Carlisle to Crewe

[PR1Berske]

If a local stopping service between Carlisle and Crewe ever materialised (stop laughing.....), which WCML communities and suburbs currently without a station or stop could press for one on the grounds of local services being more viable for them?

I am thinking, off the top of my head, of places like Golbourne.....

 

[gordonthemoron]

Carnforth?

 

[Invincibles]

Hypothetically could it run through Newton-le-Willows and Earlestown using the junctions and wires there?

Could act as a glorified loop.

 

[PR1Berske]

Carnforth?

I thought of this too. Many moons ago, wasn't there advance stages of talk of a "Carnforth Main Line" station on the WCML?

 

[AJP62]

There used to be platforms on the WCML at Carnforth but they were removed for electrification if not earlier.

Between Carnforth and Carlisle I can't think of anywhere that would justify a station apart from the two that are there already.

 

[mbonwick]

The platforms at Carnforth would need reconstructing; they were cut back to allow high speed running through the station.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

They brought thta Carnforth proposal back a while ago to VT who basically said 'yeah, you wish'

 

[PR1Berske]

They brought thta Carnforth proposal back a while ago to VT who basically said 'yeah, you wish'

Pfff. It shouldn't be up to them. Anyway, VT wouldn't have to stop there, put the Transpennine Scotland services calling at "Carnforth Main Line" or whatever it'd be called, leave VT to prig around.

 

[cuccir]

Shap would have the best case in Cumbria I would have thought. Garstang and 'Chorley West' might be two others?

 

[PR1Berske]

Shap would have the best case in Cumbria I would have thought. Garstang and 'Chorley West' might be two others?

Garstang now sits quite a fair bit west of the WCML, though maybe a M6 Parkway somewhere close would be an option?

I know what you mean about "Chorley West". I guess they could use Euxton? Or to continue the theme, an Parkway of somekind at Coppull?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Pfff. It shouldn't be up to them. Anyway, VT wouldn't have to stop there, put the Transpennine Scotland services calling at "Carnforth Main Line" or whatever it'd be called, leave VT to prig around.

Yeah, but don't forget, VT think they own every last inch of anything to do with the WCML.

 

[PR1Berske]

Yeah, but don't forget, VT think they own every last inch of anything to do with the WCML.

It's not right, you know. It's not right!

 

[RichW1]

This idea should be introduced on many lines so we can stop the interCITY's being interVILLAGE trains! God, the number of times I think local or regional services should be regularly shuttling up and down lines meaning intercity's don't have to stop there and screw up their timings is unreal! Certain size places should not have intercity services; it defeats the point!

 

[philjo]

They could always put a north-facing chord in at Carnforth to join the incoming Leeds Line so that services could use the existing platforms (though that would southbound services crossing the northbound track twice but something else could overtake in the meantime)

The Windermere services should be able to call there - it would provide a better local service to Kendal/Windermere (the parallel local bus route takes ages & there are hardly any south of Kendal on sundays which also requires a change of bus in Kendal for Windermere on sundays.) & provides for better connections to/from Skipton/Barrow (they tend to miss each other or are extremely tight by the time you get to Lancaster)
Trains from Barrow/Skipton could also reverse at Carnforth & go through to Windermere. (one afternoon barrow-windermere trip currently does this by reversing at Lancaster)

 

[tbtc]

North Western* talked of such a plan about ten years ago, maybe longer ago, I remember an interview in Rail, talking of linking various places to take pressure off the London/ Birmingham - Crewe - Carlisle - Glasgow/ Edinburgh services. However they were very good at coming up with ambitious ideas that never came to much (whilst not looking after "core" operations).

(i.e. pre-First)
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They could always put a north-facing chord in at Carnforth to join the incoming Leeds Line so that services could use the existing platforms (though that would southbound services crossing the northbound track twice but something else could overtake in the meantime)

The Windermere services should be able to call there - it would provide a better local service to Kendal/Windermere (the parallel local bus route takes ages & there are hardly any on sundays) & provides for better connections to/from Skipton/Barrow (they tend to miss each other by the time you get to Lancaster)
Trains from Barrow/Skipton could also reverse at Carnforth & go through to Windermere. (one afternoon barrow-windermere trip currently does this by reversing at Lancaster)

Interesting idea.

I've been wondering about the logistics of interchanges in the middle of nowhere, where passengers can change between regular services in different directions (but few may actually use the station as a starting point/ destination), a little like Carstairs in Scotland (where you could stop more trains to give better connections from Edinburgh/ Glasgow down the WCML).

Doing that at Carnforth would snip a good bit off the Leeds - Windermere/ Barrow journey times, which might make that a more attractive journey.

 

[Tomnick]

I doubt that an additional chord would be provided, at great expense, to allow WCML services to call at Carnforth! If anything, reinstatement of the mainline platforms should suffice - I wouldn't have thought it'd be necessary to recess 100mph passenger trains to allow a relatively infrequent express service to overtake, given the short distance between Oxenholme and Lancaster (and the 8 minutes minimum that'd be put into the train being overtaken...!). Personally I think it's important to make the most of these rural interchanges, but there's no point providing the platforms if no-one's willing or able to make the connections work.

As for intercity trains calling at smaller intermediate stations, that's unfortunately going to be inevitable in some cases in otherwise sparsely populated areas, where those intermediate communities aren't sufficiently large to support an additional stopping service.