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Which route to take?

You are here: Home > Forum > Miscellaneous > The real thing (anything else rail-oriented) > Which route to take?

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Which route to take? 09/05/2013 at 21:46 #44499
Rickurd
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128 posts
I'm going to Blackburn on saturday by train and I wanted opinions on which route would be the most scenic of the 2 options I have planned (both routes are permitted routes for this journey)

Option 1:
Derby - Sheffield (XC)
Sheffield - Manchester Piccadilly (FTPE)
Manchester Piccadilly - Preston (FTPE)
Preston - Blackburn (Northern)

Option 2:
Derby - Crewe (EMT)
Crewe - Preston (VT)
Preston - Blackburn (Northern)

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Which route to take? 09/05/2013 at 21:59 #44500
vontrapp
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" said:
I'm going to Blackburn on saturday by train and I wanted opinions on which route would be the most scenic of the 2 options I have planned (both routes are permitted routes for this journey)

Option 1:
Derby - Sheffield (XC)
Sheffield - Manchester Piccadilly (FTPE)
Manchester Piccadilly - Preston (FTPE)
Preston - Blackburn (Northern)

Option 2:
Derby - Crewe (EMT)
Crewe - Preston (VT)
Preston - Blackburn (Northern)
Derby-Sheffield
Sheffield- Man Picc
Man Picc- Preston
Preston-Blackburn
A nicer route is to change at Salford Crescent (any train from Picc to Bolton except TP's to Barrow or Scotland) and catch the Clitheroe train to Blackburn. Clitheroe is much nicer than Blackburn! It's a town in the countryside with quaint streets and village shops and pubs.

Last edited: 09/05/2013 at 22:05 by vontrapp
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Which route to take? 09/05/2013 at 22:01 #44501
Rickurd
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128 posts
" said:
" said:
I'm going to Blackburn on saturday by train and I wanted opinions on which route would be the most scenic of the 2 options I have planned (both routes are permitted routes for this journey)

Option 1:
Derby - Sheffield (XC)
Sheffield - Manchester Piccadilly (FTPE)
Manchester Piccadilly - Preston (FTPE)
Preston - Blackburn (Northern)

Option 2:
Derby - Crewe (EMT)
Crewe - Preston (VT)
Preston - Blackburn (Northern)
Derby-Sheffield
Sheffield- Man Picc
Man Picc- Preston
Preston-Blackburn
A nicer route is to change at Salford Crescent (any train from Picc to Bolton except TP's to Barrow or Scotland) and catch the train to Clitheroe.
The thing is I might need to get off at Accrington rather than Black burn, so I need to catch a train that stops there as well

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Which route to take? 09/05/2013 at 22:06 #44502
vontrapp
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210 posts
Are you on Team Speak?
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Which route to take? 09/05/2013 at 22:11 #44503
Rickurd
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128 posts
Nope, I don't have a mic right now
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Which route to take? 09/05/2013 at 22:13 #44504
vontrapp
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210 posts
Chatbox!
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Which route to take? 09/05/2013 at 22:27 #44505
Javelin395
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272 posts
Having lived and worked in both Sheffield and Lancaster I'd recommend Option 1 as I've done this leg of your proposed journey on several occasions.

The route from Derby - Sheffield is relatively scenic beside the River Derwent at Belper whilst the Hope Valley Line between Sheffield - Manchester takes you straight through the spectacular Peak District. Manchester - Preston is dull by comparison though in my biased opinion.

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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 09:07 #44516
Rickurd
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128 posts
Thanks, I'll probs take option 1, as I have done Derby - Crewe before, and it is somewhat dull, I just wondered if there was any decent scenery on the WCML between Crewe and Preston really
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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 16:52 #44533
Steamer
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" said:
Thanks, I'll probs take option 1, as I have done Derby - Crewe before, and it is somewhat dull, I just wondered if there was any decent scenery on the WCML between Crewe and Preston really
Crewe- Warrington is pretty good, and there are good patches between Warrington and Preston, but it's harder to appreciate at 125 mph. In any case, the Hope Valley is much better.

EDIT:

Vontrapp said:
A nicer route is to change at Salford Crescent (any train from Picc to Bolton except TP's to Barrow or Scotland) and catch the train to Clitheroe.
You don't need to change at Salford Crescent, the Clitheroe stops at Bolton, so any train from Piccadilly to Bolton is fine.

Rickurd said:
The thing is I might need to get off at Accrington rather than Black burn, so I need to catch a train that stops there as well
The Clitheroe stops at Blackburn, where you can change onto the York or Colne service to Accrington. If it's a permitted route, the Darwen route is much better scenery wise.

"Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q)
Last edited: 10/05/2013 at 16:59 by Steamer
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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 17:00 #44534
Javelin395
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272 posts
Let us know what you make of it. Coming from London as I do then for me the Peak District is like a completely different world that simply blows my mind away. As I now live in Sheffield I visit the Peaks whenever I can and jokingly refer to them as 'my back-garden' !!

Having regularly travelled between Manchester - Lancaster I can say that there is nothing to rival the splendor of the Peak District between these two locations. Although I've not done it I suspect that the interesting scenery on the WCML doesn't feature until you are North of Lancaster (eg Shap and Beattock).

No, I don't work for Visit Yorkshire but I can totally see why the locals refer to it as God's own county. That said, Derbyshire comes a close second.

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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 17:02 #44535
Rickurd
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128 posts
Ideally I would go Derby - Leeds, then Leeds - Blackburn

but to go that way I have to buy 2 tickets as its not a permitted route and then it will cost neary twice as much

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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 17:08 #44537
Danny252
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1461 posts
" said:
Ideally I would go Derby - Leeds, then Leeds - Blackburn

but to go that way I have to buy 2 tickets as its not a permitted route and then it will cost neary twice as much
nationalrail.com claims the route via Leeds is 30p more expensive, excluding advance tickets and railcards.

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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 17:21 #44538
Rickurd
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128 posts
it came to more when i put it in :s
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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 17:24 #44540
Rickurd
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128 posts
Just double checked and it says £30.70 via Manchester or Crewe or £48.20 via Leeds
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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 17:27 #44541
Rickurd
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128 posts
" said:
Just double checked and it says £30.70 via Manchester or Crewe or £48.20 via Leeds
and that £48.20 is each way with no return fare available

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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 19:15 #44549
Danny252
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Derby-Leeds return is £32.40, Leeds-Blackburn is £15.70, giving £48.10 total return. Cheapest non-advance return for Derby-Blackburn is £46.50.

If you're going to buy Advance, though, the Derby-Leeds offers are terrible (£30 total, a whopping £2.40 off).

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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 19:19 #44551
Rickurd
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I have a railcard hence the £30.70 fare
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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 19:29 #44552
Danny252
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1461 posts
So £32.10 (or whatever number of pence it gives) - if you managed to get £48.20 via Leeds with the card, I'd be rather impressed...
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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 19:39 #44554
Rickurd
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128 posts
" said:
So £32.10 (or whatever number of pence it gives) - if you managed to get £48.20 via Leeds with the card, I'd be rather impressed...
It was with the card, and only a single

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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 22:16 #44576
UKTrainMan
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1803 posts
" said:
I just wondered if there was any decent scenery on the WCML between Crewe and Preston really
There absolutely is - keep an eye out on the right-hand side of the train for.... http://www.livestream.com/wcml_cam

:cheer:

Any views and / or opinions expressed by myself are from me personally and do not represent those of any company I either work for or am a consultant for.
Last edited: 10/05/2013 at 22:17 by UKTrainMan
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Which route to take? 10/05/2013 at 22:34 #44577
headshot119
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4869 posts
" said:
I'm going to Blackburn on saturday by train and I wanted opinions on which route would be the most scenic of the 2 options I have planned (both routes are permitted routes for this journey)

Option 1:
Derby - Sheffield (XC)
Sheffield - Manchester Piccadilly (FTPE)
Manchester Piccadilly - Preston (FTPE)
Preston - Blackburn (Northern)

A booking engine will quite happily give an itinerary for this journey, and I'm inclined to agree that it is a valid route.

Option 2:
Derby - Crewe (EMT)
Crewe - Preston (VT)
Preston - Blackburn (Northern)

I can find no where that indicates going directly from Crewe - Preston (lancs) is permitted on this ticket, it is NOT a valid route in the routing guide. Nor can I get a booking engine to give me a route direct between Crewe - Preston (Lancs), I can however get it to route me Crewe - Stockport - Bolton - Blackburn.

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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Which route to take? 11/05/2013 at 08:53 #44584
Sacro
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I'm not sure how you're finding these, but a cursory look suggests neither of these are 'Permitted routes'. Neither of them seem to be mapped and neither are 'shortest route or not more than 3 miles longer'.

Addition: Yeah, had a look at the maps, neither of them are valid.

For option one, I there is no permitted route from Manchester Piccadilly to Preston, and option two, there is no way of doing both Crewe and Preston.

Last edited: 11/05/2013 at 09:06 by Sacro
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Which route to take? 11/05/2013 at 16:16 #44598
pbinnersley
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431 posts
" said:
I'm not sure how you're finding these, but a cursory look suggests neither of these are 'Permitted routes'. Neither of them seem to be mapped and neither are 'shortest route or not more than 3 miles longer'.

Addition: Yeah, had a look at the maps, neither of them are valid.

For option one, I there is no permitted route from Manchester Piccadilly to Preston, and option two, there is no way of doing both Crewe and Preston.
Sacro,

I agree with your interpretation of the routing quide, but National Rail Enquires quote both routes and London Midland are prepared to sell me a ticket and reserve seats on both routes.



If the train companies can't apply the rules correctly I don't think it is reasonable to expect their customers to!

Regards,

Peter.

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Which route to take? 11/05/2013 at 17:00 #44603
postal
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5265 posts
" said:
there is no permitted route from Manchester Piccadilly to Preston
Just looked at the ATOC web-site and as far as I can see, the Routeing Guide gives the following information.

Section B

Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Group Routeing Point Member
Preston Lancs - Routeing Point

Section C

Manchester Group to Preston Lancs - permitted routes, Map NW.

Map NW in Section D shows a route from Manchester to Preston via Bolton.

Can anyone clarify?

“In life, there is always someone out there, who won’t like you, for whatever reason, don’t let the insecurities in their lives affect yours.” – Rashida Rowe
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Which route to take? 11/05/2013 at 17:08 #44604
Sacro
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1171 posts
" said:

Can anyone clarify?
Yes, we are talking about Derby Group to Blackburn Routing Point.

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