Hi, I'm moving to Sheffield soon.

I work in Manchester and want to know what it is like to get there on a daily basis.

Is it ok?????


Or should I find another job in Sheffield???


We are looking at moving to the Crookes area. Would this be advisable for the commute????

Are you planning on commuting by car or train?

By car you should easily be able to reach the Woodhead Pass from Crookes, but I'm sure you are aware what that road is like, and the traffic on the other side.

By public transport you would be looking at getting yourself on the bus down to the train station then onto the train. Obviously you will need to allow for traffic on the bus into town.

The train service is pretty good - Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly takes about 50 minutes and runs every 30 minutes, however can get a bit crowded at peak times, although new trains with extra carriages are promised for next year.

Here are some websites to look at.
www.firstgroup.com/tpexpress
www.nationalrail.co.uk
www.sypte.co.uk
www.journeydirect.info
www.streetmap.co.uk

You're the right side of town to head off over the Snake, less so if you want to go over Woodhead.

Do a dry run one morning, I'm guessing it will be a mare!

crookes ok straight on to a57 at crosspool takes you straight up to snake pass but then you hit traffic at mottram which in peak times is a nitemare regular trains to manchester if you are prepared to stand up all the way as first transpennie and central dont have enough carriages for the amount of people that travel between these two citys

Thanks Andy

I always usually go via snakes pass but once you get to Glossop it becomes a car park. Then theres the M67 (enough said)

So are the trains are ok???

Whats the cost??



Which way does everyone go in Winter when Snakes pass is closed due to bad weather?? How does this affect traffic.

a day return is around £12.50 use to get this ticket when working in manchester but if you are doing it everyday it would be wise and cheaper to get a weekly season ticket which gives a little saving of about £12.00 but you would need to get a photo card aswell for it

With the mild winters we seem to get now the Snake should be passable. Boxing day there was a few inches of snow on them thar hills, but the roads were fine.

B

My sister commuted to Manchester by car from south Sheffield for a year and eventually it drove her potty.

She generally used the Snake, but went M1, M62 when the weather was/looked like it was going to be bad.

So what do you think would be the best way in the long run??

I've had a look at the West One appartments and think that walking down to the station would be the best bet.

It takes me about 2 1/4 hrs to get to work on a Monday morning (driving - Snakes Pass) - does traffic get better later on in the week as ive always done it on a Monday after a weekend up there.

depends on time of day you travel traffic over snake is fairly busy but plus side of snake is not many hgvs go that way you mainly end up stuck behind them on woodhead all the way to mottram +m67 also the the 6.10 6.20 trains to manchester are farily quiet its the ones after these that are the worst same between 4 7pm coming back also you are there within a hour

Ginner - Any info / tips you have would be very much appreciated.

Commuting from Sheffield to Manchester is a nightmare. I used to do it three times a week and just got another job in the end. I now only travel over once every two or three weeks.

The trouble is that you have two big, prosperous cities connected by nothing more than a country lane. Even the road from Sheffield to Worksop is better.

You either have to suffer lorries trundling across the Woodhead at 30mph or dawdlers looking at the reservoirs on the Snake. Either way you hit the evil Mottram bottleneck at the end. There is a by-pass planned but support is only 50/50 and could still be blocked.

Looks like an early train for me then.

Suppose if I start early I can finish early.


Does anyone know how much the weekly / monthly passes are???

My boyfriend works in south Manchester and commutes in from West One every day...

He could tell you anything you wanted to know about the route... he's done it that often

He also used the trains for the first few months so he knows times, prices and, more important, reliability.

He'd be happy to help a fellow commuter...

i was told by a conduter for a weekly pass it would be about £54.00 but it was valid for seven days

I commuted from Walkley via Dore station to M'cr for a year and the difference between that and commuting by car to Rotherham was incredible. The only downside is the cost of books to while away a pleasant journey through quite pleasant countryside.

Parking at Dore station is quite good and free.

Originally posted by max
I commuted from Walkley via Dore station to M'cr for a year and the difference between that and commuting by car to Rotherham was incredible. The only downside is the cost of books to while away a pleasant journey through quite pleasant countryside.

Parking at Dore station is quite good and free.

That's interesting to know as I will be doing for a short period soon too. Only until I find somewhere to live back in cheshire that is! I hate commuting and miss the place tbh.

Originally posted by lynsey
My boyfriend works in south Manchester and commutes in from West One every day...

He could tell you anything you wanted to know about the route... he's done it that often

He also used the trains for the first few months so he knows times, prices and, more important, reliability.

He'd be happy to help a fellow commuter...

There you are... why don't you car-share and save the planet at the same time? Sorted.

I've always found the train journey from Sheffield to Manchester equally frustrating. Do they still have the slow multiple unit trains running that journey?

I work from home but go to the office in Manchester once or twice per week via the Snake. I leave home at 8:15am in Lodge Moor and get to the office usually about 9:30 but this can vary. The office is on Princess Parkway near the M66 but moving near to the airport next week. There's a short cut to avoid Mottram Moor that involves turning left at the lights just past the Dinting (railway) Viaduct, up to Charlesworth and then down to Broadbottom and up the other side to Hattersley. Bit round the houses but it avoids the 20 minute queue up the hill. I find the M67 ok but the M66 from Bredbury to M56 turn off for airport is always slow.
I find the journey ok but I don't have to be in for a set time. If I had to be there for 8:30am in would probably be a lot worse.

I've commuted from the west side of Sheffield, to South Manchester for the past 2.5 years.

Used to go on the train. I found the train services were generally on-time, and providing you get on at Sheffield you should nearly always get a seat. The services run every half hour. The reason I stopped going by train was because I got fed up waiting for buses either side, rather than the trains. For me it was cheaper to use my Young Persons Rail Card everyday rather than buy a weekly or a monthly ticket (which I made the mistake of doing at first). I get off at Stockport, rather than central Manchester, since I work in South Manc.

Now I drive, which works out quicker. Depending on whether the kids are at school (it makes a big difference on traffic), it takes between 1 and 2 hours for me to get to/from work. During the school holidays, usually just over an hour. Outside of that it varies from 1 hour 15 mins to 2 hours. I usually set off at 6:45-7am now and get into work around 8-8:15am. This is going via the A6 (A57 out of Sheff, turn left at Ladybower, through Bamford, Hope, Castleton, onto the A6 into South Manc). Flexible starting times are very useful. On odd occassions I have set off at around 8am and got into work for 9:30.

I do sometimes go via the snake and bypass the traffic around Glossop, then onto the motorway. The two routes are pretty similar for me - the latter drops me off the motorway right next to my place of work. If its snowing, I get the train.

Either way, travelling from Crookes should be ok since you are close to the A57 which is the key to getting out of the west side of Sheff.

I would recommend going via Castleton, Chapel and then going on the A6 if you going to Central/ South Manchester. There's no real bottlenecks that way.

When I go via snakes pass it's not too bad, it's only when you get to Glossop Caravans and up the hill there where you get stuck in the car park. Then theres the end of the M67.

So where is this short cut via A6??? Where do I turn off when getting to the end of Snakes.


I think I may get on the Train on Monday and Tuesdays and drive the rest of the week.

How does this sound????

Train fares:

All tickets include the option of a reserved seat if purchased in advance for express services.

Standard Class seats:

Standard Day return (before 09:30) £14.70

Cheap Day Return (after 09:30) £12.80 *
Central Value Return (off peak, book 7 days advance) £9.00 *

Standard class 7 day season ticket £58.10
Standard class Month season ticket £223.20
Standard class 3 Month season ticket £669.40
Standard class Annual season ticket £2324.00

First Class seats (Transpennine Express trains only):
First class includes complimentary refreshments, a comfier seat in the first class saloon, and a socket for charging laptops and mobile phones.

First Open Return £29.20
First class 7 day season ticket £87.20
First class Month season ticket £334.90
First class 3 Month season ticket £1004.60
First class Annual season ticket £3488.00

* - these off peak tickets are probably not relevant for you as a commuter, unless you work funny hours like 11-7!

Originally posted by neil26
When I go via snakes pass it's not too bad, it's only when you get to Glossop Caravans and up the hill there where you get stuck in the car park. Then theres the end of the M67.

So where is this short cut via A6??? Where do I turn off when getting to the end of Snakes.


I think I may get on the Train on Monday and Tuesdays and drive the rest of the week.

How does this sound????

Just drive out to castleton down ecceleshall road (1 road) through it, up winnets pass (v.steep), turn left at top, right at next junction (at sparrowpit), right at roundabout and your practicaly on the A6. Keep going straight into stockport. Its WAY quicker than Snakes pass.