I'll warn you in advance that, apart from the Chapeltown into town 'shuttle', I've not been on a train for 20 years, and some of my questions will be fundamental not to mention a little stoopid!

Myself and 3 others have got to go to Manchester for 3 weeks on a course. We went by car a few weeks ago via Woodhead, and experienced the usual 45 minute hold-up at Tintwistle & Hollingworth. Basically I don't fancy that for 3 weeks! We've got to be in Manchester, very near Oxford Road Station, by 9:30 each day, and will leave at approx. 5:00-5:30. We left at 4:30 last time, so I imagine that the traffic will be even worse later on.

So the questions...

What are the journeys like at these times ie. to Manchester at 8:30ish and back at 5:30ish. They're never so busy that you won't get on are they?...and less importantly will we get seats?

Do you just go to the ticket office at Sheffield station and ask for a return to Manchester? Although this will be on expenses, is there a cheaper way of doing it? eg. Buying all the tckets in advance, or some sort of season ticket?

Do you buy the ticket for a particular operator, eg. Central Trains or Transpennine Express, or can you use any operator using the same ticket? And along the same lines, hopefully we would use Oxford Road Station, but could we use Piccadilly Station instead if we were early/late, and a Piccadily train was more convenient?

I may think of some more questions later, but cheers for now.

Usually the trains are busy...but you can get on weather or not you always get a seat is another matter. Journey time is 1 hour.
departures at 0805 (Man Pic) )842 (Man Ox Rd) 0910 (Man Pic)

A ticket allows u to travel on either cENTRAL OR tRANSPENNINE YOU DONT HAVE TO STICK TO a specific company unless you have an advance purchase cheap ticket.

You'd probably be best getting a season ticket,not sure if they do them for a week at a time on this route tho.

If not u can just buy before you board.

Miaow

It takes just under an hour to get to Manchester. There is the 08:05 Transpennine Express which goes to Manchester Piccadilly then on to Manchester Airport - this one doesn't go through Oxford Road so you will need to change at Piccadilly. It is also the main commuter train to Manchester so will always be busy, but I've never had to stand.

The next one is the 08:42, which is a Central Trains one to Liverpool and this does stop at Oxford Road. This is slightly less busy.

I don't know about season tickets, but when I go I use the fast-ticket machine in the station concourse and a Saver Return is about £20.00. This ticket will let you travel by any train as long as it goes through Stockport (which they all do).

As for returns, the Central Trains service returning from Liverpool are every hour and run from Oxford Road at (roughly) half past the hour - I always get trains from Piccadiily so I don't know times! There is also the returning TransPennine Express at 20 past the hour but again this is from Piccadilly not Oxford Road.

There are frequent connections to and from Piccadilly/Oxford Road so it shouldn't be too much hassle and it won't be more expensive as you buy tickets for 'Manchester Stations' which is includes both Piccadilly and Oxford Road.

The trains back at 17:20 (TransPennine Express) and 17:42 (Central Trains) are always very very busy, I have had to stand many many times on these ones.

There are also local stopping services between Sheffield and Manchester but avoid these like the plague as they take days. The trains I mention only stop at Stockport, sometimes Chinley and sometimes Dore.

Hope this helps

Sean

Thanks dudes!

I thinks that's answered everything.

Everything except the fact that you can actually reserve seats? Usually free on a busy service too, otherwise it's something ridiculously cheap like a pound :thumbsup:

Originally posted by Strix
Everything except the fact that you can actually reserve seats? Usually free on a busy service too, otherwise it's something ridiculously cheap like a pound :thumbsup:

That's a good point Strix - although I gave up reservinf seats on the morning ones ages ago as either a) they didn't bother putting the little tickets on the seats or b) you end up playing musical seats as someone is sitting in my seat because someone is seating in their seat because someone is sitting in their seat because someone is sitting in their seat becuase someone is sitting in their seat.........

I was on a train once (not to Manchester) and I watched as the train manager moved no less than 25 people because one person had kicked off when they found someone in their seat. Madness. I had a whole new respect for Virgin Trains staff after this as the train manager dealt with it excellently, never got flustered and it ended up with everyone happy. I tried to find one of the little customer feedback leaflets they usually have to point out how well he'd dealt with it but couldn't. So on the off chance that this person (who's name was Martin I think) is a member of SF and reads this, I salute you. Top job all round son.

Train fares from Sheffield to Manchester Piccadilly/Oxford Rd:

Any operator: www.nationalrail.co.uk

Standard Day Return £14.80
Standard Open Return £15.90
Cheap Day Return £12.80 (valid after 09:30am)
Saver Return £14.60 (valid after 09:30am)
Standard Class 7 Day Season pass £58.40
Standard Class Month Season pass £224.30

First Transpennine Express only (www.tpexpress.co.uk)

Super Advance Return £12.40 (book by 6pm day before)
First Class Open Return £30.00
First Class 7 Day Season pass £87.60
First Class Month Season pass £336.40

Central Trains only (www.centraltrains.co.uk)

Central Value 7 day advance Return £9.00
Central Value 3 day advance Return £12.00
Central Value 1 day advance Return £14.00

Note all the advance fares require seats to be booked for a specific time and you must travel on the train you book. The number of seats on each train at the advance price is limited and some busier trains may not offer any at this price.

If you're going to Oxford Road and can't get a direct train, you don't need to wait for a train from Piccadilly. Piccadilly to Oxford Road is about five minutes on foot, so you could just get a train to Piccadilly and walk from there. :)

Just to say, the Saver Return is valid for trains arriving INTO Manchester after 0930, so it's valid on the 0842 Central service from Sheffield. The 0805 is a Standard Day or Standard Open.

Can you all stop being so helpful!!!

One last question, for which I'll thank you in advance...

The 2 trains that we're most likely to catch back in to Sheffield are due to arrive 3 mins and 5 mins after my train to Chapeltown is due to leave. Do the Manchester trains arrive back bang on time (or indeed a bit late), or is there any chance I might just make it in time?

Cheers!

If it's any use, when I commuted to M'cr I used to park at Dore station and get the train there.

Generally they do arrive on time..but it's the age old thing..how longs a piece of string...just depends if anything goes wrong on that day.

It is worth noting that the published ,and the official minimum, time you should allow for changing/connections a recommended by network rail at Sheffield is 7 minutes...anything less is not considered ample time to catch a connection.

I'm afraid that as of tonight there's a pretty dreadful 'signalling problem' affecting Manchester Picadilly station.

Hubby set off by train this afternoon to get to the airport, and sat about on the train before Picadilly for over 2 hours, thus missing his flight and necessitating a dash cross country from Manchester to catch an alternative flight at 5.00 tomorrow morning (all at British Rail's expense).

Crossed fingers that this works, 'cos I think he'll deck the next person who tells him any bad news!

While your comment. 'I'll think he'll deck the next person who tells him bad news' was probably tongue in cheek..this is typical of the way rail staff are teated. The person telling him the bad news has no control over things like signalling problems yet bore the brunt of abuse both physically and verbally from customers and while your husband missed his flight I note that he was found an alternative and as you say at the rail companies expense.Somebody somewhere obviously assisted him and helped him in what were obviously frustrating circumstances for him.