From: Subject: Mid Cheshire Rail Report No.65 Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:59:38 -0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.mcrua.org.uk/mcrr63.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.5579 Mid Cheshire Rail Report No.65

MID CHESHIRE
RAIL REPORT

No.=20 63            = ;            =             S= PRING=20 2005           &nb= sp;        ON-LINE=20 EDITION

The Newsletter of the Mid-Cheshire Rail Users Association, the = Voice for=20 Users of the Manchester-Stockport-Altrincham-Knutsford-Northwich-Chester = and=20 Crewe-Hartford-Liverpool Lines.

CHRIS KIMBERLEY TO ADDRESS KNUTSFORD PUBLIC MEETING

We are pleased to inform members that Chris Kimberley, the Commercial = Director of Northern Rail, is to speak at a MCRUA public meeeting in the = Tatton=20 Room at the Knutsford Civic Centre on Wednesday 30th March at 7.45pm. = The=20 Knutsford Civic Centre is on the main A50 Toft Road adjacent to = Knutsford=20 station. The Tatton Room is at the rear of the building and has its own=20 entrance. Suitable trains are the 18.24 from Manchester Piccadilly, due = into=20 Knutsford at 19.04 and the 18.57 from Chester, due into Knutsford at = 19.37.=20 Suitable return trains are the 21.37 to Manchester Piccadilly and the = 22.04 to=20 Chester. There is a large car park adjacent to the Civic Hall, which is=20 accessible via Marcliff Grove, the first side road to the north of the = station.=20 We hope for a good turnout of members for this meeting, which will be an = opportunity to hear of Northern=92s plans for the new franchise. It will = also be=20 an opportunity for members to provide constructive suggestions for = improvements.=20

END OF THE RAIL PASSENGERS COMMITTEE FOR NORTH WESTERN ENGLAND

Those attending the meeting of the RPC for North Western England in=20 Manchester on 10th February were informed that the committee would cease = to=20 exist as from 30th June this year. The final meeting of the committee = will be on=20 Tuesday 14th June at the Mechanics Centre in Manchester, probably = starting at=20 13.30. The meeting will be held in public. The only two RPC offices to = survive=20 in England will be in London and Manchester. MCRUA very much regrets the = passing=20 of the RPC for the North West. The committee has done much good work = over the=20 years in helping rail passengers with information and compensation = claims. It=20 has also been effective in holding the rail industry to account. In = recent years=20 the work of the committee has widened to include conducting surveys and=20 producing reports on issues of interest to rail users. The fear is that = much of=20 the present work of the committee will simply not be done in the new = streamlined=20 structure. An RPC Passenger Link Manager is to be based at the RPC = office in=20 Manchester. There will also be a national network of 2,500 voluntary = passenger=20 advocates.

MANCHESTER SOUTH ENGINEERING WORK

There are to be a series of 54-hour weekend possessions at Stockport = from=20 June for further track remodelling work. This work will presumably = include the=20 promised reinstatement of three crossovers on Stockport viaduct and may = possibly=20 include the commissioning of the fifth through platform. The = reinstatement of=20 the crossover between the up (southbound) fast line and the up slow line = will=20 once again enable a failed train in platform 2 to be overtaken using = platform 1.=20 Mid-Cheshire line services will presumably only operate between = Altrincham and=20 Chester on Saturdays during these weekend possessions. MCRUA will be = pressing=20 for ticket availability on the Metrolink Altrincham line.

MCRUA AND MCCRP SPECIAL TRAINS

The MCRUA special train from Altrincham to Bath, Salisbury and = Eastleigh on=20 Saturday 14th May is booking well and at the time of writing 320 of the = 572=20 seats had been sold. Please send any bookings to John Oates (address on = the back=20 page). Booking forms are available on the MCRUA web site at = www.mcrua.org.uk. A=20 booking form is enclosed with this newsletter for the Mid Cheshire = Community=20 Rail Partnership=92s steam shuttles between Altrincham and Chester on = Sunday 1st=20 May. This year the train will start its day from Altrincham at around = 10.30 and=20 the locomotive will be ex-LMS =93Black Five=94 no. 45407 The = Lancashire=20 Fusilier, which was formerly owned by the late Paddy Smith of = Mobberley.=20 Early booking is recommended to secure a seat. Unlike last year, steam = train=20 tickets will also be valid on the five service trains in each direction = between=20 Altrincham and Chester.

NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS OF ALTRINCHAM INTERCHANGE (FoAI)

Another =93Clean Up=94 is planned for Altrincham station in the = spring. The next=20 meeting of the FoAI is on Monday 18th April at the Altrincham Baptist = Church,=20 Hale Road (opposite its junction with Oxford Road), starting at 7.30pm. = All are=20 welcome.

NEWS FROM HARTFORD AND WINSFORD

Central Trains currently has a temporary timetable in force due to = the train=20 drivers=92 union ASLEF=92s refusal to renew a Rest Day Working = agreement. This means=20 that there are some two-hour gaps in the train service from Hartford. = The=20 journey planner on the National Rail website www.nationalrail.co.uk has = been=20 updated to take account of the temporary timetable. MCRUA hopes that the = normal=20 timetable can be reinstated as soon as possible. The Central Trains = franchise is=20 to be broken up in 2006. The Birmingham-Liverpool service will probably = be taken=20 over by either Virgin Cross Country or Northern Rail. There is to be a = voluntary=20 working party at Hartford station on Saturday 12th March from 10.00. If = you are=20 interested in helping with litter picking or gardening please contact = Julia=20 Tasker on 07720-712303 (evenings). The next meeting of MCRUA=92s = Hartford and=20 Winsford Sub-Committee is at the Red Lion, 277 Chester Road, Hartford, = on Monday=20 25th April, starting at 7.45pm. All MCRUA members are welcome to = attend.

0800 NUMBER STILL AVAILABLE FOR TRAIN RUNNING INFORMATION

Despite its disappearance from pocket timetables and posters, the = former=20 First North Western freephone number for train running information,=20 0800-528-0200, is still available for the time being.

GOOD TRAIN SERVICE PERFORMANCE SINCE THE NEW TIMETABLE by MCRUA = Quality=20 Improvement Team (QIT) member, John Oates

I am writing this on 13 February. Firstly, a minor correction to my = last=20 article. The liquid sprayed on the tracks by the Rail Hail Treatment = Trains=20 (RHTTs) during the leaf fall season is, we are informed, only water, and = not the=20 originally planned very mild form of naturally-occurring acid. Apologies = to any=20 of you who may have been caught up in the spray from a passing RHTT and = thought=20 it might have been harmful! Since the revised timetable came in on 12 = December,=20 the service has run pretty well, though the first couple of weeks were = not=20 without their hiccups, not unusual when new traincrew and unit diagrams = are=20 introduced.

Piccadilly drivers have taken over many of the diagrams from Victoria = drivers, who now find themselves with replacement work taking them over = (under?)=20 the Pennines as far as Leeds via Bradford Interchange. There have been a = few=20 driver shortages due to the turnover of Piccadilly drivers being higher = than=20 over the previous 15-18 months. This has led to cover being provided by = Victoria=20 and the almost inevitable delays due to late-running taxis that we = thought we=20 had behind us. This should only be a short-term problem, though, as more = Piccadilly drivers continue to be trained on our line. Indeed, very few = taxis=20 are now used to ferry our train crew around, thank goodness, a policy = brought in=20 by Dave Hooper, the Operations Director (West) due to the consistent = inability=20 of these taxis to reliably turn up at the time booked. The new diagrams = see the=20 first few services out of Chester covered by train crew that meet up at = Victoria=20 around 4.30am and go on an empty stock movement to Chester via = Warrington Bank=20 Quay. The last traincrew at night now come back on a reverse working to = this.=20

We first see detailed figures for train running under this timetable = at the=20 next QIT meeting on 18 February (from this you can detect that the new=20 franchisee, Northern Trains (Serco / NedRail) is continuing, at least = for the=20 moment, with the line=92s QIT). Whilst we know that one of the = previously=20 consistently poor performers, the 07.51 from Piccadilly (now the 07.39) = is good,=20 excellent news since it is the most heavily used westbound service in = the=20 morning, one of the morning eastbound trains, the 06.57 from Chester, = has=20 consistently been 8-10 minutes late into Piccadilly. This appears to = have come=20 about for two reasons. Firstly, the timetable has seen the morning peak = service=20 reduced by one train, as it has been on a number of other local lines in = South=20 Manchester, in order to provide more capacity between Stockport and = Piccadilly=20 for Virgin=92s long distance services. The unfortunate effect of this is = that two=20 trains=92 worth of passengers are now concentrated on the 06.57, since = it is the=20 train that gives a reasonable pre-9am arrival into Piccadilly and = Stockport, as=20 well as Manchester via Metrolink. Secondly, this service, previously a 2 = or=20 3-car class 175 unit, is now diagrammed for a class 142 with only just = around=20 100 seats. The significant standing from Northwich onwards has led to = the train=20 being over time at most stations thereafter, causing it to arrive late = at=20 Edgeley Junction just before Stockport, missing its path.

I have pressed to have a larger unit allocated to the service, at = least a=20 class 150, but it seems that fleet is fully committed elsewhere. As a = stopgap=20 measure, Northern Trains are now crewing this service, and often the one = that=20 follows it, with two conductors rather than one, so that one = concentrates on=20 collecting the revenue on offer, which in the main prior to this was = going=20 uncollected, and the other concentrates on keeping the train on time and = collecting revenue in between. This has worked, and since this started = on Monday=20 31 January, the train has mainly been on time or even early into = Piccadilly. A=20 good result! From June, the plan is that this train will also cease to = call at=20 Heaton Chapel and Levenshulme, there being a much larger capacity train = only 4=20 minutes later, and which itself has often been delayed by our = late-running=20 train. In the longer term, we need our lost morning peak service back to = return=20 to a train every half hour. We are pressing for this, but it may take = some time.=20

A number of afternoon trains have been average, rather than good = runners,=20 especially the 14.24, 16.24 and 18.24 from Piccadilly. This has mainly = been due=20 to driver shortages at Piccadilly. This should be less of an issue from = the end=20 of March with more Piccadilly drivers trained on our line. The morning = peak=20 train that runs to Greenbank from St Anne=92s-on-Sea at 06.36 and = originally=20 starts empty from Blackpool North Carriage Sidings has its days(!!) This = forms=20 the first off-peak service back from Northwich. We (Northern Rail) are = trying to=20 find a way of forming this service by starting it from Piccadilly to = make it=20 more reliable. However, this is not as simple as it sounds, as there is=20 currently a need to maintain the number of services between Oxford Road = and=20 Stockport at that time in the morning, a need that the 06.36 satisfies = and one=20 starting from Piccadilly would not.

There seems to be some confusion at present as to whether Chester = depot=20 drivers and conductors are allowed, willing, able, (you chose the = verb!!) to=20 help out on our line when Northern are strapped for resource. With the = cessation=20 of inter-working from 12 December last, they do not now have diagrams to = work=20 class 142 units, (lucky lot!!), the staple traction for our line. There = was=20 recently an occasion where there was a unit failure in Chester and a = spare class=20 142 in the Middle Yard. The Piccadilly drivers that were at Chester did = not have=20 the route knowledge for the yard where the spare 142 was, and Arriva = Trains=20 Wales declined to lend a spare driver to get the 142 out of the yard. = The=20 consequence was a cancelled peak train on our line. Not clever, to put = it=20 mildly, and also to be discussed next Friday. There are also further = related=20 issues here, such as when frost is forecast, will Northern have to taxi = a driver=20 to Chester to start up units that are stabled there to save them = frosting up,=20 purely because although Arriva Trains Wales has drivers there, they will = not do=20 it for whatever reason. Or if a unit runs short of fuel, will it have to = be=20 dragged empty back to Manchester by another unit for refuelling, rather = than=20 going onto the depot at Chester as previously would have happened. = Hopefully, a=20 sensible solution will be found to this.

Turning to the planned replacement buses, we have had very few of = these=20 recently. Adrian Barkley, the Stations Manager Manchester South and I = have=20 revised the plan yet again (now version 5) with help from Andrew = Macfarlane, to=20 confirm the route between Altrincham and Stockport, both via Navigation = Road and=20 direct. This revised plan will be considered by the QIT next Friday and = then it=20 is expected will be adopted. As mentioned at the beginning the current=20 performance is good. We on the QIT are all working to keep it that way = and even=20 hope to improve it a little more.

COMMUNITY RAIL PARTNERSHIP REPORT by John Kitchen

Following the Christmas report Northern have now fully assumed = responsibility=20 for the network and the Mid Cheshire Line in particular. This is a major = development and the press have picked up that they are conducting a = review of=20 costs associated with the network. This was a condition of the franchise = and=20 should not be feared. The press has once again, as with the Community = Rail=20 Strategy, got hold of the story and looks very negatively at any review. = To=20 stress once again that rail costs are very high, particularly = infrastructure,=20 and any reasonable operation must review how it does business. The work = of MCRUA=20 in encouraging, lobbying and ensuring the line is valued by the = communities=20 served is vital in ensuring that our line is nurtured and maintained is = vital=20 and needed as part of the process to demonstrate to politicians that the = line is=20 valued and well used.

The Partnership has completed a great deal of work recently to assist = with=20 the transfer of responsibility from the Countryside Agency which ceases = to be a=20 funding body with effect from 31/3/05 to the North West Development = Agency.=20 Funding for the Partnership Officer has been secured in principle until = 31/3/06,=20 but the transition is far from complete at the time of writing and it is = difficult to predict how the involvement of the Development Agency will = affect=20 the Partnership. It is anticipated that there will be a greater emphasis = on=20 economic regeneration, which accords very well with the current projects = at=20 Northwich and Lostock Gralam.

A meeting has been held with Chris Kimberley - Commercial Director at = Northern at which a wide range of issues was discussed. I presented a = status=20 report on the line for their consideration; this was received as a = working=20 document and effectively forms an extended agenda for the short to = medium term.=20 The meeting was extremely cordial and a willingness to engage with and = support=20 the work of the Partnership was very evident. Various small issues were = raised=20 and settled immediately which was a very encouraging start. The = structure of the=20 new company is not complete and the former ATN and FNW offices both = still exist,=20 but there are likely to be major changes over the next few months.

The best news this edition is that work has started at Northwich = station =96=20 work on the Vale Royal side of the building is to be completed by mid = year=20 whilst the Network Rail side is scheduled to start on 28/2/05 and last = for about=20 six weeks. The work programme is ambitious =96 only the walls and roof = are sound=20 and even then the roof timbers require treating for rot!! The end result = should=20 be something that will put the station back at the heart of the = community.

DVD/VIDEO OF CAB RIDE ALONG THE MID-CHESHIRE LINE

As John Kitchen mentions in his report, a DVD/video of a cab ride in = a class=20 142 Pacer train from Chester to Manchester Piccadilly is now = available.=20 The footage was filmed last September, just after the end of the summer=20 engineering blockade at Stockport. The video has been produced by = Railfilms, who=20 are based on the Isle of Man. If you would like a copy, please send = =A310 plus=20 =A31.50 postage and packing to Telerail, 9a New Street, Carnforth, = Lancashire LA5=20 9BX, specifying if you would like a DVD or a VHS video. Orders can also = be=20 placed on the Railfilms website at www.railfilms.com.

WHAT IS TRAM TRAIN?

The Northwich Chronicle has recently been running a series of = articles=20 on this proposal, which was referred to in John Kitchen=92s report. The = first=20 thing to stress is that tram train is not about =93extending Metrolink = to=20 Northwich=94. The proposal is for a new service, which would run along = the=20 mid-Cheshire line to Altrincham and then join the Metrolink tracks to = run into=20 Manchester via Sale. The terminal point in Manchester could be G-Mex or = the=20 vehicle could be able to run along the street tracks to a terminus = nearer the=20 city centre, possibly even as far as Piccadilly Undercroft. The vehicle = would be=20 a =93heavy tram=94 and would either be diesel powered or it would be a=20 diesel/electric hybrid, which could operate off the overhead line on the = Metrolink Altrincham line.

The infrastructure changes required for the service would be minimal = and=20 would be largely limited to track and signalling alterations north of = Altrincham=20 station to enable the vehicle to transfer between the =93heavy rail=94 = and Metrolink=20 lines. There would be no question of electrifying the mid-Cheshire line = south of=20 Altrincham, which would be hugely expensive. The effect of the proposed = service=20 would be to enhance the frequency of the service on the mid-Cheshire = line and to=20 offer an alternative route into Manchester via Sale. However it must be = stressed=20 that it is very much =93early days=94 for the scheme. The scheme has the = merit of a=20 relatively modest cost but requires a full feasibility study before it = can make=20 any further progress.

NEWS FROM THE LINE

The barrow crossing between platforms 3 and 4 at Altrincham = was=20 removed in early December. There was no advance warning of the removal = of the=20 crossing, which is or was the only means of disabled access between the = booking=20 office/Metrolink platforms and the Chester-bound platform. No = alternative=20 arrangements for disabled access were made during the closure of the = crossing.=20 MCRUA tabled a question to Network Rail over the issue at the 10th = February=20 meeting of the Rail Passengers Committee for North Western England. We = deplored=20 the way that the issue had been handled. Simon Brooks, the Public = Relations=20 Manager for Network Rail in the North West, informed the meeting that = the barrow=20 crossing would be reinstated in mid-March. Network Rail have now decided = not to=20 remove the intermediate signals on platforms 13 and 14 at Manchester=20 Piccadilly but they do still intend to introduce a system whereby = trains=20 stop at only one place at each of those platforms. A trial of the = proposed=20 method of operation is to take place in the near future. An art gallery = is to be=20 created inside the former station building at Cuddington, now = privately=20 owned by MCRUA member Mrs Booth. The gallery, which will feature work by = local=20 artists, is scheduled to open before 1st May. Arriva Trains Wales has = announced=20 =A31 million worth of improvement work at Chester station. The = work will=20 include a new booking office and travel information centre, a = self=96service=20 ticket machine, a ticket barrier system (automatic ticket gates as on = some=20 Merseyrail stations), new shops and refurbished toilets. The scheme is = part of=20 the wider Chester Gateway project being led by Cheshire County Council, = which=20 aims to achieve major improvements at the station by 2008 to tie in with = Liverpool=92s year as European Capital of Culture.

SPECIAL TRAINS VIA THE MID-CHESHIRE LINE

Two special trains are due to travel along the mid-Cheshire line in = the near=20 future. On Saturday 26th February =93The High Peaks Hustler=94 operated = by=20 Pathfinder Tours will feature a pair of class 37 diesels. The train = originates=20 at Birmingham International and visits Liverpool and Buxton before = returning to=20 Birmingham via Cheadle Heath, Altrincham, Northwich, Middlewich and = Crewe. The=20 train will pass along the mid-Cheshire line in the early evening and the = provisional time at Crewe is 20.30. Further details are available on the = Pathfinder Tours information line on 01453-836538 (evenings). On = Saturday 19th=20 March a steam special is due to run along the mid-Cheshire line. = The=20 special, operated by the Railway Touring Company, is due to run from = Cleethorpes=20 to Chester and back via Sheffield, Cheadle Heath, Altrincham and = Northwich and=20 is due to be hauled by ex-LNER B1 4-6-0 no.61264. Timings for this train = will be=20 available nearer the date on www.uksteam.info.

FREIGHT NEWS

The Sunday =93hopper=94 train from Tunstead to Lostock and = Oakleigh did=20 run for the last time on 5th December (although there was a train on = Boxing Day,=20 Sunday 26th December). The first flyash train for the Northwich = Salt Mine=20 stabilisation scheme ran on Tuesday 25th January. The train consisted of = a class=20 66 locomotive and 14 MBA =93monster box=94 wagons and actually = originated from the=20 Potter Group terminal at Selby, the flyash being brought by road from = Drax Power=20 Station. The train will be running directly from Drax once the loading=20 facilities there are ready. The flyash train is initially running on = three days=20 a week but is due to run daily once traffic builds up. The loaded train = is=20 scheduled to run via Manchester Victoria and Warrington Bank Quay, where = the=20 Healey Mills driver is relieved by a Warrington man. The train is due to = arrive=20 at Oakleigh at 07.30 and the return empty train, which is often routed = via=20 Altrincham, is due to depart at 14.20. The associated brine traffic from = Oakleigh to Middlewich should be starting in May. A train of refurbished = tank=20 wagons in EWS livery had arrived at Northwich sidings by the evening of = 7th=20 February. The Lafarge stone traffic to Northenden restarted on = Wednesday=20 2nd February after a period of the train not running.

MIDDLEWICH CAMPAIGN REPORT

The Middlewich committee is pressing Cheshire County Council to form = a=20 Steering Group to progress the reopening of the Middlewich line. The = next=20 meeting of the Middlewich & West Cheshire Committee is on Tuesday = 22nd=20 February at the usual venue of the Boar=92s Head on Kinderton Street in=20 Middlewich, starting at 7.45pm. All members are welcome to attend.

METROLINK NEWS

GMPTE submitted a bid to the Department for Transport on 27th January = for =A358=20 million towards the =A3102 million cost of a scheme to upgrade Phases 1 = and 2 of=20 Metrolink (the Altrincham, Bury and Eccles lines). The =A358m would come = out of=20 the =A3520 million, which the Government has recently said is available = for=20 expenditure on public transport in Greater Manchester. The upgrade = scheme=20 includes the purchase of 8 additional vehicles for the Altrincham and = Bury=20 lines, the relaying of the track on the Bury line and the replacement of = the=20 unloved ticket machines (at a cost of =A35 million). MCRUA wishes the = PTE well=20 with this long overdue scheme. The fate of the =93Phase 3=94 expansion = scheme=20 remains in doubt. It is clear that the whole scheme for all three = extensions=20 cannot be afforded at the present time. Some Family Return fares = increased when=20 Metrolink fares last went up. Family Returns are available between any = two=20 Metrolink stations and offer substantial savings compared with buying = individual=20 tickets for adults and children. They also save time and inconvenience. = To buy a=20 family return, press the button for your destination and then =93Family = Return=94.=20 Vehicle 1003 was back in service after its mid-life refurbishment at = Wolverton=20 Works by 21st January.

FARES NEWS

Northern Rail increased its fares from 2nd January. One consequence = is that=20 the through fares between Knutsford and the Metrolink City Zone via Sale = are now=20 cheaper than the fares between Knutsford and Manchester Central Zone via = Stockport! The peak return from Knutsford to Metrolink City is =A36.40 = and the=20 peak return to Manchester Central Zone is =A36.60. The off-peak return = from=20 Knutsford to Metrolink City is =A34.15 and the off-peak return to = Manchester=20 Central Zone is =A34.40. MCRUA continues to press for fares to Metrolink = City and=20 Manchester Central Zone/Stations to be interavailable via both routes. = Serco=92s=20 involvement with both Metrolink and Northern should in theory make this = easier.=20 The GM Rail Ranger went up to =A32.70 for adults and =A31.35 for = children=20 under 16 from 2nd January. The Traincard and the = Countycard=20 tickets also went up in price but the Day Saver tickets including = travel=20 by rail did not go up. The GMPTE off-peak concessionary fare on local = rail=20 services and Metrolink is to increase from 45p to 60p from a date yet to = be=20 announced. Holders of GMPTE concessionary passes (often referred to as = =93bus=20 passes=94) are also entitled to pay the concessionary fares on local = rail and=20 Metrolink services. The GMPTE bus concessionary fare is going up to 50p = from=20 Sunday 27th February. The Midland Mainline advance purchase = Twosome=20 return fare of =A336 for two adults travelling together is still = available between=20 Manchester Piccadilly and London St Pancras. Passengers use connecting = trains=20 between Manchester Piccadilly and Sheffield. The fare does not appear to = be=20 available for return travel from London on Sundays. The website = www.qjump.co.uk=20 has been improved and now clearly indicates the availability of = different ticket=20 types on particular trains.

LOCAL RAIL NEWS

Locomotive haulage of the Blackpool North to Manchester = Victoria peak=20 hour service and its return working ceased with the end of the First = North=20 Western franchise on 10th December. The weekly = Stockport-Stalybridge=20 passenger train now departs from Stockport at 11.23 on Saturdays. The = planned=20 weekend engineering work on the Manchester-Warrington-Chester = line from=20 1st January was cancelled and the normal weekend train service is = running on=20 that line until Sunday 27th March (inclusive). The engineering work will = resume=20 from the following weekend and MCRUA has requested that Saturday trains = on the=20 mid-Cheshire line be strengthened from April to cater for the extra = passengers=20 using the line. The four trains an hour service on the Oldham = Loop is to=20 be reinstated from June. The drop-in doctor=92s surgery mentioned in a = previous=20 newsletter is to be provided at Manchester Piccadilly. Crewe = Locomotive=20 Works is to hold an Open Weekend on Saturday and Sunday 10th and = 11th=20 September. Grand Central=92s latest proposal for a = York-Manchester=20 Victoria-Chester service via the Calder Valley route is now said to be = starting=20 =96 subject to regulatory approval =96 in early 2006 and may possibly = use class 170=20 Turbostar trains. The single track bottleneck at Euxton = Junction,=20 where the line from Manchester joins the West Coast Main Line south of = Leyland,=20 is to be made double track by the end of 2005.

8E RAILWAY ASSOCIATION PROGRAMME

The 8E Railway Association continues to meet monthly at the Gladstone = Club,=20 Station Road, Northwich, which is 5 minutes=92 walk from Northwich = station.=20 Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of the month (except in July and = August)=20 at 7.45pm. Visitors are welcome and the forthcoming programme = is:
Tuesday 8th=20 March. =93The Illustrated History of the Travelling Post Office=94 by = Brian White of=20 the Nene Valley Railway.
Tuesday 12th April. Speciality Evening =96 = Members=20 Only. .
Tuesday 10th May. =93Merseyside Area Transport Topics=94 by = Harry Madden.=20 .
Tuesday 14th June. =93Early Diesels (60s and 70s) Nationwide=94 by = Chris=20 Loddington.

ALTRINCHAM WINTER LECTURE SERIES

The Altrincham Electric Railway Preservation Society is again holding = its=20 Winter Lecture Series and the venue is once again the Altrincham = Methodist=20 Church, which is on the corner of Barrington Road and Woodlands Road, = around 5=20 minutes=92 walk from Altrincham station. The start time is 7.30pm and = all of the=20 lectures will this year take place in the main hall. The remaining = programme is=20 as follows:
Friday 11th March. =93British Steam since 1968=94 by = Geoff Monks.=20 .
Friday 8th April. =93Steam around the Dolomites=94 by John Hobbs. =

Admission is =A33 (free to AERPS members) and includes free = refreshments at the=20 half-time interval. Further details are available from David Walton on=20 0161-928-4112.

MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY TRANSPORT SEMINARS

The winter programme of Transport Seminars is again taking place at=20 Manchester University. The venue is the Cordingley Lecture Theatre in = the=20 Architecture & Planning Building (to the west of Oxford Road and to = the=20 south west of the Precinct Centre) and the start time is 5.30pm on = Wednesdays.=20 All are welcome. This year=92s theme is =93Transport and the next = General Election=94=20 with the sub-heading =93If I was the Secretary of State for = Transport...=94=20 Remaining dates are: .
Wednesday 2nd March. Speaker from Friends of = the=20 Earth. =93The Community=92s Viewpoint=94. .
Wednesday 13th April. Les = Lumsdon. =93An=20 Academic=92s Viewpoint=94.

A WARM WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW MEMBERS

The following people have joined MCRUA since the previous issue of = the=20 newsletter was published: .
Mr Robert England, Hale.
Mr D J = Horsford,=20 Vicars Cross, Chester.
Mr Alistair Macleod and family, = Mobberley.
Mr John=20 Armitage, Victoria Park, Manchester.
Mr J C Nattrass, Hale

A subscription renewal request is enclosed with this newsletter = unless you=20 have already renewed for 2005.

MID-CHESHIRE LINE PEOPLE

We say farewell to Richard Peck, latterly the Managing = Director of=20 First North Western. Denise Lennox, formerly Commercial Director = of First=20 North Western, is now the Service Delivery Director of Greater = Manchester PTE.=20 We wish her well in her new job. We welcome David Godley as the = Area=20 Director of Northern Rail for Manchester and Liverpool, located in = Manchester.=20 Mr Godley takes up his new position in April. We regret to report the = sudden=20 death of Chris Ryan of Whaley Bridge on 19th January. Chris was a = long-standing activist in both Transport 2000 and the High Peak Railway=20 Passengers Association, the rail user group for the Manchester-Buxton = line. He=20 was also heavily involved in the successful campaign to save the Settle = &=20 Carlisle line from closure in the 1980s.

USEFUL PHONE NUMBERS

National Rail Enquiries - 08457 48 49 50 (24 hours a day)
The = Trainline=20 (bookings by telephone) - 08457 222 333)
Freephone number to report = crime on=20 the railway - 0800 40 50 40)
Northern Train Running Information -=20 0800-528-0200 or 0870 602 33 22)
Helpline for Manchester Piccadilly = station -=20 0845 0000 033)
GMPTE Bus, Rail and Metrolink Enquiries - 0161 228 = 7811 (08.00=20 to 20.00) )
Metrolink Enquiries - 0161 205 2000 )
Cheshire = Traveline -=20 01244 602666 (08.00 to 20.00) )
Merseyside PTE Public Transport = Enquiry Line=20 - 0151-236-7676 (08.00 to 20.00)
National Public Transport Enquiry = Line -=20 0870 608 2 608)
Rail Passengers Committee for North Western England - = 0870=20 336 6095

YOUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN AND NEWSLETTER EDITOR Andrew Macfarlane 25 = Prestbury=20 Avenue, Timperley, Altrincham WA15 8HY. Tel: 0161-928-9394 (home) = 07910-528502=20 (mobile). Email: andrew@mcrua.fsnet.co.uk.
MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY John = Allen,=20 36 Townfields, Knutsford, Cheshire WA16 8DR. Tel: 01565-632437. = .
MINUTES=20 SECRETARY - Peter Frier, 2 Hawthorn Road, Plumley, Knutsford WA16 OUH. = Tel:=20 01565-722140. .
QIT, RAILTOURS AND TREASURER - John Oates = =94Swallowfield",=20 Slade Lane, Mobberley, Knutsford Tel: 01565-873059 (home), 07860-513309 = (mobile)=20 WA16 7QN.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

David Muskett, 1 Bracken Way, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 9BU. Tel:=20 01565-651524. .
David Miller, 16 Primrose Hill, Cuddington, = Northwich,=20 Cheshire, CW8 2TZ. Tel: 01606-888093.
Arthur Sancto, 8 Roxby Way, = Knutsford,=20 Cheshire, WA16 9AX. Tel: 01565-651209. .
Nora Gleave, 35 Navigation = Road,=20 Altrincham, Cheshire, WA14 1LN. Tel: 0161-941-6204. .
Mike Honeyman, = 36=20 Navigation Road, Northwich, Cheshire, CW8 1BE, Tel:=20 01606-74920.
Middlewich & West Cheshire Sub-Committee: = Chairman:=20 Dave Roberts, 5 Whitley Close, Middlewich, CW10 0NQ. Tel: 01606-833404 = (home),=20 07900-194975 (mobile). .
Hartford & Winsford = Sub-Committee:=20 Chairman: Andrew Macfarlane (for details see above).

Membership of the association costs =A34 for individuals, =A36 for = families and=20 =A312 for corporate bodies.

If you wish to join please return the form below to MCRUA, 25 = Prestbury=20 Avenue, Timperley, Altrincham WA15 8HY. Please make cheques payable to = "Mid=20 Cheshire Rail Users Association".

Please send any renewals to John Allen, 36 Townfields, Knutsford, = Cheshire=20 WA16 8DR.

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