Hypothetical railway lottery win

[Bodiddly]

You have just won a gigantic amount of money to be used for a railway infrastructure improvement. What would your suggestion(s) be? You can be extremely selfish. (within some reason)!

I would have;
Inverness - Aberdeen doubled throughout and electrified with a half hourly service with brand new EMU's

Inverness - Perth doubled throughout and electrified with a half hourly service with brand new EMU's

Inverness - Dingwall doubled with a half hourly service with new DMU's.

A new line from Dingwall to the Black Isle.

A new line to be built between Inverness and Fort William via the North shore of Loch Ness with stations/loops at Kinmylies, Lochend, Abriachan, Drumnadrochit, Invermorriston, Invergarry and Fort Augustus. We would now be picking up the old Spean Bridge route here with another halt/loop at Gairlochy, but now heading South through to Banavie and Fort William. As this would be a tourist line, frequency wouldn't be important. Brand new scenic stock consisting of Locos and coaches.

A new branch from Garve to Ullapool to connect with the ferries to Lewis with brand new DMU's.

Please remember, this is pure fantasy so there should be no posts with It'll never happen due to costs etc.

Knock yourselves out!

 

[scarby]

Re-open the Scarborough-Whitby and Scarborough-Pickering lines and restore platforms 6, 7, 8 and 9 at Scarborough.

 

[Merseysider]

Have an extra line between Picc and Man Airport so you can increase the amount of stoppers to 3 hourly and have the fasts overtake; similar to the Hope Valley line.

Reopen the junction and set of track between Wallasey Village and Bidston (thus enabling through services New Brighton - West Kirby).

Oh and I'd want a line between Southport and Preston

 

[najaB]

I'd reopen Perth to Kinnaber Junction and electrify Aberdeen to both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Then there could be new Race to the North!

 

[nuneatonmark]

I would re-open the Somerset and Dorset, upgrade and electrify the Birmingham to Stansted line to at least 100mph and re-open the old LSWR route through Okehampton.

 

[Mattessex1986]

Instead of it going down to two lines at shenfield from london, make it four lines through to colchester. Also reopen the line from sudbury through to cambridge

 

[Class 66's]

Add extra tracks at Wellingborough and have two tracks for freight . One electrified the other not.

 

[Trainfan344]

I'd rebuild the line from Stoke-on-Trent to Alton Towers, rebuild Stoke-on-Trent Station by making platform 3 longer and build a south facing bay, oh and I'd make sure it was operated by heritage loco's

 

[Whistler40145]

Build a chord in the Bletchley area, so trains could run direct from Milton Keynes without the need for a reversal.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

I would reopen lines from:
Peterborough-Boston-Louth-Grimsby.
Then have an improved line from Grimsby to Immingham via the old electric railway and then onto the branchline to East Halton with an tunnel extention to Hull.
This will provide much needed rail links for unconnected areas.
In the ATOC connecting communities report. Th Louth to Grimsby line is expected to cost 150million.
If a track connection to the current line in Hull then reopening lines from Scarborough to Middlesbrough via Saltburn and Whitby could make a real East Coast line.

But I would like an El-Train network to be built in my town like the one in GTA3. Urban transit would be more useful for most people in my area. As the buses are Stagecoach they have killed all rival bus companies and run late

 

[adrock1976]

I would build a high speed line linking Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Newcastle.

The stations would be sited at former College Goods Yard (Glasgow), Newbridge (Edinburgh), and some other location in Newcastle to be decided.

Both the Glasgow and Edinburgh stations would provide an interchange with local services and connections to both the airports. Additionally, the former College Goods Yard site for the Glasgow high speed station can provide an interchange with the much anticipated Glasgow Crossrail.

Furthermore, before any other sections of high speed rail are built northwards from London, I would re-instate the missing track between Matlock and Buxton so as to provide an alternative route to Manchester, and to re-instate direct links from the East Midlands to Manchester that were lost when the track was torn up.

In peace

Adam

 

[SS4]

I would upgrade the Sutton Park Line to passenger services and put a station in the titular park. Similarly upgrade Camp Hill so it can see regular services

Drill tunnels under Brum city centre and divert the cross city and chase lines into the underground station.

 

[jopsuk]

out of Liverpool Street:
6 tracks (including Crossrail) up the GE. Additional pair underneath mains, providing weatherproofing. 6 to Shenfield, 4 to north of Ipswich, fast lines 200mph.
Connect Enfield, Chingford, Hertford East and Harlow Town into Cross rail 2. New fast lines from Hackney Downs all the way to Harlow. Minor stations from there to Cambridge put on passing loops. 200mph fast trains. Double track to Kings Lynn, at least 100mph.

Stansted-Braintree line.

Cambridge-Haverhill reopen, through to Sudbury and then Colchester, double track, electric

Double track Cambridge-Newmarket. Electric.

Electrify all Suffolk and Norfolk branches.

Kings Lynn-Hunstanton (unclear) Sherringham-Cromer line

That should more or less do, yeah?

 

[Whistler40145]

Build a new line linking the Wolverhampton-New Street line in the Soho area to the Snow Hill line, thus enabling several local and CrossCountry services to be diverted away from New Street.

 

[thenorthern]

I would quadruple the track from Stoke Junction to Harecastle Junction and re-build Stoke-on-Trent and Longport stations.

I would try and get the main line through Manchester rebuilt to that from Piccadilly to Deansgate is at least 4 tracks with each station having at least 4 platforms.

 

[Whistler40145]

That's quite a challenge!

 

[RichmondCommu]

I would upgrade the Sutton Park Line to passenger services and put a station in the titular park. Similarly upgrade Camp Hill so it can see regular services

Drill tunnels under Brum city centre and divert the cross city and chase lines into the underground station.

I think you should include HS2 in your plans. Leipzig in Germany have done something very similar. What you have suggested is exactly what the DfT should be planning for Birmingham.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Build a new line linking the Wolverhampton-New Street line in the Soho area to the Snow Hill line, thus enabling several local and CrossCountry services to be diverted away from New Street.

I know this is all a bit of fun but would you not be better having one central station in Birmingham i.e. Birmingham NS on perhaps three different levels?

 

[alexl92]

Upgrade the ECML for 140mph running and update the 91s and MKIVs to keep them on that route in place of the IEP (Personal gripe!)

More realistically, re-instate the Harrogate - Ripon - Melmerby - Northallerton line as a heritage line also running regular commuter services on weekdays. I'd have it link up with the Wensleydale which would be fully connected to both Northallerton & Hawes.

I'd also like to see Leeds and/or Harrogate to Wetherby returned, either as NR or heritage.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Upgrade the ECML for 140mph running and update the 91s and MKIVs to keep them on that route in place of the IEP (Personal gripe!)

More realistically, re-instate the Harrogate - Ripon - Melmerby - Northallerton line as a heritage line also running regular commuter services on weekdays. I'd have it link up with the Wensleydale which would be fully connected to both Northallerton & Hawes.

I'd also like to see Leeds and/or Harrogate to Wetherby returned, either as NR or heritage.

Class 91's were designed for 140mph running, hence their nickname 'Intercity 225' which is the kmh speed.
They are limited because they have no incab signalling only.
It is very realistic they can be speeded up.
Also they were built with the possibillity for tilting to be added later.

 

[Aictos]

As this is fantasy and unlikely to happen I would...

Electrify existing diesel islands, including lines such as Uckfield, North Downs, Ely to Peterborough/Norwich/Ipswich, Cambridge to Ipswich, Grantham to Nottingham, Peterborough to Birmingham, Peterborough to Doncaster via Lincoln including spur from Newark Northgate to Lincoln, All TPE routes, Basingstoke to Exeter including Eastleigh Figure of 8, Ore to Ashford Int, Doncaster to Hull, Preston to Blackpool South/Colne, Blackburn to Leeds via Bradford Interchange, Carlisle to Glasgow via Dumfries.

 

[BantamMenace]

New North Sea tunnel to Amsterdam from the humber coast somewhere accompanied by new high speed line from tunnel to Hull - Leeds - Manchester - Liverpool and another from Hull - York - Newcastle - Edinburgh - Glasgow.

Hourly high speed services from Liverpool to Amsterdam and onto the continent. Same from Newcastle. Dominate the north of england to Amsterdam market.

Extend high speed lines down to HS1, operate services to Paris, dominate that market.
Gradually bring more and more places on the continent within 5 hours of British cities.

 

[alexl92]

Class 91's were designed for 140mph running, hence their nickname 'Intercity 225' which is the kmh speed.
They are limited because they have no incab signalling only.
It is very realistic they can be speeded up.
Also they were built with the possibillity for tilting to be added later.

I know, but the alternative to the IEP was for one of the leasing companies (I think it was Angel Trains) to re-engineer the 91s and refresh the MkIVs to prolong their life, so I'm working on the basis that you'd give them some kind of work - maybe to make them more efficient or something? I'd happily keep them as they are!

I'd also restore the Flying Badger (89001) to main line condition and use it as a spare.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

I know, but the alternative to the IEP was for one of the leasing companies (I think it was Angel Trains) to re-engineer the 91s and refresh the MkIVs to prolong their life, so I'm working on the basis that you'd give them some kind of work - maybe to make them more efficient or something? I'd happily keep them as they are!

I'd also restore the Flying Badger (89001) to main line condition and use it as a spare.

I don't see why the 91's aren't improved and the IEP trains used elsewhere. IEP that the government wants could be done better for cheaper with your plan.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

New North Sea tunnel to Amsterdam from the humber coast somewhere accompanied by new high speed line from tunnel to Hull - Leeds - Manchester - Liverpool and another from Hull - York - Newcastle - Edinburgh - Glasgow.

Hourly high speed services from Liverpool to Amsterdam and onto the continent. Same from Newcastle. Dominate the north of england to Amsterdam market.

Extend high speed lines down to HS1, operate services to Paris, dominate that market.
Gradually bring more and more places on the continent within 5 hours of British cities.

If this nice tunnel is going from the Humber may I suggest a small spur to Immingham as it's the UK's largest port by tonnage. A link from there to Europort would boast the whole economy. Freight could use it at night when no one travels.

 

[Starmill]

I would re-open an electrified route from Cross Gates to Wetherby.

Oh wait that's an entirely feasible project that would have a very strong case if anyone bothered to look into it...

 

[jopsuk]

Separate out all the London "metro" services and build them new, underground tracks, all connected across the centre (crossrail style) and built to UIC GC+ Gauge, 200m platforms

Rebuild all the Underground (both Subsurface and Tube) lines to the same spec. Make the Circle a four-track, grade separated formation with dedicated tracks for just Circle services and District/H&C/Met services operating as expresses.

 

[Strathclyder]

I'd completely refurbish all of the Argyle Line's stations between Partick & Dalmarnock (Exhibition Centre, Anderston, Glasgow Central Low Level, Argyle Street & Bridgeton).
Any money left over would go to a brand new station building for my local station, Singer.

 

[Clip]

Bulldoze the lot and make a network of guided bus ways

 

[Trainfan344]

Bulldoze the lot and make a network of guided bus ways

I can imagine that going down well. "Don't you just hate being on a train for 4 hours?" Well now that journey is going to be 3 times longer but on a bus!!

 

[alexl92]

I don't see why the 91's aren't improved and the IEP trains used elsewhere. IEP that the government wants could be done better for cheaper with your plan.

This was the point Angel Trains were making too. They presented an entirely viable business plan to do the full thing at a much lower cost and the government was too obsessed with IEP to listen.


Theoretically, is it possible to convert part of the DVT into a further carriage, to increase capacity? The regulations that prevented that in the first place are no longer in place and I can't imagine that the entirety of the parcels van is still needed?

 

[dgl]

I can imagine that going down well. "Don't you just hate being on a train for 4 hours?" Well now that journey is going to be 3 times longer but on a bus!!

Just put driving wheels on pacers, then you can have a guided busway with trains