and places in between
LIverpool and Manchester
4 October 2024
Another Northern Rail £10 day rover... Collect
tokens from local newspapers and exchange them
at a staffed ticket office. That’s the idea, but
software upgrades left staff at both Crewe and
Piccadilly baffled. “Go to Oxford Road - they’ll be
able to do it.” That was correct - we did, and they
were. However, our original plan was in tatters -
the (hourly) Sheffield train had gone.
Plan B - Headbolt Lane: neither of us had travelled along
the former Wigan - Liverpool line. Until recently the line
was split into two sections - diesel to Kirkby, then
Merseyrail electric (third rail DC). The split has moved a
little further north-east to the new Headbolt Lane
station, coinciding with the introduction of new trains on
Merseyrail - the class 777s. Seven of the 53 trains are
equipped with traction batteries to operate on the
extension - the third rail has not been extended beyond
Kirkby. Can’t help thinking (especially in the light of
some teething troubles) that it might have been better
to put in the third rail. I’m sure there was a good
reason.
Geoff’s Rail Diaries
Our journey to Headbolt Lane was not without
interest. From Oxford Road, we continued to
Salford Crescent, where the next train to Wigan
was a class 769. It ran on AC electric power to
Bolton, where it switched to diesel power to get
to Wigan.
We left our 777 at Moorfields and enjoyed a light lunch
behind the facade of the former Exchange station.
Before stretching our legs a little on a roundabout route
to Lime Street, we planned the rest of our itinerary.
Lime Street to Preston, Preston to Piccadilly, thence to
Crewe. We could have travelled in comfort back to our
starting point at Nantwich, but the loco-hauled TfW
service to Swansea (via Cardiff...) wouldn’t be stopping
there. We would endure the pleasures of a crowded 153
for the last few miles.
I don’t think I’ve ever experienced so many different
means of propulsion in a single day. Diesel, DC third rail
and battery electric, 25kv AC electric and AC/diesel
hybrid electric. Never a dull moment.
