OPSTA

The Ormskirk, Preston and Southport Travellers Association campaigning for better rail services in West Lancs & North Merseyside

[OPSTA @opsta15]

Our campaigning is evidence and data based and repeated passenger counts has helped us greatly in this regard. We plan to resume in March.
We are also working in close collaboration with Edge Hill University on the development of a travel survey which is close to fruition.

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@willydunn One of many examples why GBR must be well designed new organisation, a fully managed implementation with the right people and not just a migration of the as is to new offices. We have lots of local bad examples!

[OPSTA @opsta15]

Important thread and more every point in reply is valid: unreliable, costly with cliff edge fares outside GM, failing & inadequate train fleet, excessive journey duration not direct to Piccadilly & airport. Another year without a fair seven day working arrangement/ timetable

[Patrick Hurley @patrick_hurley]

A big ol’ thread for @northernassist.
I’ll also be writing directly next week.

🚂🚂🚂 Choo! Choo!

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@patrick_hurley Thank you, for existing and new followers access latest newsletter here https://t.co/sMpgDxw86j. We post more on bluesky @opsta81 but will be doing a few replies here.
For email updates on our efforts and to channel your feedback message here or email [email protected]

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@SouthportQlocal @patrick_hurley @SouthportLabour we know many Southport residents notably commuters pay a premium price to have the option to travel via Liverpool just to be sure of getting to work and home, on paper a longer journey time but ...

[OPSTA @opsta15]

posting more on bluesky now as @opsta81

[OPSTA @opsta15]

We will be conducting passenger counts on four of the next five days on the Ormskirk-Preston and Southport-Wigan lines

[OPSTA @opsta15]

Comprehensive data gained from last month's passenger counts which will be repeated this month. Before that meeting with Edge Hill Uni to discuss pilot survey

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@RAIL will that free up any desperately needed diesel units for Northern?

[OPSTA @opsta15]

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday we will be on the Preston Ormskirk line conducting passenger counts and piloting an online passenger survey.

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@alexhornbyrail @BRTANorthernEng @northernassist @ponterail @PontefractCivic Alex, I do find your statement incredible. Is or will the schedule be published with times as we have a lot of people that would like to speak to the senior management of Northern?

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@do27941932 @meolscop1978 @BRTANorthernEng @AndrewBrownEdit @BRTACampaigns In 2021 Network Rail confirmed they own the alignments and did not identify any impediment. OPSTA has always advocated a ground survey however none of the civil engineers we have sought advice from foresee any serious issues.

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@Coast1079 @BRTANorthernEng @CllrDeFreitas @BRTACampaigns Exactly

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@AlanJi73069669 @BRTANorthernEng @BRTACampaigns Cost depends on how this is done but very modest; the two intact alignments are each just 6-700 metres.
Based on a number of inputs including one time modelling by Steers there would be a million journeys annually.

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@charliemansell @BRTANorthernEng @BRTACampaigns Yes if as implied with ironic humour this got them reinstated, we would expect more services to be operated over them than the Ordsall chord which was many times more expensive 😄

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@mitchell_hurd @northernassist Couldn't say 'well' but better as a lot of services need improvement. To be fair Northern desperately need government backing on seven days working arrangement in the west region and more reliable diesel/hybrid trains

[OPSTA @opsta15]

Positive meeting with @northernassist this afternoon and hopefully making some headway on addressing our service deficiencies

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@DavdotFo @JBN268 @northernassist @AndyBurnhamGM @TFGMBeeNetwork Southport and Stockport often misread for each other. In fact both this line and Southport -Wigan corridor could benefit from active @TFGMBeeNetwork backing.

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@PaulFosterMP @ThatsTVLancs How did you get on with @northernassist trains at the drop-in yesterday and any headway on getting a station at #midgehall?

[OPSTA @opsta15]

@ColinWareing1 There is a lesson in this