Direct services - for fun

[yoyothehobo]

Wick to Looe, on a 153.

 

[Killingworth]

Wick to Looe, on a 153.

Weekly Wick to Penzance by HST. If they can manage a weekly Ghan across Australia why not?

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Wick to Looe, on a 153.

Or even on a RRB

 

[camflyer]

Electrify Cambridge - Newmarket and extend the KX - Cambridge to Newmarket. (or one of the units)

Good idea or go a bit further and service Bury St Edmunds. Split the service at Cambridge with half going to Kings Lynn (as present) and the remainder to Newmarket and BSE.

Double some of the above route, re-open Fulbourn and Cherry Hinton, rebuild the south - north jcn onto the Bury to Ely line, re-open March to Wisbech and run Wisbech - Cambridge trains via Soham and Newmarket.

Or even a direct Norwich to Newmarket service via Soham and Ely with a new station around Fordham.

 

[The Ham]

I've I've suggested before is an Ascot to Basingstoke service via a new grade separated junction at Frimley Green, it would allow additional stations to be built where there's been significant development.

For example Fleet West, Southwood, Watchmore Park and Old Dean. If it could be made to work even a station at Basingstoke Leisure Park, as that would allow services to move through Basingstoke station and then be emptied at the new station (possibly built on a siding).

It would provide an option to get to London faster from Frimley and Camberley by changing at Farnborough Main, as well as connections which are currently difficult to achieve, even though places aren't that far apart.

It would also ease peak hour congestion on services as those traveling to Farnborough from the local stations (of which there's a lot) would be able to use other (non London bound trains) to get there.

There's also likely to be further development in the area in the not too distant future which would ease local traffic issues (if the borough of Hart, which is where Fleet is, could reduce car ownership to the average of that if Hampshire it could have up to 10,000 new homes and not have any additional cars).

 

[Magdalia]

Good idea or go a bit further and service Bury St Edmunds. Split the service at Cambridge with half going to Kings Lynn (as present) and the remainder to Newmarket and BSE.

Two portions joining, both having come off lines with long sections of single track. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[70014IronDuke]

Good idea or go a bit further and service Bury St Edmunds. Split the service at Cambridge with half going to Kings Lynn (as present) and the remainder to Newmarket and BSE.

Could electrification to Bury SE from Cambridge ever be justified (unless you were doing the whole Peterboro' - GE main line section)?

Or even a direct Norwich to Newmarket service via Soham and Ely with a new station around Fordham.

I dare say that might have more chance of realisation than my suggestion. Thing is, I was starting out from finding a way to justify re-opening Wisbech - March, this was when it was a subject of discussion on here. I just can't see it ever happening as a shuttle service, nor can I ever see paths being allocated or even available so suit the main traffic flow from Wisbech, ie to Cambridge.

Two portions joining, both having come off lines with long sections of single track. What could possibly go wrong?

We'll double lots of those critical sections.

 

[Magdalia]

I was starting out from finding a way to justify re-opening Wisbech - March, this was when it was a subject of discussion on here. I just can't see it ever happening as a shuttle service, nor can I ever see paths being allocated or even available so suit the main traffic flow from Wisbech, ie to Cambridge.

The capacity constraints are at Ely and Cambridge, going via Newmarket instead of Waterbeach doesn't change that.

We'll double lots of those critical sections.

Warren Hill Tunnel at Newmarket, the Coldhams Common curve and Littleport-Downham will never get redoubled.

 

[camflyer]

Could electrification to Bury SE from Cambridge ever be justified (unless you were doing the whole Peterboro' - GE main line section)?

Would it even be possible to electrify the tunnel at Newmarket without a hugely expensive and disruptive rebuild?

I dare say that might have more chance of realisation than my suggestion. Thing is, I was starting out from finding a way to justify re-opening Wisbech - March, this was when it was a subject of discussion on here. I just can't see it ever happening as a shuttle service, nor can I ever see paths being allocated or even available so suit the main traffic flow from Wisbech, ie to Cambridge.

There certainly should be rail improvements in the Fens area especially with so much housing being built recently and planned in the near future. Reopening the Newmarket West Curve shouldn't be too expensive and apart from some opposition from the local horsey fraternity would open up a lot of route options.

 

[The Sage]

Extend grand central services from Sunderland to South Shields…would need a new platform at S.Shields.

 

[Dan G]

Ok. My dream service would actually be a circular going Liverpool-Manchester-Leeds-Doncaster-Sheffield-Nottingham-Derby-Leicester-Coventry-Birmingham-Stoke on Trent-Manchester-Liverpool – and reverse. Say 2ph, semi-fast if not express between those centres.

A Great Northern Circular. I could be convinced to leave out Leicester and Coventry.

With ideal pathing and an IET, I wonder how long such a route would take?

 

[mangyiscute]

Ok. My dream service would actually be a circular going Liverpool-Manchester-Leeds-Doncaster-Sheffield-Nottingham-Derby-Leicester-Coventry-Birmingham-Stoke on Trent-Manchester-Liverpool – and reverse. Say 2ph, semi-fast if not express between those centres.

A Great Northern Circular. I could be convinced to leave out Leicester and Coventry.

With ideal pathing and an IET, I wonder how long such a route would take?

I'd certainly leave out Coventry, having to reverse there would be a big detour. Nottingham is worse the reversal tho, and then i'd try to argue not going to Liverpool and instead going via Crewe from Birmingham and then via Warrington to enter Manchester from the West and therefore create a true circular.

 

[deltic08]

I do support barrow getting London services tbh. Might give Lancaster an extra service or two - I have bias here

But for Workington would you go via Barrow or Carlisle

On this theme why not Dalston in London to Dalston in Cumbria via Dalton in Rotherham, Dalton near Thirsk, Dalton near Darlington and Dalton near Barrow.

 

[Dan G]

I'd certainly leave out Coventry, having to reverse there would be a big detour. Nottingham is worse the reversal tho, and then i'd try to argue not going to Liverpool and instead going via Crewe from Birmingham and then via Warrington to enter Manchester from the West and therefore create a true circular.

My dream is to be able to travel from any of the major "northern" centres to the others, and most of the midlands, direct

 

[FlyingPotato]

I have another - I want to extent the reading to Gatwick train


In my ideal world I'd extend it to both Brighton and Birmingham Moor Street with stops, Brighton, Burgess hill, Haywards heath, three bridges, Gatwick airport, Redhill, Reigate, Dorking, Guilford, North Camp, Blackwater, Wokingham, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington spa, Warwick, Dorridge, Solihull and Birmingham Moor Street
I'd use a stock of 4-6 carriages of 23m, with a possible first class

I think it could give people from Brighton a way to avoid London and provide places like Oxford with an extra service to Birmingham. There might be little end to end journeys but I still believe it would receive use as I would definitely use it

If it was not feasible in any world I'd extend the reading Gatwick to Brighton as I believe that to be reasonable

 

[miklcct]

I have another - I want to extent the reading to Gatwick train


In my ideal world I'd extend it to both Brighton and Birmingham Moor Street with stops, Brighton, Burgess hill, Haywards heath, three bridges, Gatwick airport, Redhill, Reigate, Dorking, Guilford, North Camp, Blackwater, Wokingham, Reading, Didcot, Oxford, Banbury, Leamington spa, Warwick, Dorridge, Solihull and Birmingham Moor Street
I'd use a stock of 4-6 carriages of 23m, with a possible first class

I think it could give people from Brighton a way to avoid London and provide places like Oxford with an extra service to Birmingham. There might be little end to end journeys but I still believe it would receive use as I would definitely use it

If it was not feasible in any world I'd extend the reading Gatwick to Brighton as I believe that to be reasonable

This is a sure way to export delays on the Brighton Main Line to the detriment of local users of the North Downs Line.

 

[gingertom]

with a restoration of Dunblane-Crianlarich via Callander, one could do Tyndrum Upper to Tyndrum Lower without a reversal.

 

[leytongabriel]

A true London Overground 'Outer Circle' without the break at Clapham Junction and with that elusive station built in Brixton.

 

[miklcct]

A true London Overground 'Outer Circle' without the break at Clapham Junction and with that elusive station built in Brixton.

How will Highbury & Islington be dealt with? Wire up the East London Line platform and do the power switch there?

 

[The Sage]

Business class express from Edinburgh and Newcastle down the ECML branching off at Finsbury Park to Moorgate (city of London)

 

[gomango]

Business class express from Edinburgh and Newcastle down the ECML branching off at Finsbury Park to Moorgate (city of London)

Maybe even starting it a Glasgow Queen Street and stopping at some of the local stations on the Glasgow Queen Street to Edinburgh line so more people have a direct link to London

 

[popeter45]

Swansea/Cardiff to Edinburgh/Glasgow
also Swansea/Manchester/Edinburgh to St Pancrass with on board security checks for cross platform connections to eurostar