services you'd like to see

[TheWalrus]

Extend maesteg-cheltenhams to worcester 2 hourly, with a maesteg-gloucester on alternate hours. This gives worcester back its direct service to cardiff without diverting the xc. It would use 3x175s for the worcesters and 3x150/153/158s for the gloucesters. The 175s would be displaced by 180s after gwml electrification which would take over some cardiff-man picc, holyhead and llandudno duties. I think thats the idea explained!

 

[Class172]

Extend maesteg-cheltenhams to worcester 2 hourly, with a maesteg-gloucester on alternate hours. This gives worcester back its direct service to cardiff without diverting the xc. It would use 3x175s for the worcesters and 3x150/153/158s for the gloucesters. The 175s would be displaced by 180s after gwml electrification which would take over some cardiff-man picc, holyhead and llandudno duties. I think thats the idea explained!

I like the idea of an extension to Worcs

 

[strange6]

I'd like to see a Wigan Wallgate to Wigan NW service; for all of those too boneidle to cross the road with luggage!

 

[Anon Mouse]

I'd like to see a Wigan Wallgate to Wigan NW service; for all of those too boneidle to cross the road with luggage!

Now that is just silly!

whatever next, a Waterloo to Waterloo East? Kings Cross to St. Pancras?

 

[Class172]

A Worcester-Exeter service would ne nice

SILLY: a service from platform 1 to 12 at New St (calling at all intermidiate platforms)!

 

[strange6]

Now that is just silly!

whatever next, a Waterloo to Waterloo East? Kings Cross to St. Pancras?

Not as daft as it seems you know! Think of any holidaymaker who is travelling from any stations along the Southport or Kirkby lines and then have to handle heavy luggage all the way up the stairs at Wallgate and across the road to North Western! One simple reversing movement at Signal WN167 and you would have a reliable service to Wigan NW!

 

[Bittern]

I think I've made clear the big one for me is Hamilton-Bothwell-Shettleston, so I'll go with another I haven't spoke about as much.

I'm an unfortunate commuter on the FirstBus 201 service, and to be honest, it's pathetic. It's slow and unreliable, and many times I've had to opt for the longer, less convenient train journey (which involves going way out to Glasgow) because the bus never showed up 3 times in a row. This got me thinking about the old railway from East Kilbride -Blantyre/Hamilton and looking into it's current condition.

Sadly, the old formation is built on at the former Auchenraith Junction, not least by housing and a god-damned Marples-baby (motorway). However, from the EK end, it's reasonably intact by being a public footpath for around a mile or so, and then it's open farm-land all the way to High Blantyre where the old viaduct piers are still in situ. The line is intact again as a footpath until High Blantyre junction where it met the line to Earnock. The station was on the Earnock line, and all this is now housing, but the formation of the junction can still be seen on Google maps.

Some good deviations would have to be made. In an ideal world, we would be able to have a circular service from Central High Level > East Kilbride > Strathaven > Hamilton > Central Low Level.

 

[Buttsy]

One that can be replaced once Crossrail is finished.

Reading-Wokingham-Bracknell-Ascot-Staines-Feltham-Brentford-Willesden Junction-Camden Road-Highbury & Islington-Stratford-Ilford-Romford-Shenfield-Billericay-Wickford-Southend Airport-Southend Victoria
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

move to Darlington and get the train to Middlesbrough everyday then!

Can you get a job up there that pays £30K pa? If so, I'm interested...

 

[WelshBluebird]

Personally, I would like to see more Cardiff - Exeter runs. I know there are a couple a day anyway, but it would be more handy if they were more regular and a bit faster (rather than the current situation where either the service goes slow via WSM, or is run by a pacer).

A direct service from Barnstaple to Tiverton (or taunton) would also be nice to compete with the link road.

And an extra service from Cardiff - Bath Spa in the evening (its a bit annoying the last train is at 10pm, while the last train from Bath to Cardiff is after midnight IIRC).

Probably quite a few more actually, but that would just be greedy!

 

[HST Power]

Can you get a job up there that pays £30K pa? If so, I'm interested...

Train driving. Many drivers can earn £40k plus.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

I would like to see a more frequent service on the Calder Valley line that then goes through Brighouse on its way to Leeds.

 

[Buttsy]

Train driving. Many drivers can earn £40k plus.

I don't think I have the eyesight for driving and I couldn't then go to sleep to the bounce of a pacer...

 

[Callum J]

How about a service from either Sevenoaks or Orpington via Bromley South, Catford, Denmark Hill and then serving Clapham High Street, Wandsworth Road, then via the old Eurostar line to Vauxhall and Waterloo. Would such a connection even be possible? Perhaps it might go some way to appeasing users of Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road who aren't keen on losing their London Bridge/Victoria connection to a London Overground Clapham Junction Service.

 

[HST Power]

I couldn't then go to sleep to the bounce of a pacer...

Unless the TOC really don't like you, I doubt they'd be that mean!

1,900 posts

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

1,900 posts

You could say 101 Dalmations or 76 Trombones or 99 Red Balloons...what point are you making?

 

[mwmbwls]

Preston to Southport via a curve at Burscough would be a good start, then extend Ormskirk to Rufford as third rail and make that the interchange for Liverpool trains.

Liverpool to Preston via Ormskirk would better serve West Lancashire's TTWA
I would prefer extending electrification from Ormskirk to Burscough Bridge and then Southport via Meols Cop. In addition to the above Southport to Preston I would put back the link at Lostock Hall to enable through running from Southport to Colne (and eventually Skipton)

Following the building of a spur from the old L&Y Liverpool Wigan Wallgate route into Skelmersdale with a triangular junction between Rainford and Upholland - allowing trains from Skem to both Liverpool South Parkway and Manchester. The latter being the diverted stub of the existing Kirkby Manchester.

 

[OxtedL]

I believe the term is "76" trombones, and he would be referring to his post count, which is a sure way to get yourself moderated in the current climate.

Services I'd like to see... Well a train from Oxted to New Cross Gate without a change would be nice, now the ELL is finished...

And I think services from Uckfield to Victoria/ Charing Cross could go down well, perhaps only on a Sunday... Although that would probably require electrification of the Uckfield line - oh no!

No-one could accuse me of being single minded.

 

[tbtc]

I think services from Uckfield to Victoria/ Charing Cross could go down well, perhaps only on a Sunday... Although that would probably require electrification of the Uckfield line - oh no!

No-one could accuse me of being single minded

The version I'd heard is that the 171s had to run to London Bridge, because the "fumes" would disrupt the fire alarms at Victoria or Charing Cross - is this true or a hoary old myth?

It must mean quite a headache for planning services, given the way that several "Southern" routes have multiple London termini (at least at some times of the week).

 

[OxtedL]

The version I'd heard is that the 171s had to run to London Bridge, because the "fumes" would disrupt the fire alarms at Victoria or Charing Cross - is this true or a hoary old myth?

It must mean quite a headache for planning services, given the way that several "Southern" routes have multiple London termini (at least at some times of the week).

I belive this is very close to the truth. As I understand it, the ventilation at Victoria P15-19 was positioned for thumpers, and that it would have been very silly to waste a large amount of money moving them for a train fleet that was put on a pretty experimental (successful, as it turns out) service pattern to begin with anyway. London Bridge has a much higher roof than the other termini in the area. It was that or Waterloo (hmmm....)!

Pretty much everywhere east of Guildford in the south has a choice of two termini, but there are lots of ways of pathing them. I think the biggest issue is deciding what services you want to run in the first place!

The London Bridge service is absolutely fine, if I'm honest, but Southern like to direct their longer distance services to Victoria, so I do wonder...

 

[PR1Berske]

Preston to Southport via a curve at Burscough would be a good start, then extend Ormskirk to Rufford as third rail and make that the interchange for Liverpool trains.

Liverpool to Preston via Ormskirk would better serve West Lancashire's TTWA
I would prefer extending electrification from Ormskirk to Burscough Bridge and then Southport via Meols Cop. In addition to the above Southport to Preston I would put back the link at Lostock Hall to enable through running from Southport to Colne (and eventually Skipton)

Following the building of a spur from the old L&Y Liverpool Wigan Wallgate route into Skelmersdale with a triangular junction between Rainford and Upholland - allowing trains from Skem to both Liverpool South Parkway and Manchester. The latter being the diverted stub of the existing Kirkby Manchester.

If you use Google Maps and StreetView, you'll see it's impossible to put down a track from Skem to Ormskirk. It's very tight as it is to consider where track would be put from the south!
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Not as daft as it seems you know! Think of any holidaymaker who is travelling from any stations along the Southport or Kirkby lines and then have to handle heavy luggage all the way up the stairs at Wallgate and across the road to North Western! One simple reversing movement at Signal WN167 and you would have a reliable service to Wigan NW!

Haha, well there is an idea there you know.


Southport -> Wigan Wallgate -> Hindley -> Wigan North Western

 

[tbtc]

I belive this is very close to the truth. As I understand it, the ventilation at Victoria P15-19 was positioned for thumpers, and that it would have been very silly to waste a large amount of money moving them for a train fleet that was put on a pretty experimental (successful, as it turns out) service pattern to begin with anyway. London Bridge has a much higher roof than the other termini in the area. It was that or Waterloo (hmmm....)!

Pretty much everywhere east of Guildford in the south has a choice of two termini, but there are lots of ways of pathing them. I think the biggest issue is deciding what services you want to run in the first place!

The London Bridge service is absolutely fine, if I'm honest, but Southern like to direct their longer distance services to Victoria, so I do wonder...

Compared to lines coming in from the north/west (where the "alternative" termini are so few that they are known about e.g. Chiltern to Paddington/ C2C to Liverpool Street), the lines from south/south east are quite a muddle, it's taken me quite a while (at various times in my life) to get my head round just which services use which termini.

One of the reasons I'm all for electrification of the whole Southern network (apart from wanting to get those lovely 171s up north!) is that I imagine there'd be a recast if SN could use EMUs on Hasting - Ashford/ Oxted-Uckfield etc. However, the diesels on there clearly limit what services can be run (and interworked).

For example, to bring this back to "services you'd like to see", an all EMU Southern could do something like Brighton - Maidstone, providing the kind of "London-avoider" service that I think there'd be a market for (since so much of the Kent/Sussex lines are about the radial routes into London, with few lines that avoid the capital).

 

[mindfeeder]

Nuneaton-Bedworth-Coventry-Leamington. Hourly. Would relieve overcrowding at peak hours on the hourly Cross Country service between Leamington and Coventry.

 

[tbtc]

Nuneaton-Bedworth-Coventry-Leamington. Hourly. Would relieve overcrowding at peak hours on the hourly Cross Country service between Leamington and Coventry.

If paths over the WCML permitted it (which they don't) I'd like to see something like Nottingham - Leicester - Nuneaton - Coventry - Leamington - Oxford - Swindon - Bristol, as a cross country route which avoids both Birmingham and London and would hopefully ease some of the pressures into/out of those cities.

No chance of it happening, I know

 

[OxtedL]

If paths over the WCML permitted it (which they don't) I'd like to see something like Nottingham - Leicester - Nuneaton - Coventry - Leamington - Oxford - Swindon - Bristol, as a cross country route which avoids both Birmingham and London and would hopefully ease some of the pressures into/out of those cities.

No chance of it happening, I know

With a bit of a fudge and some investment, you might be able to send it via Bedford. (see you in 30 years time ...)

 

[Metrailway]

If paths over the WCML permitted it (which they don't) I'd like to see something like Nottingham - Leicester - Nuneaton - Coventry - Leamington - Oxford - Swindon - Bristol, as a cross country route which avoids both Birmingham and London and would hopefully ease some of the pressures into/out of those cities.

No chance of it happening, I know

If the central bit of the GCML was built you could have a Nottingham - Leicester - Rugby - Woodford Halse - Banbury - Oxford - Swindon - Bristol. Even more unlikely than your proposal...

 

[Buttsy]

If paths over the WCML permitted it (which they don't) I'd like to see something like Nottingham - Leicester - Nuneaton - Coventry - Leamington - Oxford - Swindon - Bristol, as a cross country route which avoids both Birmingham and London and would hopefully ease some of the pressures into/out of those cities.

No chance of it happening, I know

In that case, how about:

Nottingham - Leicester - Oakham - Corby - Bedford - Milton Keynes - Oxford - Swindon - Bristol.

A cross-country route that avoids Birmingham & London, doesn't cross the WCML on the level and all but about 20 miles of it is in existence.

 

[anthony263]

Bristol TM - Portishead, but sa surprise this morning when i read that FGW are planning on running a trial service in september:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-13719922

 

[mwmbwls]

If you use Google Maps and StreetView, you'll see it's impossible to put down a track from Skem to Ormskirk. It's very tight as it is to consider where track would be put from the south!

I was not suggesting a Skelmersdale-Ormskirk connection, involving rebuilding the line through Westhead.This was suggested at one stage by ATOC and dismissed by Network Rail. I was advocating a chord from old L&Y main line from Liverpool Exchange to Manchester Victoria from the south for which there are at least three options largely dependent upon where in Skelmersdale it is felt best to locate a terminus. For each of the three options -there is a variant as to whether to terminate north or south of the M58. Network Rail indicated they would be considering options for such a chord possibly during during CP5 in their response to the ATOC suggestion.
Lancashire County Council has a link to Skelmersdale on its list of rail projects it supports (although it does not command the same priority as the Todd curves and the Manchester Hub).

It is expected that the Merseyside Long Term Planning Study will discuss options for extensions and revisions to local services. The Northern RUS indicates that this will be available later this year.

Quote

http://www.networkrail.co.uk/browse...thern/northern route utilisation strategy.pdf

2.4.6 Merseyside Long-Term Planning Study
The Merseyside RUS, which was established
in May 2009, identified a number of potential
future problems of a magnitude that can only
be addressed through radical changes to the rail
infrastructure and/or pattern of services on the DC2
electrified network in Merseyside. The unique way
in which rail services in Merseyside are franchised
has allowed the industry to work in partnership to
seek solutions that make a major contribution to the
economy of the area, through a Long-Term Planning
Study jointly led by Merseytravel, Merseyrail and
Network Rail. This study commenced in August
2009, and is due to be completed this summer.
In light of this study, the Northern RUS has not
reviewed the parts of the Merseyside RUS that cover
the DC electrified network

Unquote

 

[TomJ93]

If paths over the WCML permitted it (which they don't) I'd like to see something like Nottingham - Leicester - Nuneaton - Coventry - Leamington - Oxford - Swindon - Bristol, as a cross country route which avoids both Birmingham and London and would hopefully ease some of the pressures into/out of those cities.

No chance of it happening, I know

A flyover at Nuneaton would do the trick, arrive into Coventry at XX:32, apart from the XX:31 to London not much happens in these ten minutes, apart from that it would be most useul. Run by LM and 170s.

 

[The Planner]

Dont need a flyover, the old underbridge is still there. Would need Cov Leamington doubling. Just because it looks like nothing happens at Cov, doesnt mean there arent un-used freight paths already there. Nottingham to Oxford was looked at a few years back, but the single line knackered it. One minute arrival after a departure is never going to work either !!!