Swindon-Birmingham (via Cheltenham) proposal

[The Planner]

If its relying on MRH, then this service is at least 5-6 years away.

 

[Snow1964]

If its relying on MRH, then this service is at least 5-6 years away.

And what stock would it use.

GWR might just about have received some new stock under project Churchward (although any BEMUs would need very big batteries to sustain that distance at 90-100mph)

WMT has some 196s (but unclear if they have enough spare), even if the East-West fleet is released by something for their expanded service.

Maybe something cascaded in from elsewhere, under GBR, not that is really getting into speculative discussion if we are thinking in 2030s

 

[GoneSouth]

Very difficult to justify cutting out Gloucester on the London to Cheltenham services, and also difficult to justify 2tph on the Golden Valley.

Even if you did have 2 tph from Swindon up through Stroud, it should call at Gloucester.

Gloucester is in much greater need of services to Birmingham than Cheltenham is. The current hourly service can’t be relied upon at all. Cheltenham on the other hand already has 2 long distance XC services (Edinburgh and Manchester)

 

[Brubulus]

Even if you did have 2 tph from Swindon up through Stroud, it should call at Gloucester.

Gloucester is in much greater need of services to Birmingham than Cheltenham is. The current hourly service can’t be relied upon at all. Cheltenham on the other hand already has 2 long distance XC services (Edinburgh and Manchester)

It will get a second as part of MRH, I'm not sure how much more useful a third would be. A big loser of this idea would be Worcestershire Parkway, as it would effectively lose it's service to Bristol, instead getting a service to Swindon. Were a Birmingham-Bristol semi-fast created (as initially planned under MRH), Bromsgrove would also lose a potential hypothetical service to Bristol.

 

[GoneSouth]

It will get a second as part of MRH, I'm not sure how much more useful a third would be. A big loser of this idea would be Worcestershire Parkway, as it would effectively lose it's service to Bristol, instead getting a service to Swindon. Were a Birmingham-Bristol semi-fast created (as initially planned under MRH), Bromsgrove would also lose a potential hypothetical service to Bristol.

Bromsgrove would be a great place for changing between semi fast and cross city services but XC don’t seem interested. They used to stop there when it was a halt with a car park but now the station is vastly improved it only gets cross city and i think Worcester services.

Imagine not having to double back on yourself if going to any of the Birmingham southern suburban stations, or not having to go to New Street to head south towards Bristol through the station you left 40 minutes ago.

 

[cle]

So this Swindon is in exchange for the Bristol from Moor St? I thought it was additional - if all those new platforms were indeed activated.

Even though it is served already, it is far more important than Swindon.

And yes to the above thread, an additional Cardiff would call at Gloucester. Seems enough. They’d all call at Cheltenham but it’s on the main line and a bigger market - can’t be helped.