East West Rail Services

[A S Leib]

Do any Avanti services stop at Bletchley?

I think Bletchley had an hourly Manchester service before Milton Keynes Central, but I don't think it's had a regular intercity service since then.*

*I can't remember if LNR's Crewe services call there on Sundays, and Bletchley had the LNR Euston – Northampton – Birmingham – Liverpool services when they briefly existed, but they're not really intercity ones.

 

[The Planner]

I do hope that Avanti/Network Rail find an opportunity to stop at least one of the weekday Northbound Glasgow fasts at Bletchley or Milton Keynes once EWR opens.

Do you mean when the full thing opens to Cambridge or just the bit to Bletchley? If its the latter then no chance.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The track access application (linked in the construction thread) has 35 trains each way Mon - Sat, so there’s quite a few more services to add to what RTT shows in December. That’s 18 more, (say 4 1/2 more hours worth), if I’ve counted right?

Two hours earlier start and two hours later finish does sound about right. While I can see the potential debate around evening services and their viability, a new rail service that has the first arrivals at each end far too late for commuting to be viable (0924 at MKC and 0929 at Oxford), despite a potentially very significant market for this, would just be absolutely nuts, far too stupid for even the railway or the DfT to countenance.

 

[12LDA28C]

Two hours earlier start and two hours later finish does sound about right. While I can see the potential debate around evening services and their viability, a new rail service that has the first arrivals at each end far too late for commuting to be viable (0924 at MKC and 0929 at Oxford), despite a potentially very significant market for this, would just be absolutely nuts, far too stupid for even the railway or the DfT to countenance.

It'll be an earlier start than that, but it should be remembered that there is no guarantee that a 2tph service will be in effect from Day One, largely dependent on the extent of driver training completed by planned start of service (whenever that is).

 

[childwallblues]

And of those, Oxford-Manchester (73 passengers per day) is by far the most important, being five times the flows to Liverpool or to Sheffield.

Liverpool to Oxford could well changs seeing that Liverpool has an hourly direcct service all day to Milton Keynes.

 

[Nottingham59]

Liverpool to Oxford could well changs seeing that Liverpool has an hourly direcct service all day to Milton Keynes.

Could well be. MKC to Piccadilly is 93 p/d, whereas MKC to Lime St is 49. Which is more than half the Manchester flow.

Data from https://railalefan.co.uk/labs/flowstats/MKC/

 

[westcoaster]

Just been looking at the diagrams loaded to RTT from December.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...24-12-18/0000-2359?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

The first service seems to start very late in the day, with the final service relatively early.

Looking at Milton Keynes Central on a random January day shows 2 diagrams from Bletchley Tmd and two from Oxford up Carriage sidings.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Do you mean when the full thing opens to Cambridge or just the bit to Bletchley? If its the latter then no chance.

Is that because it would potentially damage the viability of Grand Union with their direct Scotland services from Milton Keynes around May next year?

 

[The Planner]

Is that because it would potentially damage the viability of Grand Union with their direct Scotland services from Milton Keynes around May next year?

Why do Avanti need to call there if EW goes to MK? Good luck with Grand Union starting next year as well.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Which will likely end up at Bletchley only on some weeks due to the two track on the WCML.

That seems rather thick-headed, surely there isn’t regularly work on the exceptionally short bit between Bletchley and MK? Those 2TT possessions have work focussing in different places depending on the week surely? I would have thought some sensible reviewing of how frequently 2TT is required specifically between Bletchley and MK would be in order, NR is obliged to minimise the impact of its engineering requirements and EWR is going to be a very high-profile flow.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Why do Avanti need to call there if EW goes to MK? Good luck with Grand Union starting next year as well.

Well, that's why I said either.

Isn't there a long term issue with MK commuters inundating Avanti Services? Something that might be less problematic if the stop was at Bletchey instead?

"Change at Bletchley for services to Bicester Village"

 

[Bletchleyite]

Isn't there a long term issue with MK commuters inundating Avanti Services?

Not since COVID, the numbers are down sufficiently that very few of them now have pick up/set down only.

Something that might be less problematic if the stop was at Bletchey instead?

As most commuters I expect drive or take taxis to MKC, they'd just drive to Bletchley instead. Cheaper, plentiful parking too.

 

[The Planner]

That seems rather thick-headed, surely there isn’t regularly work on the exceptionally short bit between Bletchley and MK? Those 2TT possessions have work focussing in different places depending on the week surely? I would have thought some sensible reviewing of how frequently 2TT is required specifically between Bletchley and MK would be in order, NR is obliged to minimise the impact of its engineering requirements and EWR is going to be a very high-profile flow.

Chiltern are comfortable with it apparently.

 

[12LDA28C]

That seems rather thick-headed, surely there isn’t regularly work on the exceptionally short bit between Bletchley and MK? Those 2TT possessions have work focussing in different places depending on the week surely? I would have thought some sensible reviewing of how frequently 2TT is required specifically between Bletchley and MK would be in order, NR is obliged to minimise the impact of its engineering requirements and EWR is going to be a very high-profile flow.

Pretty unlikely there'll be many passengers using EWR all the way to Milton Keynes late at night I would've thought, so it wouldn't be a huge concern. The few people travelling can change at Bletchley for MKC.

 

[childwallblues]

Could well be. MKC to Piccadilly is 93 p/d, whereas MKC to Lime St is 49. Which is more than half the Manchester flow.

Data from https://railalefan.co.uk/labs/flowstats/MKC/

Passengers from north of Stafford currently have to change to Cross Country to get to Oxford. They will now be able to use those Avanti services which call at Milton Keynes Central for a much more comfortable journey on a less packed train.