Catching Trains near the Canals

[TheBiscuits]

On 24/07/2018 at 11:51, John Wareing said:

There are a huge number of stations within striking distance of canals, probably hundreds if you include catching a bus into the equation as the OP has. These are all an easy walk from from the Leeds & Liverpool: -

James St

Sandhills

Bank Hall

Bootle Oriel Road

Bootel New Strand

Seaforth & Litherland

Old Road

Maghull

New Lane

Burscough Bridge

Burscough Junction

Hoscar

Parbold

Appley Bridge

Gathurst

Wigan North Western

Wigan Wallgate

Adlington

Chorley

Pleasington

Cherry Tree

Mill Hill

Blackburn

Rishton

Hapton

Rose Grove

Burnley Barracks

Burnley Manchester Road

Burnley Central

Brierfield

Skipton

Cononley

Crossflats

Bingley

Saltaire

Shipley

Kirkstall Forge

Leeds

 

Then there are some others a bit further to walk to, such as Gargrave and Steeton & Silsden. Of course for many of these you probably wouldn't want to leave your boat unattended.

Complaints Guv!

 

The two Wigan stations are nearly impossible to get to, as you are morally obliged to walk into Wigan Central bar on the way, so never make it that far.

 

The only stations on that list I would wonder about leaving the boat near are Mill Hill and Kirkstall Forge, but for Blackburn you would want to moor at Eanam Wharf.

 

You also missed New Pudsey station, which is a short walk from Rodley moorings, and is our go-to point for Leeds city centre (free 300+ space carpark and about £3 into Leeds)

[Wyn2joy]

Hi Mike, 

 

Yeah I've experienced the same issue using Google at times. Of course it will not allow one to change directions to follow the to towpath which is often the quickest way to somewhere else where a but or train station is located. 

 

Robbo, 

 

In which other countries have you relied on Public transport? How about America?  I have to humbly disagree with you about the difficulties of using trains most especially here in the UK.  As I mentioned before I watched my husband sit for hour on the computer looking at train timetables and working diligently to connect things for us to travel a mere 50 miles. We were going from Berkhamsted to Warwick for a hospital appointment and it took four trains on three different lines to do it and one only gave us 3 minutes to get off one train and get on another. One time I was taking a train from Rugby to Leighton Buzzard.  I checked in at the desk and purchased my ticket and was told it would should be the next train to come in to the station and the board would announce it.  Well the board said nothing about Leighton Buzzard so I didn't get on. Four trains later I was sitting in frustration. someone else waiting for a train who just happened to be a boater and a volunteer lockee approached me and asked if I needed assistance. I explained what had happened and where I needed to go. She knew which train I needed to be on only because she took the train regularly but she and four other people nearby who entered our conversation all said they were Brits born and raised and they had difficulty using the timetables, especially as the trains were not reliable in arriving on time. So often over here information is left out of instruction because it is assumed the traveler knows the routes/towns/village along the way, but for a foreigner that is absolutely no help. I am thankful Brits are on the whole friendly and happy to help out. 

[MtB]

15 hours ago, Mike Todd said:

Usually we plan our locations to leave the boat whilst we go home on the basis of investigating the car shuffle itinerary. However we are currently faced with doing it between Weltonfield and Gayton marinas - as thew crow flies about 12 miles, one of the shortest we have ever done. However, it turns out to be about the most tortuous - Google gives something like  25 min walk, 4 buses and a 22 minute walk! We may have to find an alternative - walking all the way might even be quicker , , ,  if only I had the stamina.

 

For 12 miles I’d just get a taxi. 

 

 

 

(Assuming you don’t have a bike.)

[Robbo]

2 hours ago, Wyn2joy said:

 

 

Robbo, 

 

In which other countries have you relied on Public transport? How about America?  I have to humbly disagree with you about the difficulties of using trains most especially here in the UK.  As I mentioned before I watched my husband sit for hour on the computer looking at train timetables and working diligently to connect things for us to travel a mere 50 miles. 

Took me less than 1 minute to find a route from Leeds to Chirk last year when I was meeting a friend last year, and about the same for the way back.  3 trains worth, and more than 50 miles.  As I didn’t know if I would have internet on the way back I printed the route and times out.  You are make a mountain out of a mole hill, it’s piss easy.

[Wyn2joy]

Right well that hasn't been my personal experience. I am pleased it has worked well for you. 

[TheBiscuits]

2 hours ago, Robbo said:

Took me less than 1 minute to find a route from Leeds to Chirk last year when I was meeting a friend last year, and about the same for the way back.  3 trains worth, and more than 50 miles.  As I didn’t know if I would have internet on the way back I printed the route and times out.  You are make a mountain out of a mole hill, it’s piss easy.

I think you will find the problem is actually crap public transport availability round Gayton, not that the OP can't work out timetables.  Anything that comes up with a 4+ hour route using buses and trains to go 12 miles is not a search problem.

46 minutes ago, Wyn2joy said:

Right well that hasn't been my personal experience. I am pleased it has worked well for you. 

 

Maybe you should go from Leeds to Chirk, instead of from your boat to your car as it might be easier.

 

I'm not sure how you would get from Gayton to Leeds on public transport first though.

 

[Wyn2joy]

Just to clarify things, I wasn't traveling from Leeds to Chirk. My husband who was ill with terminal cancer, and I were traveling form Berkhamsted to Warwick for a hospital appointment at 2:30 pm. It was for knee replacement surgery for me and we were both on crutches. We managed it but four different trains each way with a 3 minute window from one to the other was stressful especially since we had to be at the hospital in Warwick by a certain time. The boat was in Cowroast marina and Berkhamsted was the quickest train station to being the journey. 

 

On my own I was traveling from Rugby to Leighton Buzzard and watching for the reader board to announce the train I needed which would be stopping in Leighton Buzzard but it never announced Leighton Buzzard so I missed it--three times. I finally asked the train engineer and he said the train was going to stop in LB and he had no idea why the reader board listed every other town and village on the way BUT LB. 

Edited September 2, 2018 by Wyn2joy

[Dav and Pen]

4 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

For 12 miles I’d just get a taxi. 

 

 

 

(Assuming you don’t have a bike.)

It’s all Mr Beechings fault. There used to be a station at blisworth arm end and one at watford village. Easy walk from the junction and to Welton fields at other end.

[Robbo]

2 hours ago, TheBiscuits said:

I think you will find the problem is actually crap public transport availability round Gayton, not that the OP can't work out timetables.  Anything that comes up with a 4+ hour route using buses and trains to go 12 miles is not a search problem.

So nothing to do with timetables then, so what was the moan about??    I found it no issue to get to a place I had no idea about the public transport in that area, and print out time times for/if I didn’t have internet.  It was actually 4 trains and 3 changes so similar to the OP citation.  This has nothing to do with how crap the trains are, but reading the timetable which is a common format for a lot of countries.

[Machpoint005]

On 24/07/2018 at 14:18, john6767 said:

You used to be able to fly from Birmingham to Heathrow used it a lot in the '80's, but the building of the M40 stopped that as everyone just drove there. You can get a coach from Birmingham airport to Heathrow still though.

You could try getting the train from the Midlands to Manchester Airport (which has its own railway station) and flying direct from there. Avoid Thiefrow altogether!

2 hours ago, Wyn2joy said:

I finally asked the train engineer

Eh? What were you doing in the rolling stock sheds?

7 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

For 12 miles I’d just get a taxi. 

 

Especially if there are two (or more) passengers!

[Mike Todd]

On 02/09/2018 at 10:47, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

For 12 miles I’d just get a taxi. 

 

 

 

(Assuming you don’t have a bike.)

I did! But I only do that as a last resort - somewhat undermines the bus pass . . . To be fair, planning the car shuffle logistic is part of the fun and I enjoy researching all the options.

 

Wyn2Joy - actually Google did give me a towpath route as an option.

On 02/09/2018 at 15:28, Dav and Pen said:

It’s all Mr Beechings fault. There used to be a station at blisworth arm end and one at watford village. Easy walk from the junction and to Welton fields at other end.

Indeed - there are lots of old railway tracks around here - in fact at one time Braunston had two stations!