Adding Alderley Edge And Manchester Piccadilly To The Bee Network
This article on the Railway Gazette has a list of the lines, that will be transferred between Northern Rail and the Bee Network.
Included in the list is this line.
Alderley Edge And Manchester Piccadilly
I think this route would be the following.
- The Southern terminus would be Alderley Edge.
- The Northern terminus would be Manchester Piccadilly.
- Intermediate stations would be Wilmslow, Handforth, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme.
- The route is fully electrified with 25 KVAC overhead.
- Most of the route has a range of operating speeds. up to 110 mph.
- The distance is 13.6 miles
- Trains take 29 minutes
- Trains are often three-car Class 331 trains.
The route is the same as the current Northern Trains service.
This is my thought.
Trains
As the route is fully-electrified, electric trains are needed.
Any 110 mph trains would probably be ideal, to keep out of the way of the expresses.
The Anonymous Widower 
Due to heavy campaigning in 1973, Wilmslow and Alderley Edge remained in [Tory] Cheshire, rather than being incorporated into “red” Greater Manchester. As a result Andy Burnham’s writ does not run to either, so neither can his trains.
Comment by R. Mark Clayton | March 31, 2023 |
If he doesn’t serve the two Cheshire towns, how else will they get a service?
Glossop is in Derbyshire.
Comment by AnonW | March 31, 2023 |
The same way they do now via the airport (Liverpool Crewe) or direct (Manchester Piccadilly Alderley Edge / Crewe).
There is currently some variation in train routing while NR tinker with the timetable.
Comment by R. Mark Clayton | April 1, 2023
This is a short route and there are several stations – I do not see how you will get to 110 mph between the all stations Northern commuter trains.
So to keep out of the way of expresses, you need good acceleration over 110 mph. So configuring the power train for acceleration will give, say 75 mph train will be better.
Comment by chilterntrev | March 31, 2023 |
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