Visiting Ardwick Station Was Easier Than I Thought

[@andyt2510]

I miss the 323's and their iconic noise on the Cross City Line in Birmingham. The motors and thyristor gate mechanism are similar to the Networkers built around the same time, however the 323's were built by Hunslett in Leeds and the Networkers are BREL I believe

[@MattJames2211]

They will definitely be missed for sure, I must get to the North and ride the 323 there as well

[@rolandharmer6402]

Great video, many thanks. The electrification, or some of it at least, is very old. The LNER started electrifying the route in the late 1930s and some of the stanchions for the overhead were in place before WW2. There are bit of even older overhead on the line to Altrincham dating back to 1931.

[@sglenny001]

Yep cam imagine it was planned to be something like tyneside electrics

[@SimbytheMile]

I wouldn't be surprised if Ardwick doesn't get more services during the day in the near future. They are building a massive housing/apartment complex on an old industrial site, pretty much next door to the train station.

[@baseballfan99]

Back in the early 90’s Ardwick had an hourly service but was not well used. On the morning stopper you normally see a couple of people get off. Godley East was reduced to a Parliamentary service once a week on Saturdays till the station closed in 1995. The Woodhead electric was DC rather than AC current which was used as excuse to close rather than convert to AC which had become standard for overhead wires in the U.K. . Platform 1 at Dinting use to be used a lot more pre Covid when the peak services were every 20 mins and the trains did one circuit of the triangle only, in the morning the trains went direct to Hadfield then Glossop and in the evening the trains from Hadfield went direct to Piccadilly. The first train on Sundays from Piccadilly uses platform 1 as well as the last train Monday to Saturdays.

[@thomasedwards5700]

There used to be a railway centre based on that disused platform at Dinting.

[@highpath4776]

maybe this is Mayor Burnham's idea of doubling frequencies on some routes

[@baseballfan99]

There was been 2 services a day for years M-F

[@pacerchaser9434]

There is no actual connection between the class 465s, some of which were built by BREL (later renamed ABB) and some by Metro-Cammell, and the 323s which were built by Hunslet in Leeds. However they both have that early-90s vibe which makes them feel similar

[@Britishlad112]

You should do a Pointless journey from Rotherham by Train, to Rotherham by Tram! Would love to see my Hometown station as a pointless journey!

[@doug0e]

Thanks!

[@jlelliotton]

Northern Trains operates the only daily services that stop at Ardwick; these are the 07:16 to Manchester Piccadilly only and the 16:57 to New Mills Central on Mondays-Fridays. On Saturdays there is only the 07:16 to Manchester Piccadilly. There is no service on Sundays.

[@AaronD_]

Nice video, it was also good to see you on the 507 Farewell on Sunday!

[@georgerutherford24]

"The Ardwick connection " a Miss Marple mystery😊

[@TheRainbowCoach]

With your last name. 😁

[@georgerutherford24]

Oh yes, Margaret😊

[@MRTransportVideos]

Used to get the train in Manchester Piccadilly for about 14 years, and my one thought of Ardwick was "why keep it"? It was constantly surrounded by piles of shipping containers, seemingly ignored (yes, I know about the issues of closing stations) and, yes, it would have been useful maybe 70 years ago, when there was still industry around there, but these days it has the same standing as Bordesley (which I got THE train from a couple of weeks ago!). It was lovely to see and hear the 323s, I was up there when they were introduced, and did put a video of the West Midlands Farewell Tour on here, really worth turning the sound up for.

[@andrewreynolds4949]

I’ve heard part of the reason it still exists is because of the congestion heading into Piccadilly many trains need to stop there at the junction anyway

[@MRTransportVideos]

Although it could just stop at the junction, without the need for a station to wait against.

[@marksimmons5805]

@@MRTransportVideos There is a lot of new residential development adjacent to Ardwick station being built. This may put pressure on to improve the service beyond the token one that exists now. Several attempts to close Ardwick have failed over the years. I thought that the life expired footbridge may have been an excuse to close it again, but by magic, a new bridge was installed. Maybe there's hope yet for an improved service.....

[@andrewreynolds4949]

@@MRTransportVideos The time savings of closing the station are nonexistent, so they may as well stop trains there anyway. For most of its recent history it was judged as more expensive to do the work required to close the station than to just keep it open. I'm not sure why they bothered keeping it when the footbridge required replacing though.

[@MRTransportVideos]

It is likely the footbridge was deemed unsafe, so needed to be replaced in order to allow the station to remain open the for limited service - even a near-unused station needs maintainance. As you say, the process and cost of going through full station closure is lengthy and expensive, so that would have been costed in to the maintainance budget at local and regional level.

[@RossParker1877]

Was in Glossop for two weeks a few years ago. Enjoyed the line into Picadilly. A hiddenish Gem

[@highpath4776]

Ardwick appears more parliamentary than use as the times dont really make it for "commuters" and the local bus service is more comprehensive. As manchester's redevelopment expands I feel things will change

[@MattJames2211]

Always nice to see an appearance from the 323 god tier units, but especially nice after they are no longer operating in birmingham

[@masterforehead2372]

hadfield to hatfield, Thats a point to point right there, i think i speak for everyone when the long distant point to point are the best types 🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@averagetrainspotterireland]

ashford to ashford sounds better

[@Exploring-the-bee-network-5]

The 219 is a quite reliable route but not when 3 go past at the same time, stagecoach will be stagecoach 😂😂😂😂😂❤❤❤

[@kevinwright5129]

Nick this is my local line! I agree Newton does need doing up a bit, your only half a mile from hyde town centre there. I notice you didnt do flowery field, guide bridge or gorton. Guide Bridge is nice, id skip the other two. Hattersley has a new starion building but the bridge there is really awful, way too steep. Dinting had a steam railway centre next door in an old steam loco shed. 5596 Bahamas was stored there, sadly closed now. Glossop is a nice place. Next time your up this way let me know, i'll make you a cuppa! 🙂🚂

[@Nick-ux7zt]

Certain timetable changes have done Dinting - Hadfield - Glossop rather than DTG - GLO - HDF and use Plat 1 at DTG. The issue is that more people live in Glossop than Hadfield, so making the journey from Glossop to Manchester longer would be unpreferable. Sometimes in the morning peak trains go from BDB - DTG - HDF - GLO - DTG and then straight back to BDB. I read once that they do this to allow for 3tph over the single track, but as far as I am aware it has always been serviced by 2tph.

[@customtransport2777]

Ardwick has got to be my favourite piddliest station in the country because while it may be next door to the official station with the highest usage in the city, you can get an excellent view of several trains passing by, as well as a bus garage and the city centre itself 👍

[@jacobporrett]

Thank you for sharing Nick

[@DavE-bh8lz]

Have you been to Clifton yet? Another difficult one. I got the afternoon service TO Ardwick, when I ticked it off my list of stations.

[@ReubenAshwell]

Brilliant video Nick, I have been to Dinting station, it's a nice station. Good to see you've managed to do Ardwick station. :)

[@andrewreynolds4949]

It seems a fluke that Ardwick still exists

[@Nooticus]

Especially that they’re upkeeping it enough to fully replace a footbridge?!

[@michaelocyoung]

Nick likes the look of a broad bottom and wants to come back and explore *giggle

[@Northerner_Transport_Hub]

Everyone says that joke about it. One of my classmates in primary school came from Broadbottom, I laughed about it nearly every time he said it 😂

[@mattevans4377]

It's not really that surprising when you look at Nat. And I say that as a compliment

[@Northerner_Transport_Hub]

@@mattevans4377 mate I think that's a bit inappropriate

[@StephenHutton-ig1xp]

The only suggestion i can think of as to the missing afternoon Ardwick train, was that it was temporarily lost due to the landslip near New Mills. That's pure speculation as i don't know when you were looking for the train.

[@NickBadley]

Ahh of course! The landslip! That'd make sense.

[@IshaqAli-z1j]

It was never a thing before so this might not be true, but i see where this came from

[@aaronsmith9209]

Ardwick looks like a great station to spot trains, pity they don't build up the area so it can justify proper services. Also funny you say about the doors not opening and the staff not expecting anyone at first, this happened to me when I used Pilning near Bristol a few months ago, but luckily the guard saw me and got me to board the train where they were. Imagine if they didn't staff trains! Long wait there if you miss it as it's served one day a week lol, 2 trains every Saturday. Lovely walk from Severn Beach though.

[@AttillatheHun-ph5eu]

Ardwick WAS a good station to watch and photograph trains from, unfortunately out of control vegetation makes it extremely difficult nowadays.

[@dodgydruid]

Nice to see the old Woodhead era overhead wire gantries still in evidence.

[@billie_js]

so nice to see my local train line in a video! seems so weird seeing all the stations on here

[@dodgydruid]

Ardwick was once a trainspotters heaven with the two lines converging, the vast yards either side and the continued traffic 24 hours a day running in and out of Piccadilly and beyond, the Woodhead is still one of my favourite Train Simulator routes esp coming up from Watch even triple 76'd you are in danger of stalling out. The signal box inside the first Woodhead tunnel was nicknamed "Hell" because duty there was hellish, swarms of rats invading the box after the wick and oils, the long long trudges to oil and clip wicks on signal lamps, signalmen were allowed an allowance off the books to keep a terrier of some sorts and there were cases of smoke asphyxiation and disorientation because the signal box was in total darkness. Oh and the heat contributed to the hellish environment as all year round it was like a roasting hot day in there.

[@6yjjk]

Ah, Ardwick. I used to pass it regularly, and while I always thought it looked like an absolute shithole, it was still vaguely fascinating!

[@Andrewjg_89]

Whilst you were at Ardwick. I do think that Network Rail should consider replacing the ageing overhead wires and gantries just like what they have done on the Southend Victoria line in Essex. That new overhead wires and gantries have been installed but only going as far as Prittlewell and between Fenchurch Street and Bromley-by-Bow. Ardwick railway station itself does need some improvements of its own including adding step-free access. And Northern who have inherited the Class 323 from WM Trains to continue on using them on the Gosslop and Hadfield lines.

[@andrewreynolds4949]

Ardwick does not warrant any significant investment

[@Andrewjg_89]

⁠I see. Perhaps you are right.

[@Nooticus]

Very surprising that they’re upkeeping it enough to fully replace a footbridge?!

[@Nooticus]

Great video

[@IshaqAli-z1j]

Okay, from official northern on twitter they say it is to help improve customer connections and it was introduced into the june timetable

[@NameReveal-yy7qb]

Happy belated birthday nick

[@tl.rogers]

Well you said 465s and 323s feel similar… 323s are ‘Hyper Networkers’ after all!

[@The_Late_Night_Social_Club]

This guy is the next gen geoff Marshall

[@Thornaby37]

Ardwick seems to be one of those stations where it is less hassle to keep it open with a skeleton service than to go through the whole legal process of closing it

[@bensguitarcovers2849]

Ironic that I just got that line on tsw5 😂

[@Class777]

Nick played TSW5 in Real Life

[@garybroadhurst3548]

I nearly didn't watch because Ardwick has been a bit over-done, but it was good to see you go further up the line to my old home. I very nearly bought that house you see right next to the line at 2:56 at Godley. I commuted regularly from Flowery Field so I was sad to see you didn't go there, then I lived in Glossop for quite some time. I have fond memories of the 506 units and 303s and 304s before the 323. Just one criticism, sorry. "Unique". Probably the most over-used word around at the moment. I'm afraid you're one of the worst offenders too and you excel here - "one of the most unique". The word can't be qualified and you manage to do it TWICE! Anyway, you're forgiven due to the good content hehe. Nice!

[@mrkangaroo83]

Interesting with the footbridge replacement at Ardwick for an underserved station, I thought when the old bridge was structurally unsound, they would have used that to remove services to the station. Also aren't the 323's called Hyper Networkers?

[@jameshodgetts7541]

Probably cheaper to replace the footbridge than do the whole station closure procedure - which required parliamentary approval and loads of paperwork headaches, including ensuring proper services via other means are reliable etc.

[@Someone36991]

Point to point idea: Mill Hill (London) Mills Hill (Manchester) Mill Hill (Blackburn)

[@Awws1e]

I come from the cross city line. I miss that sound.

[@officialmcdeath]

Ardwick to Kempston Hardwick \m/

[@christiangraham1]

Point to point idea:Hatfield (Hertfordshire) to Hatfield (Yorkshire)

[@kevinwright5129]

Sorry forgot to say Godley is the only station on the line with no live information screens! And the 323's are awesome! 😊

[@stephenreardon2698]

Ardwick - Manchester's answer to Bordesley

[@andrewnelson4057]

Broadbottom was in Cheshire.

[@Sim0nTrains]

If this was filmed in September then it must had been when there was no service to New Mills during the landslip and the line closure. However it a great video and the Woodhead Route is interesting.

[@donovanemery597]

There's still no service to New Mills via Ashbury's and Reddish North, as far as I know.

[@IshaqAli-z1j]

​@@donovanemery597 100% is went there yesterday

[@donovanemery597]

@@IshaqAli-z1j ok

[@egpx]

Maybe they needed an extra service to justify the building of a new footbridge? I've been through Ardwick a few times on Piccadilly to Huddersfield trains and it looked completely abandoned.

[@GeorgeChoy]

good morning

[@Delmothop]

This station needs a frequent service

[@Thornaby37]

There are multiple bus routes nearby heading to and from Piccadilly (both on A57 Hyde Road and A635 Ashton Old Road)

[@rogerhill138]

I'm seriously thinking of taking up rail travel as a past-time. Have you published any outing plans?

[@IshaqAli-z1j]

Did u know all services normally go glossop then hadfield. However the last one is Hadfield then glossop. At 00-01 from hadfield Edit- Apologies i put this on straight away any u said it at the end sorry

[@jackie-c4g]

Bus goes on the way to the station and I can get a 6 and a half hour drive from the station to the station and I can get a train to the station and

[@cyrildhy8993]

Don't worry about getting bored. I'm working on how to get from Glasgow to Andover or Swindon, without using Pendolino, Voyager or class 800. In a day.

[@jasonlittlewood3874]

Quite easy actually. Scotrail to Carlisle via Dumfries (156) Northern to Leeds (158) LNER to KGX (Pick carefully for a IC225 set) SWR from Waterloo (158/159)

[@cyrildhy8993]

@@jasonlittlewood3874 Thanks I didn't know they still running 225s.

[@jasonlittlewood3874]

@@cyrildhy8993 They have not stopped on services from Leeds and a few from York. They do occasionally get swapped for an Azuma, if a set is unavailable.

[@kumakuroneko]

Thinking of Honoria Glossop

[@highpath4776]

I assume P1 at Dinting service is used to maintain driver knowledge

[@highpath4776]

Dinting Railway Centre may have gone but it does look a waste of those buildings that could be repurposed for small businesses as offices etc.

[@tomdg13]

Your pronunciation prompts a question ... have you done Hadfield to Hatfield yet? Point-to-Point ...

[@rockerjim8045]

not many OAPs in Hyde

[@pacerchaser9434]

The electrification stanchions date from the 1950s (and as another commentator says even earlier in some cases). However the electrification was 1500V DC until 1984 when the system was re-equipped at 25KV ac

[@RH-uo8wl]

I first visited the line in 1984, and had my only two Class 506 EMU rides then. Next visit in 1985, the OHLE had been converted, and the 1500V 506s had been replaced by 25kV Class 303s.

[@colinseeney471]

I don't get the Yorkshire accents on the Northern trains announcements. It's not local in the north west 🙄

[@GAKEI97]

NT isn't confined to the northwest. it is a bit funny though, hearing such a distinct accent from a PIS

[@caramelldansen2204]

:)

[@Sebastian_Solace_Urbanshade]

HOW ARE COMMENTS 1 DAY AGO BUT VIDEO 26SECS AGO also 4th

[@ZacharyUKTransport]

Members get the video early

[@TheCaterhamBusGuys]

because members first

[@Sebastian_Solace_Urbanshade]

@@ZacharyUKTransport thanks for telling me

[@petermichaelgreen]

KZbin resets the date on a video when a previously private or unlisted video is made public but the comments keep their original timestamps.

[@Roblox_Omsi_Everyting]

5th

[@simonboulton4490]

There is rumour that the woodhead line is going to re open

[@MRTransportVideos]

There may be a slight issue with that as, unless they're goign to bore new tunnels, they'll need to move a few high-power electricity cables, and tunnels 1 & 2 are in too poor a state to be used without complete rebuilding. It would be nice, though, and a good way to speed services up through the Pennines.

[@andrewreynolds4949]

Short answer, they won’t reopen

[@jameshodgetts7541]

I doubt it. Its not a trivial ask, and not exactly a mainline. That kind of investment will never occur when we cant even get HS2 to Manchester, despite all the leg work on planning being done and paid for years ago.....