Vans broke and in the garage so need other options.
Looking up Rochdale to Warrington by train 90mins minimum with some of the suggested turnaround times being 15s if I want to use the bike to get to and from the stations and I have to chance my luck with one of the 2 bike spaces allocated first come first served, any experience on the lines, will I get my bike on or will I just be nicking your space??

At this rate it will be quicker to chance my luck down the hard shoulder of the M62/60

Not sure which line you'd be on but all the lines in the north west are fairly similar – overcrowded at rush hour and dead outside rush hour.

sounds great, will pack an axe instaed of the bike

I suspect it'll be a bit lighter than the liverpool>manchester train, as that was rammed to the point of having to miss a couple of trains in a row due to overcrowding at rush hour, and thats without a bike! But if you get the 10am trains or can get as low as the pre-8am trains you're generally safe for getting a bike on, but expect to stand with it and guard it 🙂

Also be prepared to be infuriated by the people on the train, the people near the trains, the staff who clearly can't be arsed collecting tickets and if you offer to pay by card expect to be shot on sight (apparently thats wholely unacceptable despite them having the machines). Oh, and you may need that axe if you're coming home after 8ishpm. Lost track of the number of drunks fighting I've seen on trains!

hard shoulder of M62 sounds very appealing right now

dont forget theres the need to change at victoria and transfer to deansgate/oxford road or picadilly station depending which is easier/nearer. and theres no metro in the city centre ATM. and if there was – you cant (supposedly) take your bike on the metro, especially during rush hour when theres only room for sardines.

was going to walk run or ride between the 2 as it's only a mile