DECEMBER 2008 TIMETABLE CHANGES
13th October 2008

As a result of the additional Virgin West Coast Manchester-London service each hour via Wilmslow and Crewe, the timetable for services along the Crewe-Manchester line will change significantly in December 2008.  A summary of the changes and how they affect each station for Monday-Friday services is outlined below.

Crewe

Crewe will retain its hourly local stopping service to Manchester via Stockport and hourly service to Manchester via the Airport.  On Sundays there will no longer be a direct service to the Airport - however, a connecting service will be available at Wilmslow, and journey times will remain roughly the same as at present.  In terms of longer-distance services, Crewe will retain the Arriva Trains Wales services to South Wales.  It will have two Virgin trains services an hour to London, and a slower London Midlands service to London which calls at intermediate stations in the Trent Valley.  The station will however no longer be served by Virgin trains between London and Liverpool, nor by Virgin trains between London and Glasgow.  However, it will be served by hourly trains between Birmingham and Glasgow/Edinburgh.

Sandbach

In the early morning peak, Sandbach will gain a service to the airport, departing 06:40am.  However, the 07:50am service to Manchester via the Airport will not operate.  In the off-peak, northbound services via the Airport will see their journey times into Manchester extended by 10 minutes.  The intervals between this service and the hourly service to Manchester via Stockport will also be less convenient, with gaps of 43 minutes between the two services.  Off-peak southbound services will retain a similar service pattern to what exists at present.  Sandbach will no longer be served by direct services to the Airport on Sundays.

Holmes Chapel

As above with Sandbach, Holmes Chapel gains an early morning service to the airport, but loses one morning peak service to the airport.  Like Sandbach it also sees a lengthening of journey times on the service to Manchester via the Airport, but with southbound services via the airport remaining similar to at present.  Holmes Chapel will no longer be served by direct services to the Airport on Sundays.

Goostrey

Goostrey will have a basic hourly service to Crewe and Manchester throughout the day, which in the off-peak, is the same as at present.  However, there will be a reduction in morning and evening peak services serving the station.  In the new timetable, morning peak services to Manchester operate at 06:05, 07:03, 07:45, 08:45, 09:05 and 10:05 and evening peak services from Manchester operate at 15:04, 16:04, 17:03 and 18:04.  On a more positive note, Goostrey will have a service every 2 hours between Crewe and Manchester via Stockport on Sundays.

Chelford

As above with Goostrey, Chelford sees a reduction in peak services.  Morning peak services to Manchester are expected to operate at 06:09, 07:08, 07:51, 08:50, 09:09 and 10:09.  Evening peak services are expected to operate from Manchester at 15:04, 16:04, 17:03 and 18:04.  As with Goostrey, Chelford will have a service every 2 hours between Crewe and Manchester via Stockport on Sundays.

Alderley Edge

Alderley Edge will benefit from a much improved time interval between the two services an hour southbound from Manchester via Stockport.  A good interval between northbound services to Manchester via Stockport will also be maintained.  As with Holmes Chapel and Sandbach, the service via the Airport to Manchester will see lengthened journey times, though the southbound service from Manchester via the Airport will retain similar journey times to those at present.

Wilmslow

Wilmslow will benefit from an hourly service to London via Crewe - this also provides an additional express service to Crewe, Stockport and Manchester.  As with Alderley Edge, the southbound pattern of local services from Manchester via Stockport is improved, whilst journey times to Manchester via the Airport service are lengthened.

Styal

Styal will see improvement in its service provision, enabling commuter journeys to both Manchester and Crewe.  Northbound services to Manchester will call at 07:59, 15:59 and 17:59, and southbound services to Crewe via Wilmslow will call at 08:18, 13:18 and 18:18.

Handforth

As with Alderley Edge and Wilmslow, Handforth will benefit from an improved time interval between southbound services from Manchester and Stockport. 

Cheadle Hulme

Cheadle Hulme will benefit from an hourly local service to Stoke-on-Trent via Macclesfield.  As with Handforth, Wilmslow and Alderley Edge, it will also benefit from improved time intervals between southbound services from Manchester and Stockport.

The Community Rail Partnership welcomes the positive changes that the new timetable brings.  In terms of the negative changes, the Partnership will work closely with Northern Rail and other stakeholders on trying to overcome them and maintaining the best service possible.

Click here to see the new timetable