First High-Speed Rail Service From Rochdale To London In 25 years Secures Political Support
The title if this post, is the same as this article on Rochdale Online.
These are the first three paragraphs.
MPs, local council leaders, businesses and academics gathered in Manchester to show their support for a new high-speed rail service linking Rochdale with London for the first time in 25 years, in a boost to local jobs, growth and connectivity in the North West.
Lumo, which already delivers more reliable, cheaper train travel along the East Coast Main Line, plans to run six return trains a day between Rochdale, Manchester Victoria, Eccles, Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay to London Euston from 2027, providing 1.6 million more people in Greater Manchester with a direct link to the capital.
The three-hour service will knock 2hrs 15mins off current journey times by car, secure important emissions savings and create at least 124 direct jobs along the route.
How many other larger towns and cities could use a service like this proposed one to Rochdale?
But Rochdale’s service is more than just a one-dimensional route to and from London.
- Rochdale and Warrington Bank Quay forms a convenient long-range cross-Manchester service.
- Connections at Newton-le-Willows and Warrington Bank Quay provide links to Liverpool and North West England, Wales and Scotland.
- Connections at Manchester Victoria and Eccles provide links to most of Great Manchester.
- Liverpool’s and Manchester’s plans mean that connectivity will only get better.
It will be interesting to see how Lumo’s Rochdale service evolves and develops in the next few years.
Other cities will certainly want one.
The Anonymous Widower 
I don’t see how this creates more paths on the saturated WCML unless the Lumo trains run on the slow lines between Rugby and Euston (possibly even via Northampton). The platforms at Eccles are rather short, ditto the bay platform at Rochdale and may also be short at Newton le Willows, although they may have been extended at the last. TPE (class 800) timings from Manchester Victoria to Newton le Willows are ~20 minutes, with no stop at Eccles (Traksy), it is about 15minutes from Rochdale to Victoria [un-electrified] non-stop, so with two junctions from NlW to WCML timings on on Rochdale <-> WCML are likely to be slow!
Still HM QEII spent the night in her Royal Train at Eccles in 2002 prior to opening the Commonwealth Games so I suppose that station could claim her Warrant…
Comment by R. Mark Clayton | December 15, 2024 |
There’s more info in an earlier post.
https://anonw.com/2024/05/17/firstgroups-lumo-seeks-to-launch-rochdale-london-open-access-service/
I think they’ll flight the Lumo service with Avanti’s non-stop Glasgow one.
The Lumo service will slot in a safe distance behind the Avanti and the two trains will do Euston and Warrington Bank Quay at the maximum speed of the slowest train. Neither is scheduled to stop on that section.
Lumo’s trains will not have diesels, but will do the unelectrified sections on battery power.
I’ve updated the linked post, with a bit of speculation.
What time to concerts usually finish at the Arena?
Could concert goers catch the last train back to London?
I don’t have a daughter, but to know they could catch a train to London, after the concert would be reassuring.
Comment by AnonW | December 15, 2024 |
You are sort of assuming there are slots in the flight behind the Avanti one in both directions – AIUI fast lins in and out of Euston are saturated = no spare slots.
Might work, bit of a climb up to Rochdale, but downhill coming back.
Varies, but last train from Piccadilly is 21:15 AFAICS.
Bigger concerts now at Coop Live, but they all normally end later than that.
Unlikely unless they have later trains.
Comment by Mark Clayton | December 15, 2024
As I understand it with flighting, it’s a bit like airliners going into a busy airport. The lead aircraft flies according to air traffic and the one behind is given instructions so they’re a safe distance behind. In most cases they have visual contact with the plane in front.
I suspect that with trains it will be something similar and available with digital signalling. Although, I suspect it could be done visually in good weather.
I was once flying into Dublin Airport in my Piper Arrow.
Air traffic said to me “Tango Tango – We’ve got a Jumbo on your tail. Can you speed up a bit?
Me! “Will One Twenty Do?”
ATC! “Affirmative!”
Me! “Wilco!” I lowered the nose to increase the speed.
ATC! “Tango Tango- After landing, can you expedite a clearance to the left?
Me! “Affirmative!”
I knew Dublin Airport well, so that is what I did.
ATC! “Tango Tango – Well done! We’ll give you ten out of ten for that! Welcome to Dublin!”
As he finished, a Jumbo roared past my tail.
Comment by AnonW | December 15, 2024 |
Rochdale is just the turn back point of a cheap slower service. So much for the WCML being saturated.
Comment by John | December 16, 2024 |