Creating a Birmingham - Leicester - Lincoln Stopper?

[Manutd1999]

Could there be an opportunity to combine the existing XC Birmingham-Leicester and EMR Leicester-Nottingham-Lincoln stoppers? It would offer a few useful benefits:

- New direct connections from Birmingham-Loughborough, Nuneaton-Nottingham/ etc.
- Free up some platform space at Leicester
- 3rd hourly Nottingham-Birmingham (albeit slower)

Looking at the timings, it lines up very nicely westbound. The EMR arrives at XX14, whereas the Birmingham service leaves at xx18.

Going eastbound is a bit more complicated. The XC arrives at xx50 so could depart Leicester at xx52, which is around 10 mins later than at present. It could be looped by the EMR to Sheffield on the slow lines around Loughborough (circa. xx15). The stopping pattern east of Nottingham would have to be tweaked to fit with the ECML at Newark, but it should be do-able.

EMR/XC could fight over who operates it but the Turbostars would probably be preferable, subject to sufficient rolling stock.

 

[cle]

There did use to be all sorts of crazy ass Central services like Aberystwyth to Lincoln back in the day. This feels a lot more normal especially if timings line up and it is hourly as standard. Leicester is not a good terminating station either.

In addition to the other pairs mentioned, Birmingham to EMP, to Newark and to Lincoln would be new ones. It's fairly slow, but might still be useful for these new connections. Also connecting new places to Nuneaton for the WCML. Why not. Interwork/connect it with the Cambridge/Stansted service, same stock.

 

[transportphoto]

It’d be awfully slow - 50mins between Leicester and Nottingham calling all stations on the Ivanhoe. Unless you’d propose taking Syston, Sileby and Barrow-upon-Soar, Attenborough (and maybe some of the others) out?

 

[JonathanH]

Many years ago that is how the service used to run.

In the Summer 1996 timetable, he 0605 from Birmingham ran to Lincoln arriving at 0907. Later trains ran from Coventry, including some to Grimsby. The question is whether that is really desirable.

The Birmingham to Stansted will take precedence as the 'fast' between Birmingham and Leicester, and maybe it could be argued that 2tph from Birmingham to Peterborough would be desirable.

The stops between Leicester and Nottingham have to be served, and there are already two fast trains on this corridor.

Birmingham to Nottingham is quicker via Derby.

I am not sure there is enough to be gained from making it a through service again. Ultimately services can't all just be joined up.

 

[Spaceship323]

Some of the Lincoln trains continue to Grimsby or Cleethorpes, that's a long time before they get back to Leicester

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- Free up some platform space at Leicester

No-one else uses platform 4 anyway (apart from if an XC unit comes off the depot and goes in service to BHM)

 

[Manutd1999]

It’d be awfully slow - 50mins between Leicester and Nottingham calling all stations on the Ivanhoe. Unless you’d propose taking Syston, Sileby and Barrow-upon-Soar, Attenborough (and maybe some of the others) out?

Circa 1hr50 vs the current 1hr15 via Derby. It wouldn't really be about Nottingham-Birmingham journeys though, it would be aimed at Nuneaton-Nottingham, Loughborough-Birmingham etc.

maybe it could be argued that 2tph from Birmingham to Peterborough would be desirable.

Admitedly this may be a more useful extension of the XC service. 2ph to Peterborough, with one continuing to Stanstead and one to Norwich, would be a desirable service.

 

[The Planner]

Admitedly this may be a more useful extension of the XC service. 2ph to Peterborough, with one continuing to Stanstead and one to Norwich, would be a desirable service.

That route is another with only a small percentage end to end. Its mainly made up of intermediate hops. If the plan is for Peterborough to Norwich, I am not convinced XC are the right TOC for it. It would be very resource hungry if a Birmingham service.

 

[Spaceship323]

Admitedly this may be a more useful extension of the XC service. 2ph to Peterborough, with one continuing to Stanstead and one to Norwich, would be a desirable service.

Birmingham to Norwich would be great...oh wait they did that 40 years ago with a 31 and 4 mk1's

 

[Bartsimho]

Birmingham to Norwich would be great...oh wait they did that 40 years ago with a 31 and 4 mk1's

There can never be another new route in the entire country if it was tried before even many years ago before circumstances changed.
No EWR then as that was tried but wasn't good enough so it closed so shouldn't be rebuilt.

The country has changed in 40 years. This is extending services as well though.
Also providing a direct route from the second city of the country to places although it isn't London so it shouldn't be considered.

 

[Purple Train]

As someone who lives in the south but has family in Lincoln, I want Central Trains and all the ridiculous origins for Lincoln services back

More seriously, extending it to Birmingham might work, as long as it turns into the semi-fast Nottingham-Lincoln rather than calling at all the little stops before Newark Castle. Part of me also thinks it should omit Swinderby, but I don't know what else could serve Swinderby in that case.

 

[cle]

I think it would make sense as a more semi-fast regional service, so potentially in addition to the local services on the Ivanhoe and the Newark lines.

Also agree on 2tph to Peterborough, has always made sense. The likes of Stamford and Oakham justify 2tph to their London/mainline railheads.