Atlantic, Bolton

[knutstransport]

RE: Atlantic, Bolton

(12/09/2022 18:07)Mrboo Wrote:  When I used to do this route we had 1 coach start Chester and one Stockport and had to have someone on board each coach at set points you had to call to make sure no coach was going along that part of the route and had to walk to Mobberley to check if anyone was waiting for the train. not an easy route.

Passenger numbers are higher now. Pre-COVID Knutsford got over 500,000 journeys per annum, compared to 240,000 ten years earlier. Of course some people don't bother if the train is replaced by a bus. But when it's 2 X evening peak Manchester to Chester services cancelled, which are both booked to be 4 carriages, then it's a challenge to find suitable replacement road vehicles.

Limiting calls to Stockport, Altrincham, Hale, Knutsford, Lostock, Northwich, Greenbank and Chester means the replacement vehicle would spend almost all the time on A roads, plus picking up the majority of passengers. Then you could send a little bus to pick up at stops like Ashley and Mobberley.

The roads around Mobberley station could be fun if you had buses replacing trains around school starting/finishing times, as D&G send a 39 seater Enviro that way for a school service.