Engineering Work, Friday 30 March – Monday 2 April

Manchester Victoria station will be closed for engineering works over Easter weekend. Trains will run between Huddersfield and Stalybridge (some continuing to/from Ashton on Friday 30th), with then a choice of replacement bus to Victoria or connecting train between Stalybridge & Piccadilly.

It’s worth noting, since Northern haven’t highlighted it, that this affects passengers travelling between Marsden/Slaithwaite & Huddersfield. It will be a basic hourly service so the usual peak hour weekday extras between Marsden/Slaithwaite & Huddersfield will be withdrawn.

Link to timetable is here

https://be803fe5c416e39d38ae-aa21086260d3bd4e072d597fe09c2e80.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/images/timetables/2018-03/GNRP-TT25-Manchester-Victoria-_E2_80_93-Stalybridge-_E2_80_93-Huddersfield.pdf

 

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Strike Action, Monday 26th & Thursday 29th March

Please see details about next weeks planned train strike (Mon 26th & Thursday 29th)

https://be803fe5c416e39d38ae-aa21086260d3bd4e072d597fe09c2e80.ssl.cf3.rackcdn.com/images/disruption-timetables/2018-03-26/Manchester—Huddersfield.pdf

Replacement buses between Stalybridge & Huddersfield, hourly but finish in early evening.

SMART takes no view on the merits or otherwise of the positions taken by the RMT and by Arriva Northern in this dispute.

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Planning applications submitted to extend platforms at Slaithwaite and Marsden

Planning applications submitted to extend platforms at Slaithwaite and Marsden

As part of the timetable changes (the planning application describes these as “improvements”) to be introduced in Winter 2018/9 Northern are seeking to increase the number of coaches on local services to two sets of class 150 diesel multiple units. None are long enough to accommodate four-coach trains along the route and to cater for this increased length of train it is necessary to lengthen the current platforms.

At Slaithwaite the westbound platform will be extended at its western end (i.e. towards Marsden) by 39 metres; the eastbound platform will be extended at its eastern end (i.e. towards Huddersfield) by 39.1 metres. 

At Marsden it is proposed to extend each platform. Platform One will be extended at its eastern end (i.e. towards Huddersfield) by 24 metres; platform 2 will be extended by 10.6 metres at its western end (i.e. towards the Tunnel) and platform 3 will be extended at its eastern end by 48 metres.

http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/planning-applications/search-for-planning-applications/detail.aspx?id=2018/90899

http://www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/planning-applications/search-for-planning-applications/detail.aspx?id=2018/90900

UPDATE, 29/03/2018: From our discussions with TPE, we are expecting the platform extensions at Slaithwaite to be done first, with Marsden to follow later in the year.

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Engineering Works, 14th to 29th April

Buses replace trains between Stalybridge and Victoria on weekdays 16th to 27th April.

Buses replace trains between Huddersfield and Victoria on weekends 14/15, 21/22 & 28/29 April.

At the moment we do not know whether Northern will also withdraw some of the peak hour services between Huddersfield and Slaithwaite/Marsden (as they did last time there was a weekday closure between Stalybridge & Victoria), nor whether they will overlook the need for any publicity at Huddersfield/Marsden/Slaithwaite for changes.

Apparently it’s all part of “The Great North Rail Project”. Any bit of engineering work, no matter how trivial, seems to be badged as “The Great North Pail Project”, though no-one seems able to say what the Great North Rail Project is, what it involves, and what will be achieved by its completion.

https://www.networkrail.co.uk/feeds/railway-upgrade-means-changes-to-services-through-ashton-under-lyne/

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