its the second time i know of merseyrail trains terminating at bache, the first was when the chester enterprise center went up in flames in december 2010.
yesterdays mpv was dr98904/54
central station was voted one of britains ten worst stations, i have it in one of my past railway magazines.
1.stockport
2.liverpool central
3.luton
4.wigan north western
5.preston
6.barking
7.warrington bank quay
8.crewe
9.clapham junction
10.manchester victoria
Bache is not one of the regular terminating points due to the inability of the Rail replacement bus service if double deck to stop close to the station.
Just going back to the list the three WCML stations to me dont look that bad , there is worse on the network than Warrington Bank Quay , Wigan North Western and Preston.
Does anybody know what happened to the West Kirby 6 car this evening. It was formed up of 507032 and 508120. On its first run, it was struggling and made a very strange noise out of central. Then I spotted that 507032 was running on its own.
Pairs on the Ormskirk line today in connection with Aintree Races, excellent loads being observed before and after the meeting - 6 cars packed to standing. Aintree never seems to fail to draw in the crowds. One of today's sets was yesterday's failure, 507032 and 508120. Despite staying on late Ormskirk/Kirkby duties, it sounded like 508120 wasn't fussed on being pulled by 507032, with a lot of "arguing" between the two on the Liverpool-bound journey.
Ormskirk line sets were as follows:
507010 + 507011
507016 + 508126
507025 + 507030
507032 + 508120
508127 + 508138
Advertising unit watch: 507002 was stabled in the middle sidings at Kirkdale depot; 508111 worked the Kirkby line, staying out into the night alongside three 6 cars on Ormskirk/Kirkby alternators.
507032 & 508120 are together again this morning on the ormskirk peak 6 car i rode on 032 and it was quite jerky 507002 is also on ormskirks this morning first time ive seen it snice it returned to service and have to say she looked and sounded fantastic even though she had a defective set of doors in one of the driving cars will try and grab a photo of it tonight if its still on ormskirks.
It has to be said that yesterday's Southport line service was simply unacceptably below capacity. Three cars at a half hour interval with Merseyside Derby and Aintree Races traffic alongside the now restored shopping custom was not good enough. It felt dangerously crowded aboard 508127 leaving Liverpool Central at around 16.23 with many more passengers piling on at Moorfields, Sandhills and Bank Hall. In the past, they used to form all Northern Line services of 6 cars when race meetings occurred at Aintree, but I've noticed the last couple of times it has happened, even that is cut. Hardly encouraging to see all these cuts taking place on the busiest limb of the network in the face of supposedly increasing traffic. It's also bizarre that they never provide additional capacity on matchdays, especially a Liverpool v Everton game.
The Ormskirk/Kirkby alternating services yesterday were in the hands of 507002 + 507019, 507025 + 507030, 507032 + 508120 and 508104 + 508141. On the Southport line 507001, 507029, 508111, 508126 and 508127 did their best to hoover up the crowds.
if i am correct mondays to saturdays non-peak the amount of three car trains on each line are
southport line: 10 trains
ormskirk line: 5 trains
kirkby line: 3 trains
chester line: 7 trains
ellesmere port line: 4 trains
new brighton line: 4 trains
west kirby line: 6 trains
this years aintree races diagrams were six cars on the ormskirk line and extra capacity trains running to aintree, last year it was six cars on the ormskirk line and southport line.
if the chester services werent every fifteen minutes you could have six cars on the ormskirk and southport lines and extra capacity trains to aintree.
Northern Line requirements are right but the Chester line uses 6, Ellesmere Port 3 and West Kirby 5.
(29/10/2012 19:27)507 mad Wrote: [ -> ]this years aintree races diagrams were six cars on the ormskirk line and extra capacity trains running to aintree, last year it was six cars on the ormskirk line and southport line.
Yes, that's what it normally is on the Sunday meetings. For whatever reason, the last couple of times they have deemed 3 cars sufficient on the Southport line which is laughably poor.
(29/10/2012 20:10)507009 Wrote: [ -> ]Northern Line requirements are right but the Chester line uses 6, Ellesmere Port 3 and West Kirby 5.
(29/10/2012 19:27)507 mad Wrote: [ -> ]this years aintree races diagrams were six cars on the ormskirk line and extra capacity trains running to aintree, last year it was six cars on the ormskirk line and southport line.
Yes, that's what it normally is on the Sunday meetings. For whatever reason, the last couple of times they have deemed 3 cars sufficient on the Southport line which is laughably poor.
If there have been 6 cars on the Southport services in the past on Aintree race Sundays, it's only because there has been an event somewhere on the Southport line as well. AFAIK the only time the Southport and Aintree lines are both 6 cars is on Grand National Day. Maybe many years ago, before Merseyrail gave some 508s back, it may have happened but not in recent years.
507012 was sat outside birkenhead depot this evening (in a 3 car formation) with undercarriage looking shiny and new. 507002 was also in birkenhead depot this evening.