Between the Lines

Travel to Manchester Airport is one of the major markets for TransPennine Express, but the train operator doesn’t always serve its airport passengers well. I travelled from Huddersfield to Manchester Piccadilly on a late running Middlesbrough – Manchester Airport service on 24 July. The train was 14 minutes late from Huddersfield, but even this far back it was shown as going to Piccadilly only. The conductor apologised, and promised passengers for the airport that if they stayed on platform 13 at Piccadilly they could expect another train to the airport in six or seven minutes.