Lancaster University

Lancaster

Manchester to Lancaster Commute 2011

Anyone going to be commuting from Manchester to Lancaster from October onwards? I'll be returning to Lancaster after a year out to do an MA in Social Work but I don't want to live there again so I'm opting for the train and bus routes instead.

And is anyone going to be doing social work?

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Reply 1

affinity89

Original post by Milky Milk

I won't be commuting on a daily basis but I'll be coming from Manchester originally. It's only a 1hr drive and it's very accessible by train. You can either get direct train or get a train to Preston and then a train going to Barrow-in-Furness afterwards which is only has only one stop to Lancaster. Then you've got the short walk to the bus station and the short bus ride. I'd say your commute won't be more than 1hr30 mins each way, plus if you ever miss a train they tend to come every half hour.

Are you sure?

I often travel between Manchester and Lancaster on the train. The trains tend to be once an hour direct. If you get the train to Preston, you often have to wait which makes the journey longer. I'd estimate that 1 hour 30 is a minimum time to expect be honest, not a max. The bus to campus can take anything from 15 minutes to around 25 depending on traffic and the route taken, and the train is at least 1 hour if you go direct. And you obviously have the walk down to get the bus from Common Garden Street. Plus, the OP might have to travel to get the train in Manchester, adding yet more time to the journey...

It is doable, but I don't think I could cope. The train is often very, very busy [more often than not standing room only] and personally I think I'd go mad spending so long travelling each day. :/

[Maybe I am being jaded following my hellish journey yesterday. The bus took almost 40 minutes because the traffic was gridlocked. There were no trains leaving from the station, so I had to take a 50 minute replacement bus to Preston. And then get the train from Preston to Manchester. I was a wee bit fed up once I got home lol!]

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Reply 2

affinity89

Original post by Milky Milk

No not at all, merely my estimates. Probably not the best thing.

When I went down (or should I say up) to Lancs and me and my friend missed the later morning train which was direct. The next train was in half an hour and it was to Preston, the next train after that was half an hour after and was direct again. I assumed it carried in that order.

And really more than 1hr30?? :eek:

As I said, the train is a minimum of 1 hour. Some take longer and some of the stops at Preston can be rather long [looking around 30 minutes sometimes].
Then you have the bus journey, and the walk to the bus stop. If the timing falls well and the traffic is good, you could reach campus within around 25 minutes of getting off the train. It is more likely that you would take over 30 minutes, especially if you end up on a 2A. :smile:

Hence why 1 hour 30 is a minimum to expect. :smile:

Reply 3

J1mjam

does anyone else think there should be a lancaster university 'STOP' i.e. a train station with just 1/2 platforms outside the university. ive said it loads to my friends and they agree. i know itll never be done due to ownership of the farmland. but to have a station where the train could stop for say 1 minute would cut about 30 mins off travel time and less distance to cart your luggage and less money for the bus.

Reply 4

affinity89

Original post by J1mjam

My friends and I have had the same idea lol. It could be a request stop or something. Level with the university drive way. It would be fantastic lol! :smile:

Reply 5

J1mjam

Original post by affinity89

My friends and I have had the same idea lol. It could be a request stop or something. Level with the university drive way. It would be fantastic lol! :smile:

i smell a petition coming on! hahaha! would be such a massive help. it hurts me so much as i see the uni on the train and think, 'STOP STOP im going past my destination' :\

Reply 6

brightroar

There's a bus that used to run during term-time from the train station taxi rank/bus stand to the university underpass - the X1. I don't know if it's still operating offhand but I expect the Stagecoach website should be able to tell you. It was pretty nifty, goes through Greaves rather than bowerham/hala iirc so it's less vomit-inducing than the 2A.

Reply 7

affinity89

Original post by brightroar

The X1 still runs. It stops quite early though [around 6pm].

Reply 8

popple7

my friend is doing the social work MA and commutes from manchester... it's doable but unpleasant. she was in 2 days a week in term 1 and 3 days in term 2... then the rest is placement, i think?

it's a million times easier if you can drive though... the commute is fine then. if you can afford to, driving is better than living on campus (and better than commuting, obviously). plus the placement bit of the course will be much easier if you can drive.

when you factor in the time it takes to get to piccadilly, then its 1hr minimum on the train, then about 20-40mins on the bus to campus... it can easily take 2hrs or more.

Reply 9

SunnyYellow

Original post by popple7

Unfortunately I can't drive and although doable it would also be a lot more expensive. I'm just going to be brave and commute and hopefully I won't drive myself mad as a result. I'll buy one of those little foldable stools and sit down next to the door of the train lol so I will always have a seat.

Reply 10

SunnyYellow

I practised the commute if anyone is interested. It took me around 2 and a half hours or something like that. It is a shame that it isn't only 1 and a half hours. I'll still be commuting though so I'll let you know how dead I am feeling in a week or so!

Reply 11

affinity89

Original post by SunnyYellow

Ouch.

Do you have to travel to get to the station in Manchester? :smile:

It used to take an hour on the train, then I'd allow another 20-30 for the bus to campus, but for me the real killer was the bus into Manchester city centre [that used to take 20 minutes but is now closer to 40 because of the Metrolink roadworks]. :redface:

Reply 12

RedRevolver

Original post by J1mjam

I often thought that whilst looking out at campus from a train window, incoming from London.

Reply 13

RedRevolver

It can take like 2 and a half hours to get to London if the service is really good. So it's a shame it takes that long to get to Lancaster from Manchester.

Reply 14

AugustWestie

In my first term at Lancaster I commuted from Bolton (not quite as far as Manchester) via train, and whilst the train journey is only about an hour, some days with delays and buses and everything else the journey could take up to 3 hours. Coming back on a Friday evening was an absolute nightmare.

I ended up driving for the rest of my time there. :tongue:

Reply 15

JontyC

Original post by AugustWestie

Woah, 3 hours! I'm commuting from Preston, best not be like that often!

Wish there was accommodation on campus :frown:

Reply 16

AugustWestie

Original post by JontyC

Woah, 3 hours! I'm commuting from Preston, best not be like that often!

Wish there was accommodation on campus :frown:

3 hours is more a worst case scenario than a typical journey. :tongue:

Just missing a train from Lancaster and having to wait 30-40 minutes for the next one is not a great feeling. :frown:

That was my experience from 3 years ago though. The timetables may well have changed significantly. You should have no problem coming from Preston. The busiest trains are the ones between Manchester and Preston, and only occasionally the ones directly between Lancaster and Manchester.

Reply 17

SunnyYellow

Original post by affinity89

Ouch.

Do you have to travel to get to the station in Manchester? :smile:

It takes me 15 minutes on the train to get me to Piccadilly. I have to walk/cycle to the train station first and that takes 10-20 minutes depending on which I do. Probably cycle. The amount of time it takes on the train varies depending on whether I have to change at Preston or not.

Reply 18

Seentje

heya,

I'm not in Lancaster uni, but I do commute the other way around (Lancaster - Manchester)

Apparently nobody does that one >.< The train between oxford road and Lancaster is only 55 minutes, direct every hour. Although the uni is a bloody trek away :tongue:

Reply 19

SunnyYellow

Original post by Seentje

I assume that isn't quicker for me otherwise the national rail website would bring that one up? It is good to know though if I ever need to find an alternative route.