Guide Bridge Avoiding Line

[johnd]

TPE services don't stop at Guide Bridge, but there was talk of an 'Open Operator' service from Wakefield and Huddersfield using it; trains would have run to Stockport and on to Euston. I don't know what happened to the idea, it may still be hovering in the background somewhere.

 

Virgin probably objected to the Stockport stop and then Euston ( something callled competition )

Edited March 10, 2012 by johnd

[woodenhead]

I know they don't currently stop, I think it was Arriva when they were bidding for the contract that suggested Guide Bridge become a parkway. But with more TPE services going Stalybridge to Vic under the Northern Way initiative it will take potential traffic away from Guide Bridge returning it to something more akin to what it was after Woodhead closed and before Trans Pennine were diverted via Piccadilly.

 

That potentially leaves space to bring Metrolink through the station and up to Dinting using the space from the old 4 track formations to allow heavy rail to continue as far as Hyde North and still have traffic from Stalybridge to Piccadilly. Of course such a move might not be too popular with 'disgusted of Glossop' and would finish off any re-opening of Woodhead as a through route again unless train-trams come on stream.

[62613]

Declaring an interest, now; I live in Newton, off Victoria Street, so, if I want to go into Manchester and I don't have to drive, I use the train. Last Tuesday, I went train/tram to Alty v Stalybridge. The riding of the trams on the higher - speed sections left a great deal to be desired; in fact my wife was most uncomfortable. The thought of a tram on the reasonably fast section between GB and Flowery Field would perhaps persuade me to travel to Hyde North or Stalybridge to catch a train.

 

The thought of Guide Bridge a s a park and ride would make a great deal of sense. Were you aware that the car park for the cinema in Belle Vue is used as a park and ride?

Edited March 10, 2012 by 62613

[woodenhead]

I was up at Ashton yesterday at Evans Halshaw, the issue as I see it in making Guide Bridge a Park and Ride is that to attract punters off the commute into Manchester is first it's situated on the new leg of the M60 and not the old M62 so if you are attracting people from the North East of Manchester they are going to have to divert away from the natural route into Manchester M62/M60/M602 and secondly the actual junctions around Audenshaw are not really designed to get traffic near to Guide Bridge station which puts more cars A635/A6140 junction. It doesn't naturally draw traffic from the M67 either without pushing more traffic through Denton.

 

Perhaps these are the reasons Guide Bridge remains like it is, the cost to the local populace is too great.

 

On the Metrolink they are to build a park and ride in Sale Water Park on a piece of land that looks like it is currently used by people who are attracted to nocturnal gatherings involving steamed up cars. It is right next to a decent sized M60 junction and doesn't put any traffic onto local roads. What do people of Sale think to this, they are complaining about blight to the land and extra cars in Sale when the whole point of the exercise was to pull traffic off the motorway and Chester Road and onto the tram avoiding locals. The area being used is currently scrub and there are no houses nearby to be affected by light or noise.

[Alan76]

Arriva proposed both Guide Bridge and Penistone as park and ride stations as part of their bid for the Trans-Pennine franchise. They wanted to run four trains an hour between Manchester and a re-opened Sheffield Victoria (or something nearby). They reckoned they could manage an end-to-end time of 35 minutes or so using Adelante (Class 180) type stock. The current proposals for Guide Bridge are by Alliance Rail Holdings. They are based in York and the man behind them is Ian Yeowart who set up the open access operator Grand Central. Alliance want to do two or three quite separate groups of open access services including some originating in West Yorkshire, running to Euston via Huddersfield, Guide Bridge and Stockport. Their proposals are, I believe, currently with the Office of Rail Regulation.

 

Alan

[Sutton Junction]

Quite a few interesting ideas brought up about possible services at/through Guide Bridge. I can see more services using the line through Guide Bridge from Manchester Piccadilly since work has started on electrifying it towards Leeds. I only hope that the line dosent extend any further than Hadfield as I belive the Woodhead line should stay closed. Id rather it be a place to take the dog or go for a run than a way to travel to Sheffield.

[woodenhead]

There won't be more trains using the Stalybridge-Guide Bridge route after electrification - As I understand it TPE services to Liverpool mostly if not all via Victoria (again), Airport services routed via Victoria and the new Ordsall curve to remove the bottleneck around Ardwick.

[62613]

There won't be more trains using the Stalybridge-Guide Bridge route after electrification - As I understand it TPE services to Liverpool mostly if not all via Victoria (again), Airport services routed via Victoria and the new Ordsall curve to remove the bottleneck around Ardwick.

 

That's what I've heard as well. Also Manchester - Sheffield trains using the Phillips Park - Ashburys link. I saw a map in 'Rail' which showed this, if the whole Northern Hub thing comes off (porcine avaitors!)

[Edwin_m]

I think that's unlikely as they would have to take the longer route via Marple and miss out Stockport. The Liverpool-Norwich would also have to cross the whole throat at Piccadilly and the ManAir-Cleethorpes would have to cross most of it - exactly what the Ordsall Curve is supposed to avoid for the North Transpennines!

 

I wouldn't be too surprised to see Philips Park to Ashburys electrified so that the Manchester-Scotland EMUs can get to the depot at Ardwick where they will be maintained, without having to go round the Ordsall Curve and across the Piccadilly throat yet again. And electrifying Guide Bridge to Stalybridge also makes sense as a diversionary route and may even be worthwhile on grounds of strengthening the power supply and avoiding another feeder station. Just hope nobody thinks electrifying both of those is a reason not to electrify the direct route via Ashton!

Edited March 13, 2012 by Edwin_m

[Michael Delamar]

just going back to the guide bridge avoiding line

 

on the B&R dvd woodhead remembered, there is some brief 1960s footage looking north of the line from a train leaving guide bridge and heading towards Sheffield. can see the line passing under the triangle at Guide bridge.

[18B]

On ‎12‎/‎03‎/‎2012 at 11:04, Alan76 said:

Arriva proposed both Guide Bridge and Penistone as park and ride stations as part of their bid for the Trans-Pennine franchise. They wanted to run four trains an hour between Manchester and a re-opened Sheffield Victoria (or something nearby). They reckoned they could manage an end-to-end time of 35 minutes or so using Adelante (Class 180) type stock. The current proposals for Guide Bridge are by Alliance Rail Holdings. They are based in York and the man behind them is Ian Yeowart who set up the open access operator Grand Central. Alliance want to do two or three quite separate groups of open access services including some originating in West Yorkshire, running to Euston via Huddersfield, Guide Bridge and Stockport. Their proposals are, I believe, currently with the Office of Rail Regulation.

 

Alan

 

sadly, having come to nothing?

[62613]

On 08/03/2019 at 20:01, 18B said:

 

sadly, having come to nothing?

 

Yep!