New TPE guide highlights best walks direct from Marsden station

Posted on April 6, 2022 by admin

TransPennine Express have introduced a brand-new walking and cycling guide to encourage people to explore the beautiful North this Spring. It has been produced in partnership with Marsden Walkers Are Welcome amongst others. Available free of charge from selected TPE stations or downloadable, the guide features a variety of walks and bike rides.

It features three walks from Marsden station.

A press release and downloadable walks can be found at https://bit.ly/TPEWalkingGuide

It’s an excellent idea, and SMART and others are keen to encourage visitors to the Colne Valley to arrive by public transport.

What diminishes it somewhat, at least at present (April 2022) is the current unreliable and unpredictable train service provided by TPE. Cancellations at Marsden are currently averaging 47 per week, which is substantially higher even than during the infamous May 2018 timetable.

Furthermore, the Department for Transport need to agree to implement the half-hourly daytime service which was proposed in the first Manchester Recovery Taskforce (MRTF) consultation last year and which received such strong local support. We know it can be done, and the reasons given why MRTF deleted it from the proposals are thin bordering on non-existent.

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Reduced Timetable due to Industrial Action, Sundays from 13th February 2022

Posted on February 9, 2022 by admin

Limited train service for Slaithwaite & Marsden (one every 2 hours, last trains at about 1930) on Sunday 13th February

TransPennine Express (TPE) is asking customers to plan carefully ahead of planned strike action this weekend.

The Rail, Maritime and Transport Union (RMT) has announced industrial action by its TPE conductors on four consecutive Sundays, from 00:01 – 23:59 on 13, 20, and 27 February and 6 March.

In response, TPE have released an amended timetable for this Sunday, 13 February, that will see a significant reduction in available services. And we’re advising customers not to travel on the majority of routes and to plan carefully if journeys are necessary.

TPE will be operating a very limited service on the following routes on Sunday 13 February:

Edinburgh – Carlisle
Timetable is available to view here

Manchester – York, via Leeds and Huddersfield
York – Scarborough
Timetable is available to view here

Manchester – Sheffield
Doncaster – Cleethorpes
Timetable is available to view here
 Ticket acceptance is in place with the following operators until the dates specified when there is strike action:

Northern – Until Monday 7th March (excluding Sunday 20th February)
Across the network

Avanti West Coast – Until Monday 7th March
Between Wigan and Glasgow Central/Edinburgh

East Midlands Railway – Until Sunday 13th February
Between Liverpool Lime Street and Sheffield

London North Eastern Railway – Until Sunday 13th February
Between Newcastle and Edinburgh (excluding services to/from Aberdeen/Inverness)

CrossCountry – Until Sunday 13th February
Between Leeds and Edinburgh

Transport for Wales – Until Monday 7th March
Between Stockport, Newton-le-Willows and Manchester Airport and Manchester Piccadilly
 If you’re planning to travel on a day affected by RMT strikes you should check for updates up to the last minute as services may be subject to short notice changes. You should also allow extra time for journeys as the services we are able to operate will be far busier than normal.

You can check for updates on TransPennine Express services here.
Strike Action | Travel Updates | TransPennine Express (tpexpress.co.uk)

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TPE Temporary Amended Timetable – January 2022

Posted on January 12, 2022 by admin

TPE have introduced an amended timetable with effect from 10th January 2022.

Due to a shortage of available train crew as a result of rising sickness levels, predominantly driven by the Omicron variant of Covid-19, along with industrial relations issues and the Government’s advice to work from home where possible – TPE have introduced an amended timetable from Monday 10th January 2022. This amended timetable will provide a stable and reliable service for those customers who are travelling with TransPennine Express.

There appears to be little change in our area. Huddersfield – Manchester stopping services will continue to operate hourly

Hopefully this will produce a more stable timetable than what has been experienced for the past month with a list of cancellations being published at around 10pm the night before, something which didn’t help much with passengers trying to plan ahead.

It appears there may still be some additional short notice cancellations published at around 10pm for the following day.

It’s early days for the new timetable, but for Slaithwaite & Marsden it looks like the number of cancellations will be down from an average of 57 per week (over the 4 weeks from 13th December to 9th January) to less than a third of that.

Link is https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/amended-timetable

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TPE Service Disruption – December 2021

Posted on December 29, 2021 by admin

Services across the network over the coming days may be subject to delays and short-notice cancellations due to a lack of available staff caused by industrial relations issues.

TPE state that

We are doing all we can to keep you on the move and, as ever, our aim is to provide you with a stable and reliable service as we know you put your faith in TransPennine Express to get you where you need to be.

We are sorry for any disruption this may cause to journeys in the coming days and ask you to allow additional time for travel and to check carefully – up to the last minute – for any changes to train times. You can check for updates on TransPennine Express services here: https://www.journeycheck.com/tpexpress/.

As a result of the ongoing issues, it has been necessary to make pre-planned cancellations to some services. 

Link is Service Disruption | Travel Updates | TransPennine Express (tpexpress.co.uk)

The planned cancellations appear to change from day to day, so it is best to check online on the evening preceding .the day when you plan to travel.

This appears to be a dispute about rest day working and/or Covid-safe working practices, coupled with high levels of staff sickness/self-isolating.

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