New Train Services To/From Stafford.

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
In a major revamp of West Coast mainline and local services, it seems Stafford will be the major winner. According to the planned changes, there will be major improvements to services to/from Stafford with effect from the December 2022 timetable change.

There will be new hourly services:
1. to/from Scotland; and
2. to/from North Wales.

One London-Manchester service per hour will also be stopping at Stafford as well. However, this effectively replaces the hourly Avanti Liverpool-London Euston service, which will no longer stop at Stafford.

The result of the above changes will also see more services to/from London Euston as well.

The changes will also see the hourly Crewe-Stoke-Stafford-Wolverhampton-Birmingham service diverted between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, to call at Tame Bridge Parkway and, with effect from December 2023, it will also call at the new stations being built at Willenhall and Darlaston.

The above is based on announcements by Avanti and West Midlands Trains (London Northwestern Railway & West Midlands Railway). Cross Country Trains have not finalised their plans yet, so there may be additional changes on their routes.
 

Theresa Green

Well-Known Forumite
In a major revamp of West Coast mainline and local services, it seems Stafford will be the major winner. According to the planned changes, there will be major improvements to services to/from Stafford with effect from the December 2022 timetable change.

There will be new hourly services:
1. to/from Scotland; and
2. to/from North Wales.

One London-Manchester service per hour will also be stopping at Stafford as well. However, this effectively replaces the hourly Avanti Liverpool-London Euston service, which will no longer stop at Stafford.

The result of the above changes will also see more services to/from London Euston as well.

The changes will also see the hourly Crewe-Stoke-Stafford-Wolverhampton-Birmingham service diverted between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, to call at Tame Bridge Parkway and, with effect from December 2023, it will also call at the new stations being built at Willenhall and Darlaston.

The above is based on announcements by Avanti and West Midlands Trains (London Northwestern Railway & West Midlands Railway). Cross Country Trains have not finalised their plans yet, so there may be additional changes on their routes.
Does this mean Stafford loses the quicker none stop 80 minute Euston service ( from/to ) Liverpool
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
Does this mean Stafford loses the quicker none stop 80 minute Euston service ( from/to ) Liverpool
Yes, but it gains the equally quick Euston service from/to Manchester.

It will also get the the Euston to Holyhead service, which loses Milton Keynes as a stop, but gains Stafford.

And it will also get the slower Euston - Birmingham - Glasgow/Edinburgh service.
 

Theresa Green

Well-Known Forumite
Yes, but it gains the equally quick Euston service from/to Manchester.

It will also get the the Euston to Holyhead service, which loses Milton Keynes as a stop, but gains Stafford.

And it will also get the slower Euston - Birmingham - Glasgow/Edinburgh service.

Will the Manchester to Euston be non stop?

The beauty of the existing service is knowing nobody else will be getting on the train
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
Will the Manchester to Euston be non stop?

The beauty of the existing service is knowing nobody else will be getting on the train
Detailed timetables are not yet available, but the planned service shows Stafford as first stop out of Euston, then Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
In a major revamp of West Coast mainline and local services, it seems Stafford will be the major winner. According to the planned changes, there will be major improvements to services to/from Stafford with effect from the December 2022 timetable change.

There will be new hourly services:
1. to/from Scotland; and
2. to/from North Wales.

One London-Manchester service per hour will also be stopping at Stafford as well. However, this effectively replaces the hourly Avanti Liverpool-London Euston service, which will no longer stop at Stafford.

The result of the above changes will also see more services to/from London Euston as well.

The changes will also see the hourly Crewe-Stoke-Stafford-Wolverhampton-Birmingham service diverted between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, to call at Tame Bridge Parkway and, with effect from December 2023, it will also call at the new stations being built at Willenhall and Darlaston.

The above is based on announcements by Avanti and West Midlands Trains (London Northwestern Railway & West Midlands Railway). Cross Country Trains have not finalised their plans yet, so there may be additional changes on their routes.

So no Avanti from Stafford to Liverpool anymore? That's very bad if so and I've read it correctly. :(
 

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
Detailed timetables are not yet available, but the planned service shows Stafford as first stop out of Euston, then Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly.
But that's a longer route than via Colwich to Stone missing Stafford and via Crewe is longer though not necessarily slower than via Stoke.
 

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
Yes, but it gains the equally quick Euston service from/to Manchester.

It will also get the the Euston to Holyhead service, which loses Milton Keynes as a stop, but gains Stafford.

And it will also get the slower Euston - Birmingham - Glasgow/Edinburgh service.
Having regular direct services to North Wales and Scotland again will be good, and just the slower service for Liverpool won't matter much.
 

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
In a major revamp of West Coast mainline and local services, it seems Stafford will be the major winner. According to the planned changes, there will be major improvements to services to/from Stafford with effect from the December 2022 timetable change.

There will be new hourly services:
1. to/from Scotland; and
2. to/from North Wales.

One London-Manchester service per hour will also be stopping at Stafford as well. However, this effectively replaces the hourly Avanti Liverpool-London Euston service, which will no longer stop at Stafford.

The result of the above changes will also see more services to/from London Euston as well.

The changes will also see the hourly Crewe-Stoke-Stafford-Wolverhampton-Birmingham service diverted between Wolverhampton and Birmingham, to call at Tame Bridge Parkway and, with effect from December 2023, it will also call at the new stations being built at Willenhall and Darlaston.

The above is based on announcements by Avanti and West Midlands Trains (London Northwestern Railway & West Midlands Railway). Cross Country Trains have not finalised their plans yet, so there may be additional changes on their routes.
The hourly Crewe-Stoke-Stafford-Wolverhampton-Birmingham service already goes via Tame bridge Parkway even though Willenhall and Darlaston railway stations haven't been rebuilt yet. .
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
Having regular direct services to North Wales and Scotland again will be good, and just the slower service for Liverpool won't matter much.
It matters if you regularly travel by train on thr cheaper Avanti to Liverpool
 

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
It matters if you regularly travel by train on thr cheaper Avanti to Liverpool
Yes, it would indeed.
I've gone to Liverpool irregularly ( stayed there three times in 2019 ) and always used the West Midlands service for proper sized windows.
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
It matters if you regularly travel by train on thr cheaper Avanti to Liverpool
It's possible that one or two Avanti Liverpool services may still stop at Stafford (most likely at peak times). You'll have to wait for the detailed timetable to come out.
 

Wormella

Well-Known Forumite
Direct to Scotland and Direct to North wales are both nice, but they were only ever one change away (Crewe or Wolverhampton respectively)
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
Direct to Scotland and Direct to North wales are both nice, but they were only ever one change away (Crewe or Wolverhampton respectively)
There are a few advantages:
1. These are extra services from Stafford, so a more frequent service to/from the likes of Crewe, Wolverhampton and Birmingham;
2. Faster journey times to/from North Wales and Scotland, as there is no need to change at Crewe;
3. It also avoids the risk of your connecting service failing to make your connection at Crewe; and
4. Potentially more cheap, advance fares, as these to be more readily available (and cheaper) on through services.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Direct to Scotland and Direct to North wales are both nice, but they were only ever one change away (Crewe or Wolverhampton respectively)
Did the north wales trip many times about 15 years ago, sometimes had to change at chester too. In general though I find public transport was getting worse not better, couldn't be without my car now yet I managed to reach 43 without one.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Did the north wales trip many times about 15 years ago, sometimes had to change at chester too. In general though I find public transport was getting worse not better, couldn't be without my car now yet I managed to reach 43 without one.
On my Holyhead runs, from '95 to 2008, it started as a straight-through run, then became 'change at Crewe or Chester', then 'change at Crewe and Chester', plus a few 'change into a bus at Bangor' runs. It also meant leaving earlier and earlier, until it just became unviable.

I have a vague recollection of having to also change at Llandudno Junction once. It might have been somewhere else around there, it all looked the same in the dark.
 

Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
On my Holyhead runs, from '95 to 2008, it started as a straight-through run, then became 'change at Crewe or Chester', then 'change at Crewe and Chester', plus a few 'change into a bus at Bangor' runs. It also meant leaving earlier and earlier, until it just became unviable.

I have a vague recollection of having to also change at Llandudno Junction once. It might have been somewhere else around there, it all looked the same in the dark.
Gramaisc,
Yes, it all went wrong with through destinations from Stafford drastically reduced not long after Branson took on Cross Country services in January 1997 and Inter City West Coast ones in March 1997, not only Holyhead and Scotland lost but north-west towns and many south-west destinations too.
Some have since been restored but Avanti's latest news near enough gets us back to the through services we benefited from before privatisation. We can't though expect to get Beardie's dreadful Pendolinos and Voyager units replaced.
 
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Mudgie

Well-Known Forumite
Did the north wales trip many times about 15 years ago, sometimes had to change at chester too. In general though I find public transport was getting worse not better, couldn't be without my car now yet I managed to reach 43 without one.
I managed well enough without a car until getting married at 37 and haven't driven much since except for eleven years at work.
 

BobClay

Well-Known Forumite
I seem to remember when my Old Dear used to take me 'home' back in the 50's and 60's (she was a hill farm girl from Co. Limerick) you could book straight from Stafford to Dun Laoghaire (the crossing on a beat up old ferry named the 'Princess Maud.') Straight through no mess apart from the sots on the ferry who thought the best cure for a rolling ship was more Guinness. Then we'd get a train down to Limerick Junction, up to Pallas where my Grandad would meet us in ... believe it or not ... a pony and trap !!! So you can image as a kid what an adventure that was. I did occasionally get a bollocking for finding my way into the engine room on the old Maud. (I found out later she had seen quite some service in World War 2, including the Dunkirk evacuation where she took a shell in the engine room with fatalities.)
I think the Maud was owned by British Rail so the service went straight through.
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
I seem to remember when my Old Dear used to take me 'home' back in the 50's and 60's (she was a hill farm girl from Co. Limerick) you could book straight from Stafford to Dun Laoghaire (the crossing on a beat up old ferry named the 'Princess Maud.') Straight through no mess apart from the sots on the ferry who thought the best cure for a rolling ship was more Guinness. Then we'd get a train down to Limerick Junction, up to Pallas where my Grandad would meet us in ... believe it or not ... a pony and trap !!! So you can image as a kid what an adventure that was. I did occasionally get a bollocking for finding my way into the engine room on the old Maud. (I found out later she had seen quite some service in World War 2, including the Dunkirk evacuation where she took a shell in the engine room with fatalities.)
I think the Maud was owned by British Rail so the service went straight through.
Although it could be hard work and relied on me showing the staff that it was really possible, I used to get a ticket from Stafford straight through to Ballybrophy*, a one-man station in the middle of nowhere. Once, when handing it to the ticket man in Heuston Station, he looked at it and said "This must be unique, I'm not punching a hole through it!" and handed it back to me, unscathed.

I once, for "technical reasons", had a ticket that was actually hand-written, and not a single person questioned the reality of it.

The Sealink service became Stena and slowly subsided thereafter. I found the Irish Ferries boats to be generally nicer and a bit more reliable.


*You will have passed through there, I must look for the commemorative plaque.
 
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