Recent content by TheWalrus

Would need at least a 3 car due to peak time loadings.

The time I travelled Strood-Paddock Wood, it was relatively well loaded as far as Maidstone then very quiet onto Paddock Wood. Not sure why it justifies every 30 minutes south of Maidstone! 1784501468 I do wonder if the HS Faversham terminators could extend to Dover and maybe Folkestone instead...

If the line is electrified and EMUs are availabl, in my view EMUs should be used. Maybe if the government had pressed ahead with electrification rather than cancelling various schemes, there wouldn’t be as many EMUs sat around!

Just passed Belford, looks like it is electrified! However probably wouldn’t be considered worth retaining a couple of 323s just for 2tpd, unless as suggested the service was improved.

Thank you for your detail response! So I think the best option would be as you say, improve Tain-Inverness as this is where the passengers are, leaving the service further north as is.

Do Greater Anglia still have some 720s spare? I was told last year some were going onto the Stansted Express as there aren’t enough 745s!

I don’t think the reversing sidings are electrified at Morpeth or Belford (for reversing Chathill terminators)? Probably unlikely considering their age and non-standard nature, but could batteries be retrofitted? I hope they keep some in service, using some for spare parts donors.

Good afternoon all! I travelled from Inverness to Wick and back yesterday and wondering if the service could be improved? A few ideas: - Many request stops we passed through without stopping but the speed boards said 55 or 65 speed limits. Could journey times be reduced by much if these stops...

Will some 323s remain in service and some be used as spares donors? Would be a shame to see them go to waste. Maybe wishful thinking but would be good if they fitted batteries to 350s to enable them to work lines which spend a lot of time under wires like Barrow/Windermere-Manchester for example.

At a glance the Bristol idea looks great. However why not run via Newbury and into Paddington as SWR already cover Westbury-Waterloo? Direct London services have reduced from some B&H stations so maybe there is a small niche there?

Hopefully the amount of cancellations and delays will reduce and the First Class offering will improve to more like LNER or Avanti standard. A small box of snacks is hardly a good standard.

From memory I believe it was hourly Waterloo-Yeovil Junction, with 2-hourly extensions to Exeter, Paignton or Plymouth. Penzance was once per week down on a Saturday back on the Sunday. There was also a 2-hourly Honiton/Axminster-Exeter shuttle which called at all stations except St James Park...

I am on 802101 now been on since Reading and just left Taunton, had no issues so far. Does seem a lot better, faster and more reliable.

If there was an hourly Newcastle-Edinburgh service, I would be suggesting speeding up the XC services and either cut the Morpeth stoppers back to Newcastle or even divert to Ashington or Morpeth via the Northumberland line, subject to capacity and if passenger services can use the line.

Sounds interesting, what was 1S15?