Chiltern 90 minute London - Birmingham Aspiration

[Chafford1]

Chiltern Railways have aspirations to run a 90 minute Marylebone - Birmingham service.

Given that their fastest current service from Marylebone to Moor Street takes 1 hour 56 minutes (the 17:00 stopping at Banbury, Leamington Spa, Warwick Parkway, Dorridge and Solihull) where can the relevant line speed improvements be made to achieve a 1 hour 30 minute schedule?

 

[paul1609]

Basically improved pathing and line speed improvements between Princes risborough and marylebone. I reckon a speed increase to 100 mph from 75 between beaconsfield and South ruislip for 168s would need very little work.

 

[djw1981]

Also removing those 5 stops could save 10 minutes at least, possibly nearer 15, given braking, dwell and acceleration time. Ok they may only remove 1 or 2, but you get the idea. Especially depending on what enw services they introduce when they get the 172's ( and rumoured LHCS)

 

[Mojo]

Also removing those 5 stops could save 10 minutes at least, possibly nearer 15, given braking, dwell and acceleration time. Ok they may only remove 1 or 2, but you get the idea. Especially depending on what enw services they introduce when they get the 172's ( and rumoured LHCS)

The line south of Banbury is DOO and guards join the train at Banbury, so you'd need a stop there; unless it's possible for them to join at Marylebone.

 

[Pumbaa]

The 172s won't make that much difference, they are only receiving 4 x 2 car trains to supplement peak services.

 

[paul1609]

I'm surprised that Chiltern have gone for a 75mph variant of the class 172. i think I would have gone for the 100 mph version and used them on the Stratford upon Avon/ Birmingham services allowing extra 165s to be cascaded to the Aylesbury Line.

 

[The Planner]

90 minute journey time aspiration only means one train a day has to do it....

The improvements are all the way from South Ruislip to Leamington. Bicester to Aynho up to 100, Banbury - Leamington up to 100 after Banbury re-signalling (granted a long way off....)

Chiltern are also re-gearing the 168s so they are quicker off the mark and the 67 hauled set is planned for autumn next year.

 

[me123]

Seriously, if they brought the journey times down to 90 minutes... they'd be rivalling Virgin! Offering a slightly cheaper (I think...) service to London during the peaks could prove profitable. The slightly longer journey times probably wouldn't deter travellers who could save a bit of dosh there, and it would ease stress on Virgin's operation.

 

[Chafford1]

90 minute journey time aspiration only means one train a day has to do it....

The improvements are all the way from South Ruislip to Leamington. Bicester to Aynho up to 100, Banbury - Leamington up to 100 after Banbury re-signalling (granted a long way off....)

Chiltern are also re-gearing the 168s so they are quicker off the mark and the 67 hauled set is planned for autumn next year.

Do Chiltern have firm plans with dates for speeding up services or is it merely an aspiration at this stage.

And can you give more details on the class 67 hauled set?

 

[paul1609]

I think its a fair way off. Apart from about 4 services a day i think all Chiltern Services are timed for a 165 even those that are advertised as a 168. I was quite surprised when my Clubman service the last time featured a 165 and even more surprised when we reached the first stop Bicester North 4 mins early, and despite waiting at Anyho for a XC to go in front still managed a 3 min early arrival at Moor St. i reckon to achieve the 90 min timing Chiltern would need a much larger fleet of 100 mph stock.

 

[glenn]

I think the 67's are only planned for the early commuter run around 07.00ish according to my local rag.

At the moment Bicester is seeing some nice traction with the Wrexham run and Virgin at weekends.

 

[The Planner]

I think its a fair way off. Apart from about 4 services a day i think all Chiltern Services are timed for a 165 even those that are advertised as a 168. I was quite surprised when my Clubman service the last time featured a 165 and even more surprised when we reached the first stop Bicester North 4 mins early, and despite waiting at Anyho for a XC to go in front still managed a 3 min early arrival at Moor St. i reckon to achieve the 90 min timing Chiltern would need a much larger fleet of 100 mph stock.

No, they are timed as 165s or 168s depending on the diagram info we get. There are distinct differences in the running times for them.