Revised timetable over 3 weekends and 2 weeks whilst Victoria to Stalybridge route is closed for engineering works.
Trains between Huddersfield and Stalybridge. Replacement bus between Stalybridge, Ashton & Victoria.
Complete closure between Huddersfield and Victoria on middle weekend 21st & 22nd April.
Not sure whether some peak trains between Huddersfield and Stalybridge will be quietly withdrawn. Last time they did this, Northern withdrew some of the peak trains but didn’t bother with any publicity at Marsden, Slaithwaite or Huddersfield. The only publicity done was SMART committee members walking through the peak trains on the last working day before the closure talking to passengers. That’s something we won’t be doing this time. Northern need to take responsibility for providing adequate publicity in the right places.
Northern Rail have published a timetable covering the period 14-29 April. Link is https://be803fe5c416e39d38ae-aa21086260d3bd4e072d597fe09c2e80.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/images/blockades/GNRP-Huddersfield-Man-Vic-TT-25-April-2018-FINAL.pdf
Getting to and from Manchester has been really gruelling this past fortnight.
The TransPennine Express trains – both there and back – have arrived later than scheduled every single day, with the longest delay being well over half an hour. I’ve usually been able to get a seat on the way home, because I’ve been getting on at Oxford Road (before Piccadilly), but… squeezing onto the TPE at Stalybridge in the mornings has been stressful, uncomfortable and arguably dangerous at times, due to sardine-can levels of overcrowding in the aisles / overhead racks / toilet / wherever you can find ‘room’ to stand.
I must say that this experience of dealing with TPE services does not fill me with any confidence about how train travel will work out for us after the changeover.