Postcards - Freedom of the North West 2006 (Part One)

I spent a week using a Freedom of the North West rover ticket to travel around the railways of the North-West of England. Here is a log of the trains I used, and some pictures of what I saw on my travels. Also, I include in Part Two for comparison some logs from twenty-five years ago when I used a similar ticket.

Friday 14 July 2006 - Settle and Carlisle

The Settle-Carlisle Line was to close for two weeks after today, so I started with a trip along this famous scenic route.

Journey	Depart sched.	actual	Arrive sched.	actual	Train	Comments
Huyton - Wigan North Western	09.20	09.19	09.53	09.50	150215	The first train and it's early! A good omen perhaps?
Wigan North Western - Preston	10.02	10.04	10.15	10.15	390048
Preston - Carlisle	10.40	10.42	11.47	11.52	221106	An on-time arrival would have given me a four minute connection into the 11.51 train to Leeds, but we passed it just outside the station, so I had a pleasant lunch break in Carlisle instead.
Here's a down Virgin Voyager at Carlisle, and two Class 156 sets ready to take me Leeds.
Carlisle - Leeds	14.00	14.00	16.51	16.48	156472 + 156451	I enjoyed the beautiful mountain scenery, unusually in sunny weather.
Leeds City (as it used to be called) station has been totally re-built since I lived there in the 1980s, and is now an impressive modern station. I found it frantically bustling with Friday evening commuter traffic.
Leeds - Hebden Bridge via Brighouse	17.13	17.25	18.11	18.19	144021	This train is one of only one or two per day that run via the line from Heaton Lodge Junction to Bradley Wood Junction and from Greetland Junction to Milner Royd Junction.
Here's my train after arrival at Hebden Bridge.
Hebden Bridge - Manchester Victoria	18.28	18.29	19.16		150143
Manchester Victoria - Huyton	20.01	20.01	20.45		150143	I was startled when the window next to where I was sitting was shattered (probably by a thrown stone) as we passed Barton.

Saturday 15 July 2006 - A Selection of Parlys

A "parly" or parliamentary train was, historically, a train which the law forced the railway company to run. There have been various requirements over the years, such as "workmen's trains" at reduced fares.
In modern times, the rules require a complex procedure, possibly including a public enquiry, to be undertaken before a passenger route can be closed, but the law doesn't seem to specify a minimum service, so a modern parly is the grudging one train a week that operates to avoid the inconvenience of going through the closure process.

Journey	Depart sched.	actual	Arrive sched.	actual	Train	Comments
Huyton - Liverpool Lime Street	06.40	06.41	06.59	06.55	142014	Yawn. 06.40! I thought this was supposed to be a holiday?
Liverpool Lime Street (Low level) - Chester	06.58	06.59	07.41	07.40	508131
The departure sheet at Chester shows the sole service to Runcorn.
Chester - Runcorn	08.25	08.25	08.51	08.51	150211	Two passengers on this parly, both railway enthusiasts. The train doesn't even try to be useful to normal passengers, running non-stop through Helsby and Frodsham en-route, and running empty to Liverpool after its stop at Runcorn.
Here's the unit at Runcorn, about to depart empty to Liverpool. I did ask the guard for a lift to Lime Street but he refused. (On the plus side, if he'd said yes I would have had to censor this page.)
Runcorn - Liverpool Lime Street	09.24	09.25	09.47	09.43	390019	An early arrival at Lime Street made my tight connection a lot easier
Liverpool Lime Street - Stockport	09.52		10.52	10.52	158862
At Stockport, a down Virgin Pendolino service calls, and the next parly stands in the bay platform.
Stockport - Stalybridge	11.23		11.48	11.47	150274	More than a dozen passengers on this parly, but all were enthusiasts I think. This route includes stations at Reddish South and Denton which each get just one train a week. In the early 1980s when I first travelled this way, the Stockport-Stalybridge service ran regularly all day, providing a useful connection between the rail services to the north and south of Manchester. It later lost this role when many services on the Huddersfield and Bolton lines were diverted to serve Piccadilly station.
After arrival at Stalybridge the destination blind says Not In Public Use. A visit to Stalybridge is an opportunity to visit the famous station buffet, and I duly enjoyed a couple of pints of excellent real ale and a meat pie and black peas. (A local delicacy.)
Stalybridge - Manchester Victoria	12.42	12.44	12.57		142052
Manchester Victoria - Bolton	13.18		13.36	13.38	142031	The plan was to take a trip round the Oldham Loop, which is to be converted to tram operation soon. However, a signalling problem at Rochdale meant that services were not running over part of the loop, so I headed in a different direction.
Bolton - Blackburn	14.19	14.21	14.46	14.51	150268	It is many years since I last travelled on the line from Bolton to Blackburn, and I had forgotten how nice the scenery was.
Blackburn - Preston	15.15	15.21	15.32	15.36	158759
A long view of the lines to the south of Preston, with a Blackpool-bound train approaching.
Preston - Wigan North Western	15.47	16.05	15.59		390027
At Wigan North Western a London-bound Pendolino pauses in platform 4 and my next parly waits in platform 3.
Wigan North Western - Liverpool Lime Street via Earlestown	17.42	17.43	18.37	18.38	142060	Not sure whether this one counts as a parly as well. There are two trains a day six days a week which use the connection between Golborne Junction and Parkside West Junction, and this is one of them. Both trains are southbound, there's no northbound service.
Liverpool Lime Street - Huyton	21.48	21.50	22.03	22.05	156469

Sunday 16 July 2006 - Carnforth to Skipton

Journey	Depart sched.	actual	Arrive sched.	actual	Train	Comments
Huyton - Preston	10.13		11.03		1502xx
On arrival at Preston I discovered the main line in chaos, with nothing going north due to a signalling fault at Garstang. I was able to board the 10.24 Glasgow departure which I hoped would be the first one to leave when (or if - the announcements were threatening bus substitution.) the problem was resolved. Fortunately after a further half hour services resumed.
Preston - Lancaster	10.24	11.37	10.40	12.01	221xxx
Lancaster - Skipton	12.43	12.50	13.56	14.07	142065	The line from Carnforth to Skipton is another offering beautiful scenery, of rolling green countryside with hazy mountains behind.
My train from Lancaster stands at Skipton, ready to proceed on to Leeds.
Skipton - Leeds	14.15	14.15	14.54	14.56	333002	A chance to sample the impressive new(ish) Class 333 electric units and ride in air conditioned comfort.
One of the Class 333 units stands at Leeds.
Leeds - Dewsbury	15.40	15.40	15.51	15.52	158813
The station at Dewsbury looks a little bare, until you discover that it houses the justifiably famous West Riding Licensed Refreshment Rooms!
Dewsbury - Huddersfield	16.51	16.52	17.00	17.00	158975
Huddersfield - Halifax	17.20	17.20	17.32	17.40	156459	In the eighties when I first explored the railways in this area the route from Huddersfield to Halifax via Brighouse had no services and I had to use engineering diversions or special trains to cover this line. Now, it has a regular service seven days a week, calling at the re-opened Brighouse station.
The station at Halifax has a very impressive main building, no longer in railway use.
Halifax - Preston	18.07	18.26	19.13		158904	Another scenic line this, crossing the moorland hills from Halifax to Burnley. If I recall correctly, this line had no services for a long time, but passenger trains were reintroduced in the early eighties.
Preston - Wigan North Western	19.45	19.55	19.57	20.06	390xxx
I had a five minute connection at Wigan but arrived too late so I was "forced" to adjourn to the Swan and Railway for a pint whilst waiting for the next train home.
Wigan North Western - Huyton	21.02	21.04	21.30	21.32	150272

Monday 17 July 2006 - West Lancashire

Journey	Depart sched.	actual	Arrive sched.	actual	Train	Comments
Huyton - Liverpool Lime Street	09.00	09.02	09.19	09.18	142051
Liverpool Central - Southport	09.23	09.31	10.07	10.16	507015 + 50xxxx
The station at Southport still has some long platforms, a relic of the days when many excursion and holiday trains arrived here in the summer.
Southport - Wigan Wallgate	10.38	10.38	11.05	11.07	142028	A pleasant journey over rural country as flat as a pancake, but with high ground in the distance to the north and east.
Wigan Wallgate - Kirkby	11.11	11.25	11.34	11.48	150273
Kirkby is the end-on junction between the diesel service from Wigan and electric trains to Liverpool. There is a proposal to extend the electric trains about a mile further along the line to a new station at Headbolt Lane, Tower Hill, where a park-and-ride would be established. Presumably the diesel service would be cut back to terminate there.
Kirkby - Rice Lane	11.58	11.58	12.04	12.04	507003
Walton - Ormskirk	12.22	12.23	12.42	12.42	507030
Ormskirk is another end-on junction at the terminus of a Merseyrail electric service. Here, the diesel trains go to Preston.
Ormskirk - Preston	13.38	13.38	14.40	14.45	153360	Another trundle across the same flat scenery as on the Southport to Wigan run. (The two lines cross each other at Burscough.)
The class 153 railcar from Ormskirk is dwarfed by Preston's large overall roof.
Preston - Wigan North Western	14.29	14.33	14.40	14.45	221115
Wigan Wallgate - Salford Crescent via Atherton	14.48	14.52	15.18	15.24	142028
Salford Crescent - Manchester Oxford Road	15.25	15.33	15.31		156469	A problem with the train caused it to be further delayed at Oxford Road so I got off and caught another service to Piccadilly. Needless to say, as soon as I had crossed the bridge, my original train departed ahead of the new one.
Manchester Oxford Road - Manchester Piccadilly	15.41	15.48	15.45	15.53	142034 + 142009	On arrival at Piccadilly I found all services to the south stopped owing to a signalling problem at Cheadle Hulme. Luckily I wasn't going that way.
Piccadilly Undercroft - Victoria		16.15		16.25	1003B
Although the platform area was totally rebuilt a few years ago, the entrance area of Manchester Victoria has remained pretty much unspoiled.
Manchester Victoria - Wigan North Western via Bolton	16.41	16.42	17.26	17.24	142068	The connections at Wigan which allow trains from the Bolton and Atherton lines to run into North Western station instead of the more usual Wallgate used to be "rare track". Now there are plenty of trains.
Wigan North Western - Huyton	17.11	17.26	17.37	17.55	156460	A cutting-side fire near Bryn caused a slight additional delay.
Huyton - Liverpool Lime Street	19.15	19.18	19.35	19.33	156428
Liverpool Lime Street - Birkenhead North	19.48	19.48	20.02	20.01	507025	On arrival at Birkenhead north I was amused and a little irritated to find a team installing flower beds and hanging baskets, presumably at my expense, to make the place look nicer for the visitors to the Royal Liverpool Open Golf later in the week.
Birkenhead North - Hoylake	20.17	20.17	20.32	20.41	507020 + 508137
For the Golf, the line from Hoylake to the terminus at West Kirby has been closed and passengers are required to take a bus. Hoylake station has gained new signs, a resurfaced platform and some ugly boarding up on the level crossing.
Hoylake - Liverpool James Street	21.04	21.04	21.29	21.35	508137 + 507020	Owing to a track defect on the loop the train was terminated in the "rare" platform at James Street, and I had to walk to Lime Street. There'll be chaos if a problem like this happens during the peak Golf traffic!
Liverpool Lime Street - Huyton	21.48	21.50	22.03	22.09	142039	After my brisk walk from James Street I would have missed this if it had departed on time. It was further delayed at Edge Hill for an altercation between a passenger and the guard.