In this suggestion i am suggesting Liverpool Lime Street - Manchester Victoria via Lea Green, This route would be roughly 30 miles and would include the 319 Northern Trains, 331 Northern Trains and 802 Transpenine Express. Stops along the way, Liverpool Lime Street, Edge Hill, Wavertree Technology Park, Broad Green, Roby, Huyton, Whiston, Rainhill, Lea Green, St Helens Junction, Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows, Patricroft, Eccles, Salford Central and Manchester Victoria.
Done well Id make this a day 1 purchase, even more so if they included the 7 or so miles from Earlestown down to Warrington BQ and threw in the TfW services from Manchester to Llandudno and the infrequent Northern service Liverpool LS to Warrington BQ. We could also see the Drax Biomass trains behind a Class 66 running on the line to break up the passenger services.
