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Below:
Website News |
Timetable Posters |
Duo Trouble |
Timetable Turmoil |
Accessibility |
Goodbye garden
Timetable Change and discussion
Timetables changed across the country from 15 May,
although the 'temporary' timetable on our line has
become permanent until at least October, probably
December. There are still no paper timetable leaflets
available, or posters at the station, but you can
download copies - including a 'print-friendly version'
from the advert-ridden
Northern
website (our line is timetable no. N20).
As so often, the tables contain unnecessary
computer-generated quirks, such as separate columns for
Monday-Friday and Saturday times, even though they are
different by just one or two minutes. The service itself
is still far from satisfactory, espcially the long gap
in trains to Manchester between 08:17 and 09:07. The
07:34 from Buxton to Manchester which is currently
calling at Davenport and Woodsmoor will cease to
do so in July, thos leaving a one-hour gap between 08:06
and 09:07. Peak-time fares are being charged
for a service worse than in the off-peak.
The late-evening service from Manchester is also poor,
with no departures from Piccadilly between 22:10 and
23:24 except on Saturdays when the 23:07, which doesn't
stop here Monday-Friday, does call, whilst the 23:24
Manchester - Hazel Grove does not run on Saturdays.
The timing of weekday Manchester - Buxton trains can
catch you out: departure times from Manchester
Piccadilly vary from a so-called 'clock-face'
arrangement. In the morning and evening they depart
Piccadilly at xx:24, whilst in the middle of the day
(from 10:08) it's xx:08. There's a 16:08 and also a
16:24! Don't ask us why. The Blackpool - Hazel
Grove trains depart Piccadilly at xx:47 through out the
day until the last one of the day at 21:44.
Other traps from the unwary: Most Buxton - Manchester
trains do not call at Heaton Chapel, although they do
serve Levenshulme. Manchester - Buxton trains mostly
stop at both. Hazel Grove - Blackpool trains call at
Deansgate, but don't in the other direction except at
16:40, 17:39 and 18:40. Irritating, as Deansgate is
useful for Metrolink connections to/from the East
Disbury and Airport routes which don't serve Piccadilly.
Sunday services remain hourly, with the same irritating
gaps in the service to Middlewood on a day when many
would wish to visit the Middlewood Way.
Why these deficiencies? Well, take your pick between
Pandemic-related staff shortages, 'industrial' unrest,
or cuts imposed by the Department of Transport to save
money.
18 May 2022
Website news
We have a
New Local History
feature covering the lost villa 'Highfield' and
what happened to its estate in the Beechfield Road area.
21 April 2022
Station news and Ticket update
Following a meeting with our local manager,
Manchester Central Zone does now appear on the 'Quick
Ticket' list. Apparently this list is updated
automatically according to the number of tickets
bought, so let's hope it stays there. Curiously,
Chinley also appears on the list: at present there is
no direct service from here, and just four per day
from Stockport. Otherwise it is necessary to travel
via Manchester or walk across New Mills.
In other news: a planter has been ordered for the
Manchester-bound platform, which will be tended by
Davenport Guides; this should brighten-up the station
somewhat. Meanwhile we intend to re-plant the
traditional garden area on the other platform. Watch
this space...
A submission has been made by Transport for Greater
Manchester to the Government under the 'Access for
All' scheme to provide lifts between the street and
both platforms. This would involve the removal of the
stairs by the booking office, and the excavation of
the area between the stairs and bridge on the other
side. We'll write more about this project if and
when it is accepted.
21 April 2022
December 2022 timetable
Our MP Navensu Mishra has passed to us a letter he
has received from GM Mayor Andy Burnham, following our
raising with him the removal from December of through
trains from Davenport and other Stockport stations to
and from points beyond Manchester Piccadilly. You
can read it here.
Sadly there is no change to change to the December
timetable, which we are told will be the same as the
current one.
21 April 2022
Bus news
As from 24 April, the Stagecoach 374 bus service
Stockport - Adswood - Davenport - New House Farm - Hazel
Grove station - Torkington runs in the evenings and on
Sundays as well on weekdays.
Timetable
here.
21 April 2022
Ticket Machine and timetable update
We observe that the ticket machines have had a software
upgrade to make purchases of Duo tickets simpler.
However, Manchester still does not appear on the 'quick
tickets' screen, and when looking for Manchester you
need to take care to select the 'Manchester Central
Zone' option. Choosing 'Manchester Piccadilly' results
in 'No tickets available.' We have reported this
to Northern.
The out-of-date timetable posters have now been removed.
The correct timetable can be downloaded from
Northern's
Timetable Page. The issue of printed
versions has been suspended. We notice that the current
calls at Woodsmoor and Davenport of the 07:35 from
Buxton will cease from July, leaving us with an hour's
gap in services to Manchester from 08:07 to 09:07.
The reason given to us by Northern is that calling here
tends to delay the following East Midlands Railway
service by a short time causing Northern to be 'fined'
according to the crazy rules of the privatised railway.
06 April 2022
White lines
A picture of the Peak Forest - Salford Hope Street stone
train passing Davenport on 16 March. Notice
anything different? Yes, the white lines on the platform
edge, said to be compulsory on stations, have been
restored, having been invisible for several years!
22 March 2020
Timetable posters
Passengers should note that, at the time of writing, the
timetable posters on display at Buxton line stations are
incorrect in the weekday listings, as they do not
reflect some recent changes. Below are a few, which
create long intervals between trains:
The 07:35 Buxton - Manchester now does call at Woodsmoor
(08:15) and Davenport (08:17). The next service from
Davenport towards Manchester is at 09:07. Passengers
from Buxton to Davenport who miss the 07:35 from
Buxton must wait until the 09:02 from Buxton,
arriving at 09:40.
In the afternoon, there is a train from Buxton to
Manchester - out of the normal sequence presumably
for the benefit of students - departing from
Buxton at 15:34, calling at Davenport at 16:15. The next
train from Buxton is at 16:58, calling at Davenport at
17:40.
There may be others that we haven't spotted, do check
on-line before travelling. It appears that these
timings, somewhat inconvenent for many travellers,
continue into the Summer timetable.
17 March 2022
Duo Trouble
Northern have a scheme by which, outside 'peak times',
if two adults are travelling together in both
directions, the second person travels for half the
normal return fare. (
See
their website). However, if you attempt to buy a
'Duo' using the self-service machine at the station, you
may find yourself rather perplexed.
We have prepared a short guide, with help from
Northern's Twitter team, explaining how to find the Duo
fare and showing how we finally managed it. It can be
downloaded here. Good
luck!
Incidentally, if you travel together more than a few
times per year frequently, the national
Two
Together Railcard is an even cheaper solution:
both of you get a 33% discount on all journeys outside
the morning peak periods.
3 March 2022
Timetable Turmoil
Northern, despite their YouTube advert about 'welcoming
you back' are having trouble maintaining their service.
Fot the last few weeks a 'temporary timetable' has
applied to our line, said to be valid until 28 February.
A feature of this timetable is that the 07:35 Buxton -
Manchester has been calling usefully at Woodsmoor and
Davenport (08:17), something which we have repratedly
told was 'not possible for operational reasons'.
However, on the down side, there is no further train to
Manchester until 09:07. Over the week Monday - Friday
ending 26 February the 08:17 from Davenport as been has
been reduced to two carriages once and cancelled twice.
We are now told that this reduced timetable, and those
on other lines, will continue until May. Northern
say:
To give our customers more certainty about
their train service, with fewer short notice
cancellations, it was agreed that the timetables
currently in place will continue until May. I’ll be
back in touch to talk about timetables from May soon.
This is because of sustained pressure on our staffing
levels for a number of reasons.
We understand that the 'number of reasons' include the
continuing issue regarding voluntary 'rest-day' working,
which has been rumbling on since 'privatisation' in the
1990s, and continues now that the company has been
re-nationalised. Sadly, it's vital to check your train
online on this page or at
www.journeycheck.com/northern/
on the day of travel. The planned can be
downloaded
from the Northern website.
Be aware that, at the time of writing this, the
timetable poster displayed on the Manchester-bound
platform is incorrect.
28 February 2022
Spring Bulbs

At least some of our bulbs escaped the recent
destruction...
Accessibility
In recent months the inaccessabilty of the station by
persons of restricted mobility has been out under a
spotlight, along with many other Greater Manchester
stations. The sad fact is due to the confined
space in which it was built in Victorian times, and
access by steps from the road overbridge, does not meet
in any way the legal requirements. To rectify this
situation would be very difficult, as the necessary
ramps would need to be very long, and conflict with the
current station structures.
Our detailed report, as sent to local councillors in
November 2021, is
available
on this link.
20 January 2022
Goodbye garden
Traditionally a small garden has been maintained on the
Buxton-bound platform, and for some years we have tried
to revive this in a small way, but due to the growth of
Japanese Knotweed requiring drastic treatment, all has
come to nothing, for the forseeable future, at least on
this side of the station.
A look back at happier times. Above, 2016.
20 January 2022
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