There have been a number of threads where members have been asked to say which closed railway lines they think should be reopened.
One thing that the replies often did not give was what the new train service would look like in terms of timings.
To get things stated I give my own
FANTASY BRISTOL NORWICH Through-train timetable.
I am assuming the Oxford to Cambridge line were to be reopened and there was a regular through - train service between Bristol Temple Meads and Norwich using the line. I have guess-timated the timings based on old timetables. I would suggest two-hourly departures from each end of the route at say 0700, 0900, 1100, 1300, 1500, 1700, 1900.
Here are the timings for the 0700 eastbound service.
Bristol...............0700
Bath................ 0711
Swindon............0740
Didcot...............0758 connection from the 0726 from Reading
Oxford...............0815 connection from the 0653 from Worcester
Bicester.............0830
Bletchley...........0900 change for Milton Keynes (arr 0915)
Bedford.............0920 change for Leicester (arr 1048)
Cambridge.........1005 change for Ipswich (arr 1128)
Ely...................1019
Norwich............1120
This would give a journey time from Bristol to Norwich of 4 hours 20 minutes. This compares with 4 hours 50 minutes via London and avoids the inconvenience of descending into the bowels of the earth to use the London Underground to transfer between Paddington and Liverpool Street.
For other journeys where passengers might want to avoid London, the time savings would be greater, for example Swindon to Milton Keynes (1:35 v 2:38), Worcester to Cambridge (3:12 v 4:01), Oxford to Norwich (3:05 v 3:56), Milton Keynes to Norwich (2:40 v 3:27).
Any thoughts?
What other potentially profitable routes could you suggest using reopened lines?
One thing that the replies often did not give was what the new train service would look like in terms of timings.
To get things stated I give my own
FANTASY BRISTOL NORWICH Through-train timetable.
I am assuming the Oxford to Cambridge line were to be reopened and there was a regular through - train service between Bristol Temple Meads and Norwich using the line. I have guess-timated the timings based on old timetables. I would suggest two-hourly departures from each end of the route at say 0700, 0900, 1100, 1300, 1500, 1700, 1900.
Here are the timings for the 0700 eastbound service.
Bristol...............0700
Bath................ 0711
Swindon............0740
Didcot...............0758 connection from the 0726 from Reading
Oxford...............0815 connection from the 0653 from Worcester
Bicester.............0830
Bletchley...........0900 change for Milton Keynes (arr 0915)
Bedford.............0920 change for Leicester (arr 1048)
Cambridge.........1005 change for Ipswich (arr 1128)
Ely...................1019
Norwich............1120
This would give a journey time from Bristol to Norwich of 4 hours 20 minutes. This compares with 4 hours 50 minutes via London and avoids the inconvenience of descending into the bowels of the earth to use the London Underground to transfer between Paddington and Liverpool Street.
For other journeys where passengers might want to avoid London, the time savings would be greater, for example Swindon to Milton Keynes (1:35 v 2:38), Worcester to Cambridge (3:12 v 4:01), Oxford to Norwich (3:05 v 3:56), Milton Keynes to Norwich (2:40 v 3:27).
Any thoughts?
What other potentially profitable routes could you suggest using reopened lines?
