Re: OT - Warrington to Manchester City Centre commute : Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:11 am  

I have commuted to City Centre Manchester everyday for the past 20 years.
There is not an inch of tarmac on the M62 that I do not know.

To do the journey in a car you need to start work before 7:30 and not leave between 4:30 and 6pm.
Outside of these times it is regularly 40 minutes each way.

The train from Central to Piccadilly is excellent frequent and nearly always on time.
I don't do the train because I start at 7am in the morning and if any train gets cancelled it is the first train at 6am, I asked about this and they told me that if a driver calls in sick they have cover for the day but the first train of the day is the one to suffer.

About 4 years ago I changed from the car to a Motorbike and now I can do the journey at any time of day in less than 35 minutes, and I live the opposite side of Warrington to the M62. If I didn't start so early in the morning I would do it by train in the winter, you can get a weekly ticket for about £25 and then by bike in the Spring, Summer and Autumn.

Re: OT - Warrington to Manchester City Centre commute : Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:47 am  

Saddened! wrote:

As I know you all love me so much on here I was wondering if any of you do a Warrington - Manchester City Centre commute or have done in the past?

I am potentially moving to another job there and was wondering as to the best way. The last time I worked in Manchester was around 8 years ago then the M62 took an hour. Is it still like that and if so what are the trains like in a morning?

I live in Sale and, for one day a month, work at the retail park near Wilderspool at a client's office. I go via the M56. From the return journey I go through Woolston, onto the M6 for a junction or two then on to the M56. Brings you into Manchester on the Princess Parkway. M62 is a nightmare, naturally.

Re: OT - Warrington to Manchester City Centre commute : Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:52 am  

M62 is now worse than the M6.

Re: OT - Warrington to Manchester City Centre commute : Sun Jan 23, 2011 10:59 am  

As someone else has mentioned, the trains are pretty good and reilable these days. I do it every day from Central to Piccadilly and most of the time its fine, it a little busy. Best buying a 12 month season ticket if you can manage it as fares could go up this year.

You can also park for free within 5 mins walk of Central Station if you know where to go.

Re: OT - Warrington to Manchester City Centre commute : Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:08 am  

Saddened! wrote:

As I know you all love me so much on here I was wondering if any of you do a Warrington - Manchester City Centre commute or have done in the past?

I am potentially moving to another job there and was wondering as to the best way. The last time I worked in Manchester was around 8 years ago then the M62 took an hour. Is it still like that and if so what are the trains like in a morning?

I worked in the City Centre for 6 months before finding another job due to commution. THe M62 was bad at the time, though admittedly not as bad as it is now, so always used to drive to Central as my girlfriend had a flat there, and get the train in. 8:17 East Midlands train it was. Started off with 5 carriages, then as the weeks passed, it went down to 4, then 3 and then finally went down to 2 carriages.

The fighting to get on the train was ridiculous and when you missed it, you had to wait for the Northern Rail stopper, which was also two carriages and just as packed. When I went into work for about the 10th time late, I decided enough was enough, and I got another job which is a smooth 15 minute drive from home, well, for about 6 weeks anyway, then my new job starts which is about a 5 minute car journey away.

Well done if you get the job, but the best of luck commuting because you're sure as hell gonna need it!

Re: OT - Warrington to Manchester City Centre commute : Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:20 am  

I used to travel into the city centre on the train around 4 times a week for University and then for Man Utd games. Sometimes from Central and on the odd occasions from Bank Quay. If there were delays they weren't too long, and if you do need to stand it's not a long journey. Better than battling the motorway then finding parking.

It has been 5 years this year since I finished Uni, so I don't know what it's like now.

Re: OT - Warrington to Manchester City Centre commute : Sun Jan 23, 2011 12:18 pm  

Depends really what time you need to be in work for and where abouts in the City centre it is?

I used to travel from Birchwood to the Palace Hotel on Oxford Road 5 days a week by car, leaving between 7am and 7.15am meant I would be in work for between 7.45 and 8.15am. If Man U are at home during the week it could be a nightmare trying to get back to the M602 to get home so for your sake let's hope they get knocked out of the Champions League soon!!

I'm not really a morning person so the fact I didn't have to acknowledge people meant that the car was always my prefered option!

Re: OT - Warrington to Manchester City Centre commute : Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:01 pm  

The offices are on Oxford Road near Manchester Uni/Business School.

I would guess it'll be either 9-5 or 8-4.

Re: OT - Warrington to Manchester City Centre commute : Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:48 pm  

I spent a year commuting to the city centre before moving there. I lived in Thelwall so it was easier for me to drive to Alti and then get the Metrolink. They're every six minutes so I didn't have to stress and rush to make the station for a particular time.

I also drove in for a couple of months on the 56 then princess parkway. Prefered the stress freeness of the Met but oddly prefered driving to Manc than driving into Warrington in the morning

Re: OT - Warrington to Manchester City Centre commute : Sun Jan 23, 2011 5:51 pm  

I drive it every day and never have any problems. But I do start at 6.30am.