
blucher blue
Youth Team Regular
Dec 18, 2011, 2:20 PM
Posts: 210
Location: Newton, Hyde
Team(s): Stalybridge Celtic, Oldham A. Charlton
Post #6 of 180
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They're punctual when I use them but Cross Country use rolling stock that is not fit for purpose. They use 4-car Voyager sets between some of Britain's biggest cities. There is usually someone having to stand and that is on off-peak services! Having said that Trans Pennine cross Pennine route between Manchester and Leeds is served by some brand new sets which are just 3 cars each. Commuter trains on inter city routes. The three-coach thing is because the Northern and TPE franchises were let on a 'no-growth' basis . TPE is NOT and never has been, an 'Inter-City' route, even in BR days. The stock for their services is FAR better than the stuff which NR have to use; I know, I've used both. It's worth pointing out that the three-coach thing is a leftover from BR, who introduced this style in the late 80s/early 90s to replace 4-coach (by then) loco-hauled trains. It's also worth pointing out that between Liverpool and Leeds, the service was only hourly. The stopping sevices had also just about disappeared by then; now, between Manchester and Leeds, there are stopping trains hourly, change at Huddersfield, dive into The Grove , and the TPE trains run at 4 per hour.
(This post was edited by blucher blue on Dec 18, 2011, 2:28 PM)
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