[Closed] Commuting across the Pennines

I live in leigh near Wigan, worked in leeds for two years.

Back then the traffic coming into manchester from your side was appalling. Now you can get down to Stockport via the east side M60 I reckon it'll be a lot easier.

How to stay sane? Try and arrange to be allowed to start early and leave early. That made a big difference for me. But one accident on the motorway and you'll be two hours late no matter what.
Get the most economical car that is is possible to own. Drive it like an old lady. Get plenty of audio books.
That drive over the tops when the weather is bad and you're tired and pissed off...it's god-awful.

I drive down the east side of the M60, which is much better than the trafford centre side. You need to be getting to stockport not much after 7.15 or you'll be sat there.

Ilkley to stockport every day?? Thats a big chunk of spare time and cash on fuel gone every week.

That wouldn't actually be too bad traffic-wise, I reckon. As Samuri said, you don't need to touch the hellish Manchester stretch of the M60. You even go straight under Simister Island on the M66. I'd imagine it could be an interesting journey if we have a winter like the last one. You're going to encounter a lot of snow

Unless it was an absolute dream job, or paying a serious wad I wouldn't even consider it.

M66 can be an absolute nightmare most mornings going toward Manchester unless you hit it uber early.

Like others have said, its a long time to spend in a car plus expense. Summer is doable but it will be an absolute grind in winter.

Life's too short!

The sooner they build a series of enormous tunnels east to west under the lot, the better.

molgrips - Member

The sooner they build a series of enormous tunnels east to west under the lot, the better.

Excessive mixing of the Lancashire/Yorkshire gene pools could either:

a) Massively reduce the friendliness and IQ of the average Lancastrian.
b) Create a hybrid race of superintelligent, welcoming but tight Northern superfolk.

Are you sure you've thought this through?

Weirdly, I'm currently considering the doableness of going the other way (Stockport to Halifax).

Stockport to Halifax? A6/M60/M62. Not if it were the last job on earth!!!!

Train? I did Sheffield - Manchester and found the train to be quicker than driving and less stressful (marginal when on a train full of screaming school kids after a stressful day in the office).

Cheers

Danny B

Or, alternatively, over the tops to Glossop, over the tops to Holmfirth, Hudders, Halifax.

There's obviously a lot of 'over the tops' there though, so probably not a winter route...

You'll be borderline psychotic within a month! You'd be spending more time in your car than on all your other activities combined, including sleeping. I'd be hard pushed to think of a worse journey

If that's where the work is though...

Then I'd move house. You'll have reached that same conclusion within a week, I promise you. Told you you should have looked north, in the first place! 😉

Stockport to Halifax? A6/M60/M62. Not if it were the last job on earth!!!!

You forgot the A629 at J24 which would be a bind going home 😀

I do Leeds-Bolton, but I can leave when I want and get travel time, so I can't complain at all really, but after 5 years I'm starting to think I'm playing russian roulette each time I get on that damned M62 and witness the loonies, incompetents, lorries and accidents.

Are you sure you've thought this through?

About as well as any recent government would have. It's probably affordable and technically feasible, innit?

I do Bacup to Droylesden every day, takes 45 to 50 mins. M60 is usually fine, M66 / A56 Ok, 60 mphish coming through at 7:15. The journey you're proposing, no chance, used to do a 75 minute commute either way to Warrington, never again. One crash though and you'll be late. Seen about 2 biggies in 12 months. I'd only consider doing that commute if the holiday entitlement was massive, lots of money wouldn't be enough.

Oh, I come off the M60 at junction 23 and can usually see the brake lights coming on as the traffic grinds to a halt heading towards Stockport.

[i]Told you you should have looked north, in the first place! [/i]

Don't you start, the little lady has already made that point...

I live in Harrogate and occasionally work from our Stockport office. It's 2 hours 10 by train, and not too bad a journey as a one off, if you can get a seat on the Leeds-Manchester portion. I don't do it daily though as it's a bit much, if I'm there for more than one day I stay over. In Manchester. Stockport (or at least the bit I work in) is a dump)

The road journey is horrible, esp the 50 limit on the m62, and the m60 bit is ALWAYS busy.

As said above really. If it's a dream job or mega money, move closer or look elsewhere.

Google says that's 1:20. That's 15 hours a week commuting, assuming there are no delays. There [i]will[/i] be delays.

IHN - Member
Weirdly, I'm currently considering the doableness of going the other way (Stockport to Halifax).

If djglover and IHN are in the same line of work, I spy an obvious solution 🙂

Lifes too short

Not sure I would drop down to the M62 from Ilkley. Over the back of Carlton to Colne, M65, M60.

Still wouldn't contemplate it, even without the M62.

i did ilkley - droylsden/ ilkley prestwich for many years..

this is serous commuting and shouldnt be entered into lightly.. you must like driving and you must like paying for petrol(often).

firstly route..

m65/m66/m60 clear never any holdups of note 10 years i had with no weather concerns..

over Haworth/ hebden bridge/ littleborough m62 m60 loads of chances to be held up takes a long time but is a pleasant drive.. its a long way.. over 60 miles each way.. only twice had to change route for snow and three times for flooding..

the time of day makes a big difference .. i used to delay departure till the tea time rush was over and started later to avoid the rush hour..

bits you ll hate.. ilkley to stockport.. m66 boring and always longer than you think..stockport to ilkey.. colne to cowling.. colne end of the m65 waiting for the traffic lights

did i mention its a long way? i dont think i would do it again especially with a family.. ( was young free and single at the time)

did i mention its going to be the thick end of 1.5 hours each way? sure you can do it in 30 mins if your in WCA'a merc with no regard of the speed limit or fuel consumption.. but in real life its a long drive.. dont listen to radio you ll fry your brain.

i cant imagine , even though i was born and brought up in ilkley, why you live there with the blue rinse brigade when you could live Tod or hebden cut the journey time in half and ride a bike a lot more..

DONT DO IT!!

DONT DO IT!!

Mmm, suspected that might be the general consensus.

On the plus side I *think* I could get away with 3 days a week in the office and 2 at home...

I used to do Bolton - Oldham then back to Bolton every Morning then a full days driving delivering.

The morning part was the bit that finally put the nail in the coffin of that job.

I left at 7 am latest, got to Oldham anytime between 7.30 and 8 depending on the traffic, 20 mins turnaround so back around 8ish.

That was the worst bit. The M62 was mostly crawling and the M66 upto simister southbound was always stopped in lanes 1 & 2 which often affected the other lanes. Like everyone else has said, one RTC or incident and its game over.

A few times I didn't even make it in the morning and just had to meet a colleague with my delivery s for the morning
.
Unless its a desperate situation, that job or no job for example, I'd not even consider it.

If you like driving now, don't do it as you will hate it by the end 😉