[tkboomer2]

With it being half term this week and train usuage increasing as a consequence it has yet again shown that many routes either get trains are too small or infrequent, while others get either too many trains or trains that are a lot larger than necessary.

A good example was when I was at Stockport station earlier this week for half an hour late morning and then for 30 minutes at about 4pm and noted approx. how full some of the "off-peak" trains looked compared to their seating capacity.

Morning trains
Chester to Manchester (2 car 150) 95% full
Buxton to Blackpool (2 car 150) 150% full
Norwich to Liverpool (3 car 158) 90% full
London to Manchester (Pendulino) 85% full
Crewe to Manchester (3 car 323) 25% full
Reading to Manchester (Voyager) 85% full
Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport (3 car 185) 90% full

Afternoon trains
Manchester to Alderley Edge (3 car 323) 10% full
Manchester to Crewe (3 car 323) 20% full
Manchester to Hazel Grove (3 car 323) 25% full
Norwich to Liverpool (3 car 158) 85% full
Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes (3 car 185) 100% full
Manchester to London (Pendunlino) 75% full
Manchester to Chester (2 car 142) 110% full

It should be noted that Alderley Edge, Crewe and Hazel Grove all get 2 trains per hour from Stockport (Alderley Edge and Crewe even more trains from Manchester), while Buxton, Chester and Cleethorpes all get 1 per hour.