My Trip to London 24/11/2007

[John_142]

On the above date iam going fro a day out in London but on the way back i have decided to avoid the Rail Replacment Coach From Crewe to Liverpool by going From Crewe to Manchester - Manchester to Liverpool.

When Looking at the Time tables on Line i see that there is a Northern Rail Service from Crewe to Manchester Piccadilly for which i was wondering what type of train Would this most likley be, Ie 142 - 150 - 156 or a 158.

But if iam correct Arriva Wales would run a 175 on this route which if a 142 or 150 or 156 then i think i would use that one instead.

Can anyone please help ?

[swisstrains]

John,
I think the Northern services between Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly are generally Class 323 electrics.

[martin adamson]

As far as ATW are concerned it is likely to be a 175, but if you are on the service arriving into Manchester at 10:13 or 23:50 this is a 158, and possibly the arrival 11:13 might be a 158. But others are usually 175s.

[John_142]

18.38 My Virgin Pendalino train Arrives in Crewe from London So iam Looking at getting one of the folowing :-

Station Arr Dep Travel by Service Provider
CREWE 19:00 Train NORTHERN RAIL
MANCHESTER PICCADILLY 19:57

Station Arr Dep Travel by Service Provider
CREWE 19:07 Train EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS
KIDSGROVE 19:21 19:27 Train NORTHERN RAIL
MANCHESTER PICCADILLY 20:17

Station Arr Dep Travel by Service Provider
CREWE 19:30 Train ARRIVA TRAINS WALES
MANCHESTER PICCADILLY 20:19

and yes i managed to get two cheap tickets one for £12.50 Single From Chester and one for £13.50 From London to Mossley Hill and as i have an All area Railpass i can use the TPE fService from Man Pic direct to Liverpool then Home to Crosby Via Mersyrail.

[swisstrains]

Have a good trip John.
Hope everything goes to plan.

[John_142]

Tahnks for that only really the Journey out there at 03.26 From Chester iam nervous about other than that iam quite exited.

Havent been to Ondon for quite a while and plan to get a ride on a District Line and a Mertopolitan Line Train at least others will be a Bounous.

Ps. What Station is actually Walford East ? (anyone know)

[swisstrains]

Originally Posted by John_142

........................
Ps. What Station is actually Walford East ? (anyone know)

The BBC don't use a real station to represent Walford East. It's just a fictional station "built" on the Eastenders set at Elstree Studios.

[martin adamson]

Originally Posted by John_142

Tahnks for that only really the Journey out there at 03.26 From Chester iam nervous about other than that iam quite exited.

And I was there worrying about getting a bus at 05:20 . I am suprised there are trains running at that time sure you will have a great and as you say, exciting time. Well you wont have to worry about crowds on that train anyway.

Also John, I have previously been on the 19:30 ATW to Manchester. I was on this service between Newport and Manchester in September, it was a 2 car 175. It was busy up to Shrewsbury, and not that bad after that (though there were some alcohol loving idiots that boarded at Crewe). So this shouldnlt be that bad between Crewe and Manchester if you get this.

The Crewe - Kidsgrove is likely to be a 158, either an exTPX or exCT.

[John_142]

Well there were no great problems going out to London only the fact that the 03.26 was first allocated to Platform 4 at Chester then affter i had been to the loo i discovered that the platform had been changed to Platfrom 3 and yet according to the mointor in the Booking Hall i which said it was expected at 03.41 but yet it came in and left on time.

Also ran on time as expected all the way to Birmingham New Street were i had a 52 Minute wait But buy the time i had been to the Loo again and then found the approprite platfrom it wasent long before the London Train Came it and left on time and arrived in London Euston Spot on time.

I then took a Number of Journeys on the London Underground for which i bought a Travel Card for £6.70 on of the Jouneys was to Northwood on the Metropolitan Line for which i was amazed at the age and ride quailty of the trains it was like being on a Class 101.

I also took a ride from ? to Earls Court on aDistrict LIne Train for which i was imresed with the quality of the ride and refurbishment.

Throughout the day i managed to travel on all of the Lines Trains with the exeption of the Docklands Light Railway and i must say alogh some of the trains like the Metroploitan & Piccadily Line Trains being the oldest they seem to be great condition for there age and clean as well.

So overall very impresed as all services on all lines ran very well indeed with no delays as sutch as on the Central Line they had Staff Shotage but yet i caught a Train no problem all conections were great never really had to wait more than a minute or two.

I also Vistied Brixton and Best of all ANGEL Station as i saw this in a TV programe a while ago and must have been totaly re-built at some point.

Allthogh around London was great and Jouneys into London by Virgin Trains were Spot on and Coming home on the 16.03 from London to Crewe was fine up untill changing trains at crewe which by the time i found the platform for the Northern Service to Manchester the 18.42 had just left 10 minutes late and the one i whanted was the 19.00 to Manchester Piccadilly which arrived on time into Crewe.

But left nine minutes late for which still arrived late at Manchester Piccadilly were i missed my connection for the 20.07 Transpennie Expess Service to Liverpool so i got a couple of sandwithes from Saindsburys and made my way slowly to Plaform 14 at Man Pic were i waited for the 21.07 TPE Service to Liverpool.

This service arrived and departed on time up unitll Northern sruck me down again by one of there claped out trains breaking down at widnes causing the TPE service to be turned back at Warrington CTL were we were stck on the platform in the freezing cold for neally an hour untill the next traina Northern 156 came in and took us directly to Lime Street.

So twice in one eveing Northern disrupted my plans but yet Network Rail are really the ones to blame for allowing a Stopping Serive to run in front of an Express Service for which i cannot understand the Logic of.

As shurley if the express has gone throgh first and the Stoping Train breaks down then the Express isnt really affected as if this was the case on Saturday then i would have probably got home an hour or so earlier and wouldent have been as angry and upset as i was.

There is a simmler situation at Wigan NW were the Local Stopping Service Departs at say 16.59 then the express Deaprts at 17.11 shurley it would make sense for the Express to depart at 16.59 and the Local Stopping Service at 17.11.

This is were network rail don't seem to have a clue what they are doing as i belive it is them what gvern the train running times and the operators like Northern are daft enogh to let it happen.

I didnt quite catch what the problem was at Crewe for the 9 minute delay becuse i didnt quite hear the announcemnt but from my jouneys arround London i discovered that you seem to get a better service with one person than two as some conductors are very slow in ded as the one on my train was.

A serious re think of the services in England mainley the North west is in order i think as i don't think we need serives from Liverpool to Scabough-York-Norwich - Huddersfeild-Stayley Bridge-Rochdle Via Oldham etc when conecting trains can be as simple like in London.

"Some come on Netwrork Rail Pull your socks up and lets go back to basics"

[martin adamson]

John, sounds like you have a very interesting and exciting adventure there. Just goes to show you never know ow it will all turn out

One question I just wanted to ask, when you travelled on the Virgin Pendolinos to and from London, were all of the toilets in operation?

The reason I ask is because the last few times I have travelled onboard pendolinos the toilet in coach B has been locked out for some reason. Units include 390001 and 390007.