x41 bus to manchester

shillelagh · 02-12-2019, 22:49

well from the 26th January the x41 to Manchester will be no more. Its being cancelled

https://www.transdevbus.co.uk/blackb...ine-26-january

but Accrington is getting a bus service back to bury without having to change at ramsbottom

From Sunday 26 January we will be improving Irwell Line to replace Red Express and Red 4, which will no longer run.

We will also provide a new branch of Irwell Line (as bus 482) extending from Rawtenstall to Helmshore, Haslingden and Accrington which will run every hour. It will also mean that Helmshore will have twice as many buses to Rawtenstall – two every hour.
This also means that, in response to customer feedback, Accrington gets its link back to Bury without a need to change buses.

shillelagh · 02-12-2019, 22:53

so if you want to go to Manchester from Accrington .. you are going to have to catch the 464 to Rawtenstall and catch the witchway x43 to Manchester .. and hopefully when you are coming back hopefully you wont be too late to catch a bus back from Rawtenstall to Accrington .. the last bus to Accrington is at 9pm …

Margaret Pilkington · 03-12-2019, 07:56

Thanks for the information Jen...haven't seen anything about this in the local press.
(Do you think this move has been taken to stop folk leaving Accy.....to keep us captive in a dying town?)

This will severely curtail my trips to Manchester.
It will add an extra half hour onto the journey.....and when I go to Manchester I usually spend less than a couple of hours looking round.....so that will be it for me.

I understand the reasoning of the company.
The X41 was better used when it started off in Blackburn...there were always a lot of people on it by the time it got to Accrington.

From January, when this change takes place it will be easier for me to pick up the Witchway in Burnley....but again the time constraints will limit my chance to use this route.

I frequently go before the bus pass time, because of how long it takes to get there(don't really want to be there during lunch time and want to get back before I have to share the bus with loud mouthed, unruly children) so it looks unlikely that I will be going.

pifco · 03-12-2019, 09:04

[/QUOTE]
The X41 was better used when it started off in Blackburn...there were always a lot of people on it by the time it got to Accrington.

I couldn't agree more, I used to catch the bus at the bottom of Lonsdale Street in a morning and there was always plenty of passengers on it some of them school children who use to get of in Haslingden.

Gremlin · 03-12-2019, 09:55

Margaret, if you go before the bus pass time you obviously don’t mind paying to ride.
So you could get there quicker and in more comfort by catching the hourly Wigan train from Accrington which goes via Todmorden, Rochdale and Manchester, with a ride through the famous Summit Tunnel thrown in. Built in the 1800,s and once the longest in the world.
Just a thought but I’ve no idea of cost.

Ryewolf90 · 03-12-2019, 13:09

It's £11 return according to the National Rail Journey Planner website....

Margaret Pilkington · 03-12-2019, 17:30

Russell, I do not mind forking out for a day of pleasure, but I am more wary of trains than buses...but I might give it a try.
I was told that it isn't much faster by train, but it is when you get snarled up late afternoon on the motorway.

Thank you for that information Ryewolf.
I would guess that it might be even cheaper if you had an over 55's travel pass....these are about £30, lasts for a year and reduces your travel cost by a third.

I did get one, but never managed to use it as it was the year that my daughter was very ill(so I daren't go very far).

I am off to York on Saturday with Moving people.
So I DO like to get about.

shillelagh · 03-12-2019, 20:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Thanks for the information Jen...haven't seen anything about this in the local press.
(Do you think this move has been taken to stop folk leaving Accy.....to keep us captive in a dying town?)

This will severely curtail my trips to Manchester.
It will add an extra half hour onto the journey.....and when I go to Manchester I usually spend less than a couple of hours looking round.....so that will be it for me.

I understand the reasoning of the company.
The X41 was better used when it started off in Blackburn...there were always a lot of people on it by the time it got to Accrington.

From January, when this change takes place it will be easier for me to pick up the Witchway in Burnley....but again the time constraints will limit my chance to use this route.

I frequently go before the bus pass time, because of how long it takes to get there(don't really want to be there during lunch time and want to get back before I have to share the bus with loud mouthed, unruly children) so it looks unlikely that I will be going.

they only put it on their website on Friday teatime … theres been rumours flying about for a while about this … people have stopped using it after the change to going through ramsbottom .. and they said it would be only 15/20 mins difference .. and people finding it to be half an hour and more difference so they stopped using it and either went to Rawtenstall and caught the witchway as that is every 15 mins or went on the train or drove into Manchester

AccyMad · 03-12-2019, 21:53

Good news about the Bury bus though, should never have been stopped in the first place

Margaret Pilkington · 03-12-2019, 22:49

Yes Jen, that has to be a factor too.
I went to Manchester today, and there were a lot of people grumbling at the driver.
If I went the route that the company suggests it would be three buses and about an hour (without traffic delays) on top of the journey to Manchester.
So come the end of January I won't be going to Manchester....it won't be worth it time wise.

Yes Accymad, the return of the Bury service is welcome...I like Bury.
I went from Blackburn a few weeks ago and it took ages to get there.....so I think that was another mistake on the part of the bus service planners.

I don't understand why they change things when they work.
The fact that they have lost money is down to them changing what was a perfectly viable service.

Jimmy Clitheroe · 04-12-2019, 01:32

The link says "improvements".... how can making people change buses be an "improvement"?

[url]https://www.transdevbus.co.uk/rosso/were-improving-irwell-line-26-january

Margaret Pilkington · 04-12-2019, 08:27

Yes, it says that on your ticket when you get the X41.
It is only an improvement for them....they really are not interested in the public....and they certainly are not a public SERVICE.....service implies that they are doing something their customers want.

They messed up....simple as....when they took off the Bury Service and stopped the X41 from starting in Blackburn....they lost a large customer base back then.
People have now made other arrangements.