A recent tradition of mine in recent years has been to get as far away from London and all the New Year nonsense as I possibly can. This year I thought I would make it part of the quest rather than go sightseeing. I thought I would do a trip to the North, covering Greater Manchester and its environs on the first day, then head to York, ready to cover some more of Yorkshire on the following day, which was New Year's Eve itself. A roundabout route home would then be taken to try to scoop up another line or two.
So 'twas on Saturday 30 December I was heading to Manchester on a Pendolino, quite early in the morning and quite tired. I could have done with a more restful day at home to be honest, but I'm underway now. I've done little planning too, the majority of the routes today being at least an hourly frequency, so there should be little waiting around. At Piccadilly I buy a day ticket for the trains and trams - a bargain at £3.50 - and make my second journey of the day, on the remains of the infamous Woodhead line, by means of a three coach class 323 EMU.
The Woodhead was an early bit of mainline electrification linking Manchester and Sheffield. Using overhead wiring at a different voltage to that we use today, the line was refurbished in the early 1960s. The Woodhead tunnel under the Pennines was rebuilt to allow for the new height that wiring needed. Then...Beeching. The line was closed to passengers in 1966. So a programme of rationalisation, designed to save money, abandons infrastructre that was not just refrubsihed, but REBUILT, just five years earlier. The same stupid economics that saw the last steam locomotive coming off the line in 1960 and being finished with within 10 years. Can't help but smell conspiracy here. The line was kept open for freight until 1981, when the wires were taken down and the locomotive fleet sold to the Netherlands. Passengers ended up having to change at Huddersfield or use slower lines via Edale and Hazel Grove. None of these are true alternatives. Now the tunnels carry cables under the Pennines. Which makes it just that bit more expensive to open when periodically, someone suggests it to increase rail capacity in the North of England.
The wires were put back using the current voltage system in the early 1990s, but the line only goes to Glossop now, after reversing into Hadfield then out again, this being at the end of a stub of another line that was largely closed. Both these places were used as locations for the comedy, "The League of Gentlemen," and I spot the job centre where Pauline did her stuff before we return to Manchester. There are a couple of camp gents on the train mocking the Cheshire set pretensions that someone of their acquaintance is claiming. Aside from this I notice that you can still see the old style electricification masts in place. Modern masts tend to span one track only. These ones are much wider than the existing two tracks, suggesting that there were four tracks here once.
I get off at Guide Bridge, a junction of various lines. This is not a nice place. Outside there is a rather stark church and slightly down at heel shopping street. The station has been burnt out and is being refurbished. There is a Network Rail depot just beyond the station. Rows of broken and rusting tracks and sad remanents of better times in the form of old signalling cable brackets occupoy a huge amount of space behind the up platform. There is a sense of loss about this place that leaves me almost aching with nostalgia for a time and place I never knew. The fact that I am the only one person waiting for a connection makes me feel faintly uneasy.
Nevertheless it's not long before a two coach Pacer grates round the corner from Manchester. This conveys me past Romiley where another line from the city joins us, past an aqueduct which is part of a new park, then we spur off the line on to a short branch terminating in Rose Hill Marple. This appears to be a small Cheshire town. In an unusual move, I walk to the other station - plain old "Marple," which easily allows me to cover the next line without having to wait for a train back from Rose Hill. This is where the line that I branched off from earlier continues to. It then joins up with the Trans Pennine line from Manchester that heads through Edale to Sheffield. Aside from the stretch between Marple and Chinley, I've completed the rest of the line and will finish that section at on a later date.
So another Pacer takes me back to Manchester, this time via Reddish, a much busier route than the one via Guide Bridge, which cheers me slightly. The light is already fading on this most late of days as I embark on the next stage. At Piccadilly I go down into the Metrolink and take an Old Trafford-bound tram across the city to Victoria station. It is absolutely rammed with Man U fans off to the ground.
Then it's off up the Rochdale line on a two coach Sprinter to Hebden Bridge, my first foray into Yorkshire today. I've been here before, during the Settle-Carlisle trip. It was dark on that occasion, so it's nice to be able to appreciate this well preserved station, carefully painted in old BR London Midland colours. A couple of years ago, Hebden Bridge was voted the best place to live in the UK. Sadly I don't have a chance to investigate properly, as the town is some distance away. I have to return back down the line. This time it's a two coach 158 and runs fast to Rochdale, which is handy. Then I climb on a three coach Pacer which takes me round the Oldham loop back to Manchester Victoria. This is due to be converted to light rail and become part of the Metrolink, evidence of which can be seen in some new stations and electrical plant already appearing. I notice the latter is surrounded by feet of razor wire to keep the vandals out. I have a small doze on the return train. There's nothing to see as it's now dark, so I'm not missing anything. It's a strange feeling that it's the penultimate day of the year. It just feels like any other weekend.
It may be dark, but there's more to do yet. Next leg is Victoria to Stalybridge. This is another line due to be added to the Metro, though not converted, it being part of one of the trans-Pennine routes. It's crammed with shoppers leaving the city, and the train terminates at Stalybridge, where I make a wonderful discovery. On the down platform is a real ale pub, that's been in the station buildings for over a century. It's full of railway memrobilia, has several different beers on, and the epitome of the welcoming buxom Northern barmaid, straight out of a personal fantasy! I enjoy a couple of drinks before heading back on a class 185 to Piccadilly, taking in the other route back to the city. There I get on a 323 EMU to the Aiport.
I have a quick look around, then get on a Trans-Pennine 185 to York. Annoyingly I have to retrace my steps past Piccailly and Stalybridge. Not long after we're over the border into Yorkshire and make stops at Huddersfield, Dewsbury and Leeds before I reach my resting place for the night, York. I practically walk a circuit of the city to find my hotel. There's no food on there but luckily there is a Wetherspoons next door with plenty of room and still serving. Can't remember anything other than waking up to find I have a view of the gently flooded Ouse under overcast skies.
Today is the last day of the year and it's a Sunday. I have a heavy heart on both counts; I loathe the New Year hysteria and the trains are always so poor on Sundays. I know that despite my best efforts I will get little covered today. I am chiefly looking forward to the daft Cross Country trip that will end the day. So I head to the castle-like city station, and head down to Huddersfield on a 185, packed as ever, even on this day.
Huddersfield is another grand station, four tracks running through the centre and several bay platforms under a magnificent arched overall roof. Each end of the station building houses a real ale bar - both in the CAMRA guide! - though today neither are open sadly. Never mind. My carriage is gently chugging on the far bay platform, a two coach Pacer to take me along the Penistone line to Sheffield. This is another fairly scenic line, and is regarded as the replacement for the Woodhead Line, even though it requires something of a detour. I spy a narrow guage railway at a stop called Shelley that will merit further investigation at some future time. The train sadly fills up with some of the more obnoxious youths on offer, most of them getting off at Meadowhall, the new giant shopping centre.
Another trip to Sheffield without seeing the city! I begin my return to York. I take it slowly because I've got ages until my train down south. It's a four coach Voyager to Doncaster, then an HST to York. The Voyager was actually going from Doncaster to Wakefield and Leeds before going to York, an astonishly long way round - presumably it doesn't always take this route! At Doncaster I overhear, with a mixture of amusement and despair, a teenage boy telling his girlfriend that he is going to drink an entire bottle of "Tabu" tonight. I want to ask him WHY?
I have ages until my train at York, so I head to the National Railway Museum, via the new direct link from the platforms. After the obligatory feeling of awe and smallness standing next to the Deltic, I have a look round the basement store and then spend 20 minute trying to work out how the signalling display works. It replicates a section of the panel at York, but due to the museum being on the west side of the line, the direction of the panel indicators runs in the opposite direction to the trains, which is much more confusing than it sounds!
The day is winding down fast as I get on board the Voyager that will take me to Bristol. I've wanted to do this route for ages though maybe a daytime trip would make rather more sense! We head through Doncaster, Sheffield, Derby and Tamworth and the about the same number of counties before we halt at Birmingham for 25 minutes. This gives me a chance to get something to eat at a grim grocer's, that part of Birmingham being less than comprehensive for facilities. We wish each other a happy new year and I continue my journey through Cheltenham, skipping Worcester on the avoiding line (how come it got missed off this route?) before the lights of Bristol loom in the distance. We make stops at Parkway and Temple Meads, where I have one last drink and wish the barman a happy new year before clambering on to the buffet-less HST home.
We're into Paddington at about 11.40pm and the journey home makes me vow that I will not do this again. I will be at home before the madness gets going. Everything is now doomed to annoy or alarm me. There is a POOL of blood at the end of a trail of it on the underground station, a surprisingly shocking scene. The Bakerloo line is full of w*****s smoking dope and being generally anti-social. The train is full of the scum of Bromley. I travel on London's suburban and central trains all the time and I don't think I've ever seen this volume of scum out at any time of the day. To top it all there is a white boy arguing with his girlfriend in a stupid fake Caribbean accent near the house when I get back. I give them a dirty look and hope they clear off soon. A partially sucessful trip. The Saturday ticked off several new routes but the Sunday was just a bit of a wash out. Happy New Year!
London-Manchester
Manchester-Hadfield-Guide Bridge
Guide Bridge-Rose Hill Marple
Marple-Reddish-Manchester
Manchester-Rochdale-Hebden Bridge
Hebden Bridge-Rochdale-Oldham-Manchester
Manchester-Stalybridge
Stalybridge-Manchester Aiport
Manchester Aiport-Stalybridge-Huddersfield-York
York-Leeds
Leeds-Huddersfield
Huddersfield-Sheffield
Sheffield-Doncaster-York
York-Doncaster-Sheffield-Derby-Birmingham-Cheltenham-Bristol
Bristol-London
Sunday 31 December 2006
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