The Borders Railway has been done to death on here so the poster either hasn’t read the threads or has chosen to ignore them to justify their argument.
This sounds like pub talk several whiskies after the SNP's AGM, and even then by the more extremist members.
Agreeing. Finding it hard to see why the Scottish Government would want to support
And how much better would Aylesbury Vale Parkway perform with northbound services to Calvert, Bletchley and Milton Keynes Central? Particularly recently with WCML services terminating no further south than Milton Keynes Central, a direct service to London via Aylesbury Vale Parkway would be well used. There is an argument over whether it is the GCML i.e. a main line, or a branch line in the middle of nowhere.
It is recent compared with the Beeching cuts. In addition, you claimed thay rail travel "recently" has been buoyant, when in fact this description isn't really widely true either in the past two years.
"The Reshaping of British Railways" was 1963, which was 59 years ago, so 1990 is closer to Beeching than the present day. Rail travel has been more bouyant since coming out of lockdown than we were told it would be beforehand.
Indeed if the start of 1990 were when all of these things happened but they weren't. They've all happened closer to today than 1963. One of them was five years ago. Please do stop trying to split hairs - it makes it sound as if you've not got any rational points left to make.
Currently, the full route is expected to open in December 2023. Things could change, though.
About 15 miles from the junction with the ECML. Add about 4 miles on the main line.
No, nothings ever been mentioned about a passenger service to Morpeth in the various documents supporting this proposal, the infrastructure is only being modified slightly so as to allow a 2 tph service to Ashington plus freight.
Very much in mind for the future though.
It was more a point that many reopening proposals seem to seriously underestimate potential passenger numbers.
I am hoping for some time around November-December 2023, the same time of year as Okehampton. With the small railway projects in London mentioned upthread opening this year, that very much satisfies my desire for mileage to be added to the passenger network in each successive year. I believe there is a new passenger service scheduled for a goods line in Birmingham in the new timetable next week, with new stations to follow shortly afterwards.
I have seen news articles about a press event where a train ran to Morpeth. Perhaps if they were to build a bypass of smaller stations on the ECML, trains could run via Blyth to Morpeth and beyond. Rather than a standalone reopening proposal, there needs to be some progression in mind for which new services could follow if the line is successful.
Again, this is incorrect. But in the interest of trying to stay on topic as has been asked, this isn't the place to take a deep dive into that point.
It's very unlikely that the work will be finished in time for December 2023. We have not yet heard the decision from the Secretary of State.
I thought it was Portishead we hadn’t heard the decision for
This is, however, of a vastly different scale of magnitude to Okehampton, surely?
That one is certainly still outstanding ( after how many years?), but then it’s not in the north, so fails to tick at least one box!
A point made clearly a few days ago, I think. Pretending this project‘s scope is similar to Okehampton is ridiculous.
“Small railway projects in London” is meant ironically, but I meant the same time as year for the reopening as Okehampton.
I’m not expecting it to be finished faster than Okehampton, but it might be finished at the same time of year (November/December)
I have just looked at the Portishead thread and the DfT’s response to the urgency seems to be some sort of joke…
Because Okehampton and London are famous for being in the north.
There is a Development Consent Order application in for Portishead, but there are some serious issues with the case and if the order isn't made it certainly won't be going ahead in in its present form. The decision on the Transport & Works Act Order in relation to the Northumberland line is still outstanding, although there aren't any serious issues expected, and technically the scheme going ahead isn't dependent on the decision.
I think the point of Newcastle, Ashington, Blyth etc being the next to reopen is that it’s as far away as you can get from Okehampton without being in Scotland, where like in London, new railways can progress with none of the delays we’ve seen, much to the detriment of Portishead.
Again this is fiction I'm afraid.
