It’s been in the Gasjet but thought I’d let you know about a First Travel Solutions (part of the First group of travel companies) train they are putting on direct from Blackpool North, non-stop, to Wembley stadium for the playoff final. First reps are around Bloomfield road for the next few days whilst there are still queues for tickets.
I’m told it sets off 8-9am but this is not fixed yet, and unlike other trains that only go to Euston, this one goes directly to the stadium, making it easy for people that aren’t staying over to get there, watch the game and come home. Presumably it’s going to take a bit longer than a standard Virgin rail train with it not being a Pendolino.
I also believe there are a total of 800 seats available on this train. Here’s the flyer:
loading…
Great idea and hopefully the return journey will be full of Premiership fans. Why couldn’t Transpennine start a full-time service Blackpool-London. There was a rumour in the Gasjet that Virgin were ‘in talks’ to restore a service but they are keeping very quiet about it.
loading...
Excellent news Phil, I agree with TB, we need to get a direct Euston service up and running.
loading...
Totally ZF, I have just been reading the Blackpool Core Strategy which sounds absolutely fantastic if you have a read of it. Check it out http://www.blackpool.gov.uk/corestrategy2010 It is a huge document but has some very exciting plans and it gives the people of Blackpool a chance to comment on it for those who always moan they never get consulted on anything. But the point I am getting to is if these grand schemes come to fruition then we would need better transport links.
loading...
Nice one TB, I’ll have a good read of this tomorrow thanks for the heads up mate.
loading...
Its NOT First Trans-Pennine Express at all. It’s a charter by First Travel Solutions Ltd of Burnley who have chartered a set of passenger coaches (from a private rolling stock provider) for this special. They ran two charters for Barrow AFC recently when Barrow v Stevenage played at Wembley in the FA Vase.
loading...
You’d need to charter a loco too, and they’d come from a ROSCO, not a “private rolling stock provider”. Most rolling stock comes from ROSCOs, actually, little is owned by specific TOCs.
Yes, if you’re going to nitpick and be anal, i’ll nit pick you
loading...
All I can say to that is the bloke I spoke to today (and got that flyer from) said he worked for First Transpennine Express.
loading...
Crazy Welsh Barsteward.
THE National Anthem will be missing from a major Wembley showpiece for the first time when Cardiff play Blackpool in the Championship play-off final.
The Football League are happier to upset the purists than risk antagonising fans of the Welsh club by dropping the formalities ahead of the game.
The issue first arose when the Bluebirds played QPR at the Millennium Stadium in 2003.
Cardiff-based protests, led by First Minister Rhodri Morgan, forced them to reverse the League’s initial plan of just playing God Save the Queen.
The path of least resistance was taken even though it is a domestic game not an international and that God Save the Queen is the British anthem.
========================
Stuff that do we not have the same Queen
Tangerine Army will shine – On the playing field and in the stands
Sing on boy’s & girl’s
loading...
The Ad in the paper said this train was due to depart 07.30 Blackpool North and arrival at Wembley 12.30.
5 Bloody hours!! It is a special so it doesn’t need to stop anywhere but it looks very much like they are not letting on the fast (big boys) trax. Preston to Euston is 2 Hours non stop, Ok there is the extra 20 miles or so and the pendelino’s do 125mph but how can they explain an extra 3 hours travelling time?
And to top it all it is a Dry Train……
Someone was tweeting earlier Blackpool FC are to return several thousand tickets to Wembley unsold..
loading...
These special trains have to make way for scheduled services, so end up spending a lot of time in sidings etc or shuffling up little-used branches. The no-alcohol thing is standard on all organised travel to football matches (but not to rugby, or opera, or rambling etc) – although some of the less ‘formal’ coach operators will probably let you. Me? I’m on good-old Virgin and can do as much damage to my liver as I like
loading...
Not necessarily. It’ll probably be loco-hauled which limits it to around 75mph, especially if you end up with ‘normal’ ‘railtour’ traction such as a Class 37 or 47 – if you got a 67 you’d be a bit quicker.
The fast non-stop paths will be taken up by the Pendolinos and the paths will be strictly timed – not space for a non-Pendolino train to go in them, which leaves you with a stopping path (Minus the station stops) or a ‘slow’ non-stop taking in the slow lines (You won’t go on any goods loops unless it ends up being a steam locomotive on the front – that would go down well, rake of Mark 1s and something like Tornado on the front!).
Also remember that as you get closer to London the paths get more and more congested, with headways between trains trying to be as small as possible. This can also mean if you get one delayed train (And conventional, rather than first-come-first-served signalling) you get delayed. The Wembley line (Assuming the Stadium stop) is also quite heavily used by non-stop trains and few stoppers, so that will also have an impact.
loading...
An excellent summary of how this train will traverse the route…
May I ask what colour your anorak is?
Methinks not so bad on the way down but a 6 hour trip on the way back coupled with the fact Blackpool lost would make it rather miserable….
However if they win then would anyone care of it got in at 6 Sunday Morning.
loading...
Two specials running. The second charter spends 37mins at Preston to detach locos from the front (and rear), before attaching electric loco to front. Exercise repeated at night, that’s why the timings are “generous”.
BTW, Virgin plan to run a relief Preston-Euston and back with a maintenance spare Pendo (subject to volcanic ash change of plan scenarios).
loading...