Midland Mainline Services

Manchester Piccadilly - London St Pancras

For timetable please click here

Above Left : Sunday 18th May; Hazel Grove Station at 1328 and the late running 1P20 passes through the station on its way to London St Pancras. Unfortunately, Network Rail decided to spoil the fun by messing around at Edgeley Junction and this prevented any trains from travelling towards Manchester for most of the day. 43156 still wearing its Virgin logo leads a 6 car set with 43070 also in red on the rear.

Above Right : The 2nd departure is seen passing my favourite spot near to the old Hazel Grove Midland station on the 'new' Midland Railway route from New Mills to Heaton Mersey opened in 1902. The grandaddy of them all The Midland Blue Pullman once graced this route on its daily out and back working from Manchester Central to London St Pancras. 43079 again in Virgin leads 44042/42338/42178/42336/42115/41098/41108 and 43196 as it approaches a signal check. In front of this service (1P00 ) was a Liverpool to Norwich 170 Turbostar unit.

Above Left : On the penultimate working of the day, 43180 in the new MML Blue livery leads a ex Virgin set through the station at Hazel Grove on service 1P06. It was obvious that there were still no services running in the Down direction.

Above Right : Sunday 1st June at Stockport and 43165 is waiting for the off with the 1P06 to St Pancras.

AL : Monday 19th May, HG - 0747 1P18 passes at 0806 enroute to LSP 43086 + 43197; AR : Screen at Manchester Piccadilly showing 1747 1P58 departure; BL : 43196 at head of train in rain ! BR : Window sticker inside 44108

AL : Wed 21/5 43180 in new livery heads 1747 service in rain; AR - On hire first Great Western 'fag packet' liveried green and gold set lead by 43005 arrives in Platform 1 at HG at 1853 where it will wait for the 1851 EMU to depart back to Manchester; BL - No mistaking this visitor to HG even in the pouring rain ! BR - Thurs 21/5 and a full set in the new MML blue livery is seen powering through the station in readiness to tackle the short but steep Hazel Grove Chord which will take it onto former Midland Railway metals.

AL : The Up morning 0847 passing Hazel Grove

AR : A down service coming off the Hazel Grove chord which was formally opened on the 29th April 1986 and passenger services commenced using the line from the 15th May onwards.

BL : The last two Saturdays of Aug 2003 saw all MML services diverted from the Stockport route due to engineering works. Here 43005 fGW is seen pulling across the junction at Romiley with the delayed 1447 to St Pancras on 30/08/03.

 

More pictures will be added as and when I take them !

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