Robert Hampton

Rover 2006: Sunday

Depart		From	Arrive		To	TOC	Train
Scheduled	Actual		Scheduled	Actual
11:10	11:10	Liverpool Lime Street	11:48	11:45	Manchester Victoria	TP	185111
12:35	12:35	Manchester Victoria	13:13	13:12	Rochdale	NT	142039
13:28	13:29	Rochdale	13:52	13:52	Hebden Bridge	NT	150275
14:19	14:29	Hebden Bridge	15:13	15:23	Preston	NT	158910
15:30	15:30	Preston	15:52	16:03	Bolton	TP	175009
17:05	17:16	Bolton	17:21	17:33	Wigan Wallgate	NT	156489
18:02	18:02	Wigan North Western	18:48	18:44	Liverpool Lime Street	NT	142067

Sundays are hazardous days to travel, with the reduced frequency of service exacerbating the problems caused by missed connections, and some lines closed entirely for engineering works...

...including, on 1st October 2006, the Merseyrail Northern Line past my house! Fortunately I was aware of this well in advance and had left extra time for the journey by rail replacement bus. I also took my local PTE Trio ticket so that I could jump on a service bus if it turned up first...

...which is exactly what happened. The picture above shows Arriva double decker number 4210, just after arrival at Renshaw Street in Liverpool City Centre on service 82 at 10:20.

I was perturbed to arrive at Lime Street and find a large area outside the station cordoned off with police tape. I was tempted to take a picture but the presence of a couple of large and intimidating policemen dissuaded me.

Liverpool is undergoing significant renovation and redevelopment in the run up to Capital of Culture year. Lime Street is no exception; the 1960s-built shops at the front of the station will be demolished as part of plans to clean up the entrance.

At Lime Street the first pleasant surprise of the day was to be had: brand new 185111 forming the 11:10 to Scarborough, which I was to ride as far as Manchester Victoria.

The train was busy but the run to Victoria was uneventful. I was impressed by the overall ambience and build quality of the units, although I noticed the rough-riding which has been commented on by others in the uk.railway newsgroup, especially when traversing points.

Victoria station building remains an imposing sight, although the station has a “seen better days” feel to it.

Above is a reminder of times gone by: the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway map in the station concourse.

On platform 1, 185136 waits for its next duty...

...while 142039 sits with the 12:35 to Rochdale via the Oldham loop line.

I've never travelled on this line, and, as it is scheduled for conversion to Metrolink operation soon, I decided to travel on it while I still had the chance. The line is characterised by steep gradients and tight curves, the latter being amply demonstrated by 039's loud squealing as it rounded some of the more severe ones.

Reminders of Lancashire's industrial past are all around. This derelict factory (one of many) is on the approach to Oldham Werneth.

Oldham Mumps, surely the only station named after a disease. This station, and a few others on the route, still have the branding of the long-defunct Network North West.

At Rochdale the train terminates and heads back the way it came.

Meanwhile, MetroTrain-liveried 155341 picks up passengers on the 13:18 to Manchester Victoria. This train will run on the direct route via Castleton.

My next train was 150275, forming the 13:38 to Leeds, which I was to take as far as Hebden Bridge, where my photo above shows the train departing. I was intrigued to see a vintage bus and various other activities going on outside Todmorden station (but was sitting on the wrong side of the train to get a picture). A banner at Hebden Bridge explained all:

Hebden Bridge is a splendid station, retaining many of its period features, including old-style signs on both platforms.

155343 arrived 6 minutes late with the 13:54 to Manchester Victoria.

There were plenty of diverted Transpennine Express services running this way today. Here's 158809 speeding through towards Manchester...

...and 158972 heading in the opposite direction.

And here's another of the same class, 158910, working our next train, the 14:19 to Blackpool North (running 10 minutes late). I was to take this as far as Preston.

We didn't make up any time and were still 10 late at Preston. Engineering work had closed the WCML south of here, with Virgin services either replaced by buses, or diverted via Manchester. Here's 220015 at Preston with an Edinburgh service.

I had a tight connection, but thankfully I only had to cross to the opposite platform face, as 175009 rolled in with the 15:30 to Manchester Airport.

In spite of (or perhaps because of) the engineering works, this train was very busy and left Preston full and standing, including a family who had an extremely long journey to Worthing (changing at Manchester and London) and were forced to sit on their luggage in the vestibule.

There was plenty of engineering work in evidence for the short time we were on the WCML before deviating towards Chorley and Bolton. We lost time along the way and arrived into Bolton 10 late at 16:03.

My plan was to take the 16:05 to Southport as far as Wigan Wallgate. Unfortunately the delay, combined with my inability to read my own timetable and match it up to the information on the platform monitors at Bolton led to me missing it. A quick enquiry of the National Rail WAP service could not find any faster way to get back to Liverpool, and so I resigned myself to an hour's wait for the next train.

It was at this point that the heavens opened and the temperature dropped noticeably.

At least I had the chance to see a variety of trains passed through while I was waiting, including this diverted Pendolino being hauled by 57309.

You will note that the 15mph sign is blocking the view 57. This was a deliberate stylistic choice, and not at all because I was caught off-guard by the train appearing and had to scramble to take a picture.

Lots of other units to be seen. Below, 221132 brings up the rear of a double Voyager set bound for Birmingham, which called “set down only” at Bolton.

150271 on a Manchester Victoria working:

150149 heads for Clitheroe:

Another double Voyager set passed through, with 221127 Wright Brothers coupled to 221114 Francis Drake:

150273 heads for Crewe:

150148 is seen here on the 1644 for Blackpool, which arrived at 1709, 25 minutes late:

Finally, 156489 arrived with the 1705 to Southport, 11 minutes late. We lost a further minute by the time we arrived at Wigan Wallgate, where the picture was taken:

From Wigan Wallgate it was a short walk to Wigan North Western, which was virtually deserted, all trains except the Liverpool shuttle being replaced by buses.

After a few minutes, the silence was broken by the familiar squeal of Pacer wheels, as 142067 rolled into platform 3 to form the Liverpool service.

The run to Lime Street was enlivened by a man who talked loudly into his mobile phone about an incident where he'd been shot in the leg, and by a scally who boarded at St Helens Central and refused to pay. The guard arranged for police to be present at Lime Street, but the miscreant left the train at Wavertree Technology Park.