We need to move for the woman’s job and Calderdale is our favourite at the moment. Holmfirth is the most practical place to live for us (Leeds and Manch commutes working a long way from the train stations) but it’s too close to my parents for either of us.

Does anyone work in Manchester (her work is at the hospital) and commute from Hebden Bridge/Sowerby Bridge? Google suggests it’s a 45 minute drive before traffic, but what is it on a morning? An hour and a quarter?

At the moment we live in Sheffield and it says an hour commute but the reality is on an evening going through Mottram it’s 2 hours. Fortunately it’s still only an hour at most for me and I’m not in the office often anyway.

Thanks very much.

I live in Rochdale but i know the area well.

The problem with Calderdale heading West, is that there really is only one way out of the valley towards the motorway and Manchester. Tod road through Littleborough is choked pretty much every morning, my friend lives in L’boro centre and it can take him 45 minutes just to get to the roundabout with Albert Royd Street – a distance of 2 miles or so.

Best would be to catch the train to Manchester.

What about living in Sowerby Bridge and driving through Ripponden then? Is that any easier?

what about that part of huddersfield that’s ok and close to the motorway, Marsh or Longwood or whatever the area is called?.

Sowerby bridge up to ripponden isnt a bad run. Sowerby bridge can be busy at certain times but once youre out of it youre OK. I’d be more concerned with the M62. I hate the run from calderdale to manchester – it can be like a car park on some sections. Fortunately I dont do it very often 🙂
But living in Calerdale has it obvious benefits – if youre a mountain biker!!

I used to commute to W Yorks from Rochdale. The run through Sowerby and Ripponden is OK, but doesn’t avoid the evil bit of the M62, which is between J25 & 27 going into Leeds. Eastbound, evil part is getting across J18 in the morning.

When you say ‘at the hospital’, which hospital do you mean? The advice would be completely different for, say, MRI than it would for USHM or NMGH.

what about that part of huddersfield that’s ok and close to the motorway, Marsh or Longwood or whatever the area is called?.

Lindley? By HRI?

Andy

Surely if you were going to manchester from ripponden you would be joining at junction 22 – which is way after junctions 25-27?

Ah yes – I used to use it as the back way into Halifax. You’re right; you’d come on at 22 but that can be straight into the tailbacks from J18.

Andy

She works by MRI.

I don’t want to live in Huddersfield again, but Holmfirth would do if we can stand my folks being so close. Seems cheaper than calderdale too.

I do Bacup to Manchester….about 40mins to 50mins
Also Bacup to Warrington….About an hour

Hebden to Bacup would be about 15 – 20 mins

Hmmmmmm. The M60 in the morning? I travel in the other direction. A fact that makes me deliriously happy. I watch the ever-so-slightly-moving, rolling car park, edging its way inch-by-painful-inch towards Manchester, after it grinds to a halt around J18/19.

Do that every day? You’d have to be out of your mind, or a total masochist!

If going via Hebden/Tod M62 it’s a nightmare – budget 2 hours at peak times. Seriously.
Longer via Bacup Rawtenstall but can be quicker.

Ripponden is better, but the M62 is horrendous.
Just a lottery as to how bad it will be.

Train is your best bet, even though it’s crowded, filthy, unreliable and extortionate.

Sorry.

Holmfirth would be easier than Calderdale to get to the MRI – straight run along the A635.

Andy

What about Saddleworth area places like Delph / Diggle?

You could have a decent run to MRI from there but also you would be well placed for doing the M62 east which would be better maybe?

+ Great riding.

Wait til I see your mum and dad.

Whitworth to Warrington – 40 minutes in clear traffic only done that at midnight.

Mornings were the worst. Best time was 1 hr. Several mornings went through central manchester as ring road was shut. 1 morning joined queue north of rochdale. Turned round and went back to bed. The most awful stretch of motorway I have ever had to use.

Evening if out by 4 were better only just, could get under an hour if I was lucky.

Take breakfast, you will be stationary. A large travel mug ran out. Don’t forget a paper you can do a crossword.

Consider leaning to fly.

Half of this ^^^^ is bollox.
If you leave early then it’s not too bad so get to J22 by 7am and you’re okay dropping down into Manchester. If you’re job is a strict 9-5 then it will be bad for sure but stories of 2hrs are on VERY bad days when there are accidents, bad snow etc…
I’ve been commuting Leeds-Warrington several days a week for 5 years now and it is not 2hrs each way but I don’t work 9-5.
Granted in another few years it probably will be really bad all day every day.
I think LapSteel is right with his timings

Used to do Sowerby Bridge to Chadderton on a daily basis took about 1hr 15 mins generally, so going in to the city centre I’d budget another 20-30 mins if you were driving.

The morning run from Sowerby Bridge to the motorway is generally fairly clear its just what awaits at when you get to M62 – as others have said its an absolute lottery as with any busy motorway.

Coming back was generally better but you can get snarled up getting through Sowerby Bridge. In this instance you’d be much better looking at Ripponden/Barkisland/Greetland.

One thing to bear in mind when looking at the train option is that not all trains stop at Sowerby Bridge, so you generally end up on the one stopping at every station and again it can take an hour to an hour and 10 mins and can feel extremely slow going if you are in a hurry.

The train journey from Hebden would be far more preferable but then you have a balance with traffic up and down the valley road which can be a total nightmare.

If I had to regularly commute in to Manchester city centre I’d much to prefer to do it from the Huddersfield side – Marsden/Delph/Diggle.

IMO Hebden to Manchester centre is defo best done by train – it’s 40 mins, and a regular commute for plenty of locals. Pack waterproofs.

That’s why I said ‘peak times’.

At midnight, Tod to central Manchester is just under an hour, at the speed limit.

Traffic doubles that.
And the 62 is at a standstill from 7ish every single morning.

Rishworth and Ripponden are really nice areas and are spitting distance from Fax and Hudds for shopping and two minutes from junction 22 on the M62.

OK, I’m pretty well placed to answer this. For a year I used to commute from Halifax, around Manchester to Knutsford. It was hellish. But… the commute you’re suggesting wouldn’t be anywhere near as bad, especially doing the Sowerby Bridge > Ryburn Valley run. Once on the M62 towards Manchester, its not actually too bad until you hit jct18 where the M60 heads south. If you go around the M60 clockwise the traffic is generally ok until you get to within 4 or 5 miles of Stockport.

If you were going to do Calderdale > Manc then I’d look at living somewhere with good access to the M62. Hebden doesn’t (IMHO) fit that bill. South Halifax (where I am), Sowerby Bridge, Ripponden/Rishworth and all the villages between Ripponden and Elland would be my choice. Some really lovely places around there as well and obviously the access to riding on your doorstep is worth its weight in gold!

The only part of a Calderdale > Manc commute is once you’re off the M60 and heading into town. Suppose those routes must get pretty choked but unless there are accidents on the M62 its a pretty clear run.

Know what you mean about the parents too. Ours are in York and that feels too close sometimes!

Not commuting but I’ve driven, ridden and got the train between Manchester and Tod/Hebden many times.

In good conditions, late at night, weekends etc it can be done in 45 minutes. Equally there have been times where it’s taken me over 2hrs.

Total lottery, 10 minutes either way can mean the difference between a clear run and stop-start traffic all the way. I’d get the train into Manchester Victoria, at least that’s a consistent 40-45 minutes.

Friend of mine does it on the train. Seems to work fine.

If you’re job is a strict 9-5 then it will be bad for sure but stories of 2hrs are on VERY bad days when there are accidents, bad snow etc..

ie: every single day. There is always an accident around the Worsley interchange. ALWAYS! believe me. I watch them queuing every single morning, while thankfully going in the opposite direction. I have never ever seen the M60 into Manchester free-flowing after junction 18, at peak times. EVER!

Dangerous beans-new dinnae you dare 😡 all objections are on her part.

Doesn’t sound as pleasant as it could be. I know if I was doing it I would go from Holmfirth as there’s no motorways and it is relatively easy. Also not too bad for getting to the bit of Leeds I work in. And the trails are good. I fear she will be one of those people that causes dangerous overtakes on the a635 over the tops by driving at 40 all the time.

Thanks for your help everyone.

ElShalimo – Member
Half of this ^^^^ is bollox.
If you leave early then it’s not too bad so get to J22 by 7am and you’re okay dropping down into Manchester. If you’re job is a strict 9-5 then it will be bad for sure but stories of 2hrs are on VERY bad days when there are accidents, bad snow etc…

Cheers, I and most of the others must have imagined it. Getting to J22 by 7am would have been nice but left me far too early for work. I generally left at 7 and joined a queue from 19 through to Eccles. It was one of the greatest waste of life I have done.

If you’re stuck with peak rush hour commute then it is pretty bad but I reckon it is not ALWAYS 2hrs each way hence my comments. Getting on the M62 at J21/22 will be better than joining from 18/19/20 as these junctions are less busy.

If it really is 2hrs each way, (and I’m just an idiot with incredibly good luck driving down the same road a bit earlier), then why do people spend 4hrs a day going to/from work? Madness
Leaving earlier and spending 15-30 mins having a coffee before starting work is better than sat being frustrated in the car. Also, most employers can be flexible nowadays so asking to start/leave earlier may be a good idea for those sat on the M62 at peak times

Just to wade in; i have done the M62 for nearly 5 years, either to Warrington, Blackpool or Bolton – I can get on at J26 or 27 – would always recommend J26, which offers some nice little villages in scope(Birkenshaw is pleasant) – for some reason, J27 is where the hell begins heading West, think it’s people coming off for J26.

J24 Halifax, means you have to go down (and back) the A629, which is a pig IME.

M62, although full of luntaics, in my opinion is the best part of the journey; it’s getting to the motorway that’s the problem, which is where I’m peronally lucky, but many are not.

Elshalimo – do you ever notice that Bright Green 1994ish Honda Civic, battered, lowered, huge Subaru-style exhaust and covered in more stickers that you could envisage possible? See him most days, still makes me chuckle.

I quit and moved to Oz that solved it.

Getting out of the valleys is a pain as mostly 1 road in each so any problems backs up. Hopefully public transport will improve but it was 2 trains and 7 miles of riding for me.

Minimum time 1 hr from Whitworth
Average time 1 hr 20
Worst time 4 hrs

Was stuck with the location.

A lot of you say m62 to Manchester is ok but say to Leeds is bad. So while it may solve her commute it sounds like it will be bad for me.

mikewsmith

That’s one hell of a commute to Manchester
😉

dribbling – Member

Not seen the Civic, but recently a guy in his early 20s has been going over the moors about 06:45 in a beige ‘R’ reg Ford Capri. It looks like a basic 1.6 LS? in mint condition.
Great to see someone not in a 4/5 door euro-box, he sometimes wears a vintage flying jacket too for added effect. I hoping that he’ll be sporting driving gloves and a pipe soon to complete the look.

A lot of you say m62 to Manchester is ok but say to Leeds is bad. So while it may solve her commute it sounds like it will be bad for me.

Got it in one.

I’ve spent the last six months going from Rochdale to Bradford; consistently (for an 0800 start) it’s slow between J25 & 26 after 0730. After J26 it often looks like it’s completely stopped. God alone knows what it’s like for an 0900 start, but I suspect it’s dreadful.

It may improve once the managed motorway stuff is up and running though.

Andy

Munroebiker; yeah – it’s dreadful heading into Leeds, but where I live around J26/27, it’s no problem at all getting into Leeds; the trouble starts eastbound before then in the morning (around J24/26 from memory), joining at 26/27 wouldn’t be a problem.

You can even go down the A58 (if your North of M62), but that snarls up post 8pm.

Elshalimo – I did spot a capri oddly enough, but it was painted in hammerite and looked like it had no interior at all! One of those on-going projects methinks..I hit the moors about that time though, so will keep an eye out!

+1 for Saddleworth. 30 Mins on the train from Greenfield or 45 minutes in the car. The train is in the subsidised zone so only £85 per month. I sold my car when we moved and havn’t looked back.

More importantly the riding scene is great. At least 3/4 separate groups regularly out 2/3 times per week catering for all from XC whippets to crank/plummet.

Yep, heading towards Leeds is a pain. Its the nature of the beast – everyone heading towards work.

Where in Leeds are you? From Halifax/Sowerby Bridge there are regular trains into Leeds although the (much) faster line is the Huddersfield one. Then bus/walk/another train from Leeds station into work?

The train isn’t an option for me, I work all over with a van load of kit and leave the office a couple of times a day to go on site (I’m a geologist). The office is at Thorpe park.

I do wonder if a lot of this is to do with the roadworks. Maybe it will get better when they can open the hard shouldered at rush hour? That’s a lot to stake a move on though.

binners – Member

ie: every single day. There is always an accident around the Worsley interchange. ALWAYS! believe me.

Indeed. People can’t seem to cope with not tail-gating or lane-swerving at the merging of the M61-M60 and M60-M62/M602 in a series of lashed-together, never quite completed-as-the-Brave-New-World-planners-intended junctions with some very ‘creative’ slip-roads and narrow lanes where 3 have been squeezed in where 2 lanes used to be. Considering the volume of traffic it probably isn’t too high an accident rate.

If the M60 itself is ok, then the M62 towards Warrington can snarl up, with traffic backing up onto the M60. And then, of course, there’s the M6 just along the road.

Throw in the sheep shoppers visiting the nearby Trafford Centre during the build-up to Xmas and it’s even better.

DaveyBoyWonder – Member

Yep, heading towards Leeds is a pain. Its the nature of the beast – everyone heading towards work. Very satisfying filtering past the stationary vehicles for miles and miles on a motorbike though….

I used to Accrington- Deansgate, and to be honest, didn’t find it ‘that’ bad… less than an hour in the morning..

And if on the return trip, I left at 17:00hrs, I could be home in about 40mins..