Where could metro-style frequencies be run without building any new lines?

[Purple Orange]

There will still be at least one pendolino each way per hour at Stockport - they will still need to serve Stockport, Macclesfield & Stoke-on-Trent if/when HS2 opens.

I’d say there is a strong argument to say 3 paths will be released through Cheadle Hulme after accounting for fast London & Birmingham services that remain post HS2. So what services should they be allocated to?

 

[cle]

I’d say there is a strong argument to say 3 paths will be released through Cheadle Hulme after accounting for fast London & Birmingham services that remain post HS2. So what services should they be allocated to?

Depends on what is laying over in Macclesfield's third platform, as that is earmarked for HS2 but potentially that will just run up to Piccadilly existing shed anyway.

I'd think 2tph to Birmingham still, via Crewe - or more to Crewe - like the Liverpool 350s - with semi-fast calls. And then maybe 1tph Trent Valley 350 style too - even if to Northampton or somewhere - to give another service to Stoke and Congleton. Or just another 1tph to Stoke.

 

[Northumbriana]

Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Airport, just have everything call all stations instead of trying to cram in all manner of odd stopping patterns.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 Nov 2022 ==

Might be worth continuing that to some west facing terminating platforms at Victoria and diverting other Piccadilly bound trains there for interchange? Or onto the CLC line.

The Bradford Interchange to Leeds line could be self contained if there is room for separate tracks and platforms at Leeds.

Also, Carlisle to Newcastle Central. But less a metro frequency and more a semi regular regional express service.

 

[zwk500]

Also, Carlisle to Newcastle Central. But less a metro frequency and more a semi regular regional express service.

A metro frequency (Sub-15 minutes) could only reasonably be justified from Metrocentre eastwards. Hexham to Newcastle may just, just call for 1tph.

 

[Northumbriana]

A metro frequency (Sub-15 minutes) could only reasonably be justified from Metrocentre eastwards. Hexham to Newcastle may just, just call for 1tph.

I think there is 1tph to Hexham and 2tph to Carlisle. That was the case before covid at least.

 

[Purple Orange]

Depends on what is laying over in Macclesfield's third platform, as that is earmarked for HS2 but potentially that will just run up to Piccadilly existing shed anyway.

I'd think 2tph to Birmingham still, via Crewe - or more to Crewe - like the Liverpool 350s - with semi-fast calls. And then maybe 1tph Trent Valley 350 style too - even if to Northampton or somewhere - to give another service to Stoke and Congleton. Or just another 1tph to Stoke.

I genuinely see no benefit of running fast services to Brum or London via Crewe from Manchester. Crewe will have fast services to Brum & Manchester via HS2 and it is the Stoke branch that misses out mostly. So with that in mind I can only see the following fasts:

• 1 HS2 to London-Macclesfield, calling at Stafford & Stoke
• 1 London-Manchester, calling at Watford, Milton Keynes, Stafford, Stoke, Macclesfield, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly
• 1 Reading-Manchester via Birmingham, calling at the above stations plus Wolverhampton & Congleton.

 

[haggishunter]

Cathcart Circle (actual circle) would be nice… just saying!