Improvements You'd Like To See

[angrycommuter]

I would like to see more electrification of routes in and around West Yorkshire and also into Sheffield. The growth in users on the Airedale and Wharfdale lines clearly proves that investing in a quality service brings in the passengers. The routes that should be electrified are the York-Leeds-Hudds-Manchester Transpennine route, the Leeds-Wakefield Westgate-Sheffield and Leeds-Castleford-Barnsley-Sheffield routes and also the circular Leeds-Bradford-Halifax-Hudds-Wakefield route. These route would see substanitial growth and take many cars off the roads.

I would also re-open the Spen Valley line from Bradford/Halifax/Leeds through Cleckheaton and Heckmondwike to Mirfield/Huddersfield and Thornhill/Wakefield. The line would povide a quick link from Wakefield to Bradford/Halifax and also provide the population of the ever expanding Spen Valley with links to the major towns of West Yorkshire.

[jackh]

Well what about the cyclists and walkers along the Spen Valley Greenway!!!

[LukePA]

I think the following (not all in WY but most are some SY):



The current Lincoln to Scunthorpe service extended to Cleethorpes

The Sheffield to Adwick services extended to Leeds

The Wakefield Kirkgate to Knottingley service extended to Sheffield and Leeds

The Leeds to Manchester Victoria extended to Blackpool South

The Cleethorpes to Manchester Airport to miss out the airport and from Manchester Piccadilly to operate to Blackpool therefore bringing new opportunities from places such as Doncaster and Sheffield with a direct train service.

The current Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield stopping service extended to Doncaster. Stopping at Meadowhall, Rotherham Central, Swinton, Mexborough, Conisbrough and Doncaster.

The current Sheffield to York via Pontefract service to run to an improved timetable maybe hourly or 2 hourly?

What do you think of these proposals?

[humberside]

I dont think there would be demand to extend the Lincoln-Sheffield-Doncaster-Scunthorpe service to Cleethorpes

And withdrawing the Cleethorpes/Doncaster/Sheffield-Manchester Airport link would not go down well at all

More services to Pontefract Baghill is a good idea though

[hfx]

I'd certainly want to see improvements to TPX Trains heading into Manchester Picadally, from Leeds Dewsbury and Huddersfield. They seem to operate even slower the more closer they get to that station. A lot of time is wasted due to this.

[jackh]

That section of track is busy don't forget with stopper trains so there has to clearence between each train.

[dougie]

Just have to chuckle as sTHINGYthorpe! OK, I know what it means, but...

Anyhow, improvements? Bear with me...

How's about replacing the Sheffield - Adwick service with a Sheffield - Doncaster service, and a doubling of the Doncaster - Adwick - Leeds stoppers? Maybe even extending them to Bradford or Skipton, to give these places a link to the ECML avoiding a change at Leeds.

To fit this in at the Leeds end, downgrade the Sheffield - Swinton - Leeds stopper to every two hours, and increase the Sheffield - Swinton - York stopper to every two hours (retaining the hourly service to Bolton on Dearne etc).

The bi-hourly service to York could mean downgrading the Leeds - York stoppers to every two hours (as the Sheffield service stops at Ulleskelf and Church Fenton), so improve the Selby stoppers to three every two hours (retaining the existing half hourly service from Leeds to Garforth etc).

It'd mean a slight increase in trains, but would avoid certain conflicting movements, and give a better service to some places.

[Craig]

The current Doncaster to Leeds stopping service is going to be extended through to Bradford F Square anyway, don't know the start date though.

Cutting the Sheffield-Moorthorpe-Leeds services is probably fine during off peak hours and lets face it the Sheffield-Moorthorpe-York could do with a few more trains! I would definitely leave the Leeds-York hourly stopper alone though, this is very well used from whenever I've been on it.

[Burnside]

One thing i'd do is reinstate the line through Ripon to the ECML, Ilkley to Skipton line, Skipton to Colne and Burley/Menston to Arthington via Otley and build a cross Bradford link to widen the range of destinations the airedale and wharfedale lines serve. Carlisle to York via Harrogate, Manchester to Newcastle via Bradford, Leeds to Blackpool via Otley, Ilkley and Skipton and so on

[dougie]

leeds23 said:

The current Doncaster to Leeds stopping service is going to be extended through to Bradford F Square anyway, don't know the start date though.

Didn't know that, cheers!

leeds23 said:

I would definitely leave the Leeds-York hourly stopper alone though, this is very well used from whenever I've been on it.

Fair enough. I only really suggested withdrawing it as a more frequent Sheffield - Pontefract - York service would cover certain stations, and I've been on late running Voyagers stuck behind the stopping service on that section. Still, there'll be late running Voyagers regardless of what happens to other services...

[LukePA]

When will the Doncaster - Leeds stopping service be extended to Bradford F square then??

[humberside]

Could the 321's cover all Doncaster-Bradford trains or would this mean 333's to Doncaster?

[Burnside]

Could be that extra 333's are ordered for this and the planned stations at Kirkstall and Apperley Bridge which apparently would require extra stock cos each journey would take longer, or it could be that extra 321's are aquired when the silverlink units which will pass to London Midland(?) are replaced by new units and become surplus to requirements

[dougie]

tjbantam said:

Could be that extra 333's are ordered for this and the planned stations at Kirkstall and Apperley Bridge which apparently would require extra stock cos each journey would take longer, or it could be that extra 321's are aquired when the silverlink units which will pass to London Midland(?) are replaced by new units and become surplus to requirements

Talking of which, do we know what the stopping pattern at Kirkstall is to be? (used to live not too far away)? Everything, or only one of the three routes (Ilkley/ Skipton / Bradford)?

[Burnside]

From what i've heard, just the Leeds to Forster Square trains will call atKirkstall and Apperley Bridge. Ilkley and Skipton trains will still run non stop.

[humberside]

I'm not sure if Siemens still produce the Class 333's - think they may have moved onto Desiro's now. No doubt West Yorkshire will have to wait for cast off Class 321's

[dougie]

tjbantam said:

From what i've heard, just the Leeds to Forster Square trains will call atKirkstall and Apperley Bridge. Ilkley and Skipton trains will still run non stop.

Cheers. From memory the Bradford trains were the quietest of the three half hourly routes that use the line.

Guess it's too much to expect them to build a loop for trains stopping at the platforms? Will slow down the other services otherwise (similar to the problems at places like Edinburgh Park where they build a new station for the "slow" trains, but with no "passing" facility the "fast" trains get held up...

[jackh]

humberside said:

I'm not sure if Siemens still produce the Class 333's - think they may have moved onto Desiro's now. No doubt West Yorkshire will have to wait for cast off Class 321's

I think the new London Midland company will be disposing of their 321s in the not so near future.
www.londonmidland.com/doc/plans.html

[6u3zr]

Apperley Bridge station is long overdue and I'm delighted to see that the plan seems to be coming to fruition.

I'd estimate a catchment area of maybe 40,000 people of whom maybe 25% are potential Leeds commuters so I'd be very surprised if it is'nt viable.

My question - I assume that the station will be rebuilt on the site of the old one (under the Greengates-Rawdon road bridge) but there is very little scope for a car park there.

An enhanced bus service (the road is currently served by Bradford's 747) might be an interim answer but surely to ensure patronage from areas such as Yeadon and Thackley a substantial car park adjacent to the station is a necessity.

Any ideas?

[riclam]

Well what about the cyclists and walkers along the Spen Valley Greenway!!!

haha, they can manage without that surely!! it would be good to reopen thst route, opens al kinds of possibilities as far as services are concerned! e.g. direct bradford-wakefield service

[Russ]

I'd like to see a new footbridge located on Cross Gates station. I know theres the road bridge, but its a long way round with a heavy bag or if your elderly

[Deleted]

Retain current frequencies, but:

Bradford-Shipley-Ilkley/Skipton line:
Sundays to commence at 08:39 to Ilkley
also to commence 09:39, etc to Keighley
to give a 2-per hour service on Sundays Bradford-Shipley

Bradford-Huddersfield and Huddersfield-Manchester Victoria
link these together to form
Bradford-Huddersfield-Manchester Victoria
as an alternative to the Rochdale route

Leeds-Lancaster-Morecambe
re-time 30 mins earlier ? to connect with the Lancaster-Windermere trains (currently only one a day in each direction does the 13:49)

[riclam]

the re-opening of the wortley curve would be brilliant, allows bradford - london kings cross trains to go direct to london, not calling at leeds, this would open many doors. Also a cross bradford rail link though this will never happen. an underground railway was talked about during the design stages of the interchange!!

[samba]

would be good to see if they could ever get a link to leeds bradford airport would mean easier access for travel to leeds and would be better for tourism

[samba]

think they need to improve wakefield kirkgate is there something instore for this station?