Suggested post-HS2 service pattern North Wales/Chester/Shrewsbury

[adrock1976]

Thinking about when HS2 reaches Crewe, I have briefly thought about a possible Taktplan service pattern for North Wales, Chester, and Shrewsbury areas. My suggestion is below.

London Euston - Chester (Traditional InterCity) calling Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Stafford, Crewe, and Chester every 60 minutes. Extended to Holyhead every 2 hours calling Fflint, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Bangor (Gwynedd), and Holyhead.

London Euston - Shrewsbury (Tradtional InterCity) calling Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Telford Central, Wellington Telford West, and Shrewsbury every 60 minutes.

Birmingham New Street (or International if unable to dedicate Platform 4c to this for the layover) - Chester (Regional) calling Smethwick Galton Bridge, Dudley Port (for Midland Metro), Wolverhampton, Telford Central, Wellington Telford West, Shrewsbury, and all stations to Chester via Wrexham General every 60 minutes (portion for Aberystwyth could couple/uncouple every 60 minutes or every 2 hours at Shrewsbury).

Liverpool Lime Street - Llandudno via Halton Curve calling all stations every 60 minutes (including Mickle Trafford if ever reopened).

Liverpool Lime Street - Cardiff Central via Halton Curve, Wrexham, and Craven Arms calling all stations every 60 minutes (including Mickle Trafford if ever reopened).

Manchester Piccadilly Main Shed - Swansea/Abertawe (Regional Express/upgraded to Traditional InterCity?) via Craven Arms, calling Stockport (if not routed via Styal), Wilmslow, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Ludlow, Leominster, Hereford, Abergavenny, Cwmbran, Newport (Gwent), Cardiff Central, Bridgend/Pen-y-Bont, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath/Castle-nedd, and Swansea/Abertawe every 60 minutes. Could run non-stop Shrewsbury - Hereford if not too controversial, as the Liverpool will cover the intermediate stations.

Manchester Victoria - Caernarfon via Warrington Bank Quay, calling Newton-le-Willows, Earlestown, Warrington Bank Quay, Helsby (for Merseyrail, if extended from Ellesmere Port), Chester, Fflint, Prestatyn, Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Bangor (Gwynedd), and Caernarfon every 60 minutes.

Crewe - Holyhead calling Chester, Llandudno Junction, and all stations to Holyhead every 60 minutes.

Llandudno - Amlwch via Llandudno Junction calling all stations every 60 minutes (stations after diverging beyond Llanfair PG possibly Pentre Berw for Gaerwen (Holyhead Road), Llangefni (High Street), Llanerchymedd (Holyhead Road), and Amlwch (Salem Street Car Park).

Llandudno - Blaenau Ffestiniog calling all stations every 2 hours.

Birkenhead North - Wrexham Central via Borderlands every 30 minutes.


The above would provide a combined frequency along the following common sections of route:

Liverpool Lime Street and Chester via Halton Curve every 30 minutes
Chester and Shrewsbury via Wrexham every 30 minutes
Shrewsbury and Birmingham New Street (or International) every 30 minutes (excluding the West Midlands all stations local)
Shrewsbury and Cardiff 2tph (not an even 30 minute frequency if the Manchester runs non stop to Hereford)
Crewe and Chester every 30 minutes
Chester and Holyhead 2tph
Chester and Llandudno Junction 3 or 4tph
Llandudno Junction and Llanfair PG every 30 minutes

The only reopenings of lines in North Wales I have heard of are the lines to Amlwch, and Bangor - Caernarfon. Unsure if there are any others (which may be unlikely).

Any other suggestions on a post-HS2 service pattern?

 

[The Planner]

Amlwch won't happen.

 

[adrock1976]

Amlwch won't happen.

Has that proposal (or suggestion) now been abandoned?

I recall seeing it on a diagram somewhere of a North Wales Metro a few years ago (maybe in the tread of a similar name).

 

[The Planner]

Has that proposal (or suggestion) now been abandoned?

I recall seeing it on a diagram somewhere of a North Wales Metro a few years ago (maybe in the tread of a similar name).

Its like most reopening schemes, it has been proposed for so long that if it was going to happen it would have got somewhere. I remember looking at it over a decade ago.

 

[krus_aragon]

Has that proposal (or suggestion) now been abandoned?

I recall seeing it on a diagram somewhere of a North Wales Metro a few years ago (maybe in the tread of a similar name).

The local preservation society has recently. taken out a 99-year lease of the line, which lengthens the odds of a mainline reopening. Even if it were to happen, the serious studies had only examined reopening as far as Llangefni.

Caernarfon is a reasonable aspiration (though siting a new station may be tricky) and operating to Bangor in the meantime is reasonable.

Is your Chester-Holyhead 2tph the sum of hourly Crewe, two-hourly London, and two-hourly Cardiff services? The latter (which have just had new stock bought and refurbished) didn't seem to be mentioned in your plan.

Much of your plan is reasonably grounded - the London services are just what I'd hope for, but there may be a few areas that need further consideration:

Cambrian services currently include a Coast portion every two hours, losing through services to the coast would be VERY unpopular. Do you envisage 6-car services with splits at both Shrewsbury and Machynlleth?

Some negotiation would be required to get that second Liverpool path over the Halton Curve (current plans are for Shrewsbury/Cardiff and Llandudno services to join at Chester).

Two-hourly (clockface) services between Llandudno town and Blaenau would require some infrastructure work or linespeed upgrades to operate smoothly: it's a solid two-hour round trip from the Junction to Blaenau and back, which leaves no time for token exchange or delay recovery before it's time for the next unit to head down the valley.