probably for the chop under Ms George’s new government. However, there is still a decent amount of non-coal freight up the Great Central and some passenger trains actually go into passing loops to be passed by express parcels or Freightliner services. Each of the stations sees some people get on and off, all have been stripped of everything but the island platform, the shelter and the footbridge a long time ago, but at Tibshelf some effort has been made by a Friends group to keep things tidy and painted and some flower beds have been put in. The area is also a lot greener than it was so the run is quite attractive until you get to the Nottingham suburbs.
Nottingham Victoria is long gone, the two lines at the rear of the former station, the Down Loop and the Down Main are now the through lines, the station is a small shopping complex although the old railway hotel remains in use as a rather poorly reviewed hotel. The GC services call at Nottingham Arkwright Street instead which is unusual as the only open station on the former GC London Extension which isn’t an island platform as it is on a viaduct. It is also still in possession of its booking office which is open at peak hours only, Nottingham Midland is not far at other times. It has this facility because the booking office is also a small shop, a trial scheme from the Fowler government which was actually successful but never expanded. The remnants of the Pinxton service also use this station, although the Bubble Car that does the 6 trips a day remains usually in a siding just to the south of the station.
The slow trundle southwards continues after a short halt. The line speed is officially 70mph, but the 108’s rarely break 45 mph, after Nottingham the ride to Leicester is through some very attractive countryside and each of the stations has been well maintained by its friends group, although stripped of faciities. Leicester Central on top of its viaduct is a good example of this, just one island platform is still open, but the rest of the area has been turned into a small and successful railway museum, whilst the station is officially an unstaffed halt, the museums facilities include a shop and a cafe and make the station feeling safer than some of the others. It also means that it has kept its awnings and station buildings some of which have been turned into start up offices. There has been some talk of re-opening the booking office but the trend is still to close those rather than re-open them.
The final section of the journey is to Rugby Central, only Lutterworth is a formal stop, but Whetstone is well used by commuters on this service and we do stop at Ashby Magna. Whetstone looks poorly maintained, Ashby Magna is obviously carefully looked after. Lutterworth where we are passed by a northbound service is a bit too far out of town and with too small a car park to be successful but after that there is nothing until Rugby Central, although there has been some talk ny Rugby council to open a halt in North Rugby. Not many passengers remain on to Rugby, the station is used by less than 200 passengers a day now and that shows with there only being a handful of us on board at what is peak time. However, I’m glad to be off the 108, they are rattletraps these days and I think I see signs of life in the Great Central, looking at the loadings it may even be making money these days. I wait for a while outside whilst watching the 5:55 to Aylesbury leave, it’s a bubble car and its the last service of the three a day southwards to Aylesbury. At that point, my friends arrive and we travel by road to Long Buckby for the evening.
I shall be glad to get back home tomorrow, but there are some lesser known lines of the Midlands to be dealt with before that.
No, it has been vastly improved. It was like that as late as about 2010, it was horrible.