10:10.

After a baking hot bank-holiday weekend where we celebrated Dawn’s birthday (blog to follow) I’m abandoning the Pennines to head back across the West Lancashire plain to Southport and another birthday. This time it’s my ‘kid’ sister Anne.  

Right now I’m on Northern’s 10:00 from Sowerby Bridge which is heading to Manchester. Fortunately, the air-conditioning on this 3-car Class 158 is fully functional, giving me chance to cool down after walking down to the station from Bigland Towers.

10:35.

Having slowly filled up en-route my train’s arrived at Rochdale where dozens of summer-dressed travellers were waiting for us. Now we’re almost full as we head for Manchester Victoria. The weather this side of the Pennines is just as good as in West Yorkshire, which makes a change! Most of my fellow passengers appear to be leisure travellers. Only the wonan sat across the car from me is working away on a laptop, almost everyone else is staring at a smartphone screen.

11:00.

Wonder of wonders! We pulled into Victoria 5 minutes early, which put us ahead of a GBRf hauled freight train, giving me enough time to leap out, grab a picture of it as it passed through the station and then rejoin my train. Talk about a lucky break. Now I’m arriving at Salford Crescent for a change of train in order to take the route via Bolton instead of the slower (all stations) route via Atherton.

Platform capacity at Salford Crescent is about the increased by 1/3 as the new platform 3 is complete and awaiting the first services to call when the new timetable comes into force.

11:25.

I’m now heading fast to Bolton aboard a packed Class 323 EMU heading for Blackpool North which is running just ahead of the Southport train. These 90mph EMUs only used to be seen South of Manchester but new electrification and an influx of cast-off 323s from the West Midlands has allowed them to extend their area of operations to include Blackpool, Wigan and Liverpool. The only problems with ’em is their lack of air-conditioning and 3+2 seating arrangement.

11:40.

This is more like it! I abandoned the 323 at Bolton, crossed the platform and caught the Southport train which is being worked by a bi-mode Class 769. Having seen it at Salford Cresent I was wise to the fact this former Thameslink unit had the old 1st Class seating at the front of the train – which is where I’m now relaxing in a comfy single seat. Whilst not as crowded as the Blackpool service there’s still plenty of the ‘bucket and spade brigade’ who’re obviously heading for a day out at the coast.