Could/should the Highland Sleeper run via Birmingham New Street?

[Wilts Wanderer]

As it says in the title. The northbound overnight sleeper to Aberdeen/Inverness/Fort William departs London early enough (2115) that a usable stop could surely be made at a hub station in the West Midlands. What are the practical issues with this idea? There must be some demand for a morning arrival at the various Highland stations from Britain’s second largest city.

 

[Deafdoggie]

I suspect a divert around the West Midlands would add around an hour to the journey. Thus making the London departure time too early or the Scottish arrival time too late.
The Southbound service would struggle to get a path at that time of day

 

[JonathanH]

Connections to Crewe are available from the West Midlands. The London timings are about right as pointed out above.

There are some previous discussions on this idea.

Suggestions for changing the calling points on the Caledonian SLeeper

In the future when everything has returned to normal for a shake up of the Sleeper services I'd split the Lowland sleeper with the Glasgow Central and Fort William portion running as one train and then the Fort William portion would detach and run via the Rutherglen chord. The Inverness...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[The Planner]

Never say never.

 

[adamedwards]

Might a better and easier option be a stop at Tamworth for both Birmingham and Derby/Nottingham?
I'm sure, however, someone at Caledonian Sleeper must have done their sums and concluded Crewe can do all of this just as easily.
The problem is finding an 80mph path between the Pendolini. There is a gap in the Avanti service pattern when the sleeper heads north and I guess moving this earlier would be a challenge.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Never say never.

Indeed it was originally anticipated in the WCML recast for December 2022 it would be diverted via the West Midlands but this was pulled at a fairly late state. A consequence of this late reversion to current routing is the loss of the Watford Junction call in the Highlander northbound from December (it doesn’t call southbound).

 

[Iskra]

Post HS2 the Lowland may become redundant in its current format. Perhaps a service could run London-Birmingham-Manchester-Scotland using the then spare Mk5’s and link in to the Highland at Edinburgh.

 

[JonathanH]

Indeed it was originally anticipated in the WCML recast for December 2022 it would be diverted via the West Midlands but this was pulled at a fairly late state.

Would that have resulted in a change to the Euston departure / arrival time?

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Would that have resulted in a change to the Euston departure / arrival time?

Not quite sure on that one TBH, I would have assumed so

 

[Bletchleyite]

Post HS2 the Lowland may become redundant in its current format. Perhaps a service could run London-Birmingham-Manchester-Scotland using the then spare Mk5’s and link in to the Highland at Edinburgh.

I agree with your former sentence. I suspect the outcome of that will not be an additional Scottish service but rather that the Mk5s released by that will go to the Westcountry to replace the Mk3 Sleepers which will by then be heading for 60-70 years old.

 

[Iskra]

I agree with your former sentence. I suspect the outcome of that will not be an additional Scottish service but rather that the Mk5s released by that will go to the Westcountry to replace the Mk3 Sleepers which will by then be heading for 60-70 years old.

I did think that. Do the numbers match up?

 

[Bletchleyite]

I did think that. Do the numbers match up?

Of vehicles? No, two full sets would be quite a bit extra for the GW, so some might I suppose stay in Scotland as spares.

 

[The Planner]

Indeed it was originally anticipated in the WCML recast for December 2022 it would be diverted via the West Midlands but this was pulled at a fairly late state. A consequence of this late reversion to current routing is the loss of the Watford Junction call in the Highlander northbound from December (it doesn’t call southbound).

Was never going to make December.