Fast lines that could be re-arranged

[Sad Sprinter]

A bit of a pie-in-the-sky question, but what four track route could be improved if the track arrangement was changed from say a paired by use to paired by direction layout? I remember there was an interesting conversation on London Reconnections a few years ago which explored changing the track layout from Stoats Nest to Selhurst from PBU to PBD.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It'd be insanely costly, but the south WCML done like that would enable a far more practical interchange-based service pattern with far more moving back and forth between the two.

 

[Sir Felix Pole]

The reverse was proposed - direction to use - for Slade Lane Jcn to Adswood Jcn in the Manchester / Stockport area in Railtrack days. Serious degradation of service for Levenshulme and Heaton Chapel however - abandoned due to WCML cost pressures.

 

[zwk500]

It'd be insanely costly, but the south WCML done like that would enable a far more practical interchange-based service pattern with far more moving back and forth between the two.

Maybe post-HS2 Ironically, but at the moment having clean fast lines with minimal crossing is probably better overall for the long-distance WCML stuff. The bit of the WCML I'd move to PBD is Whitehouse-Stafford-Crewe, Although the Birmingham line at Stafford makes that somewhat awkward. Have the Down Slow between Crewe and Basford Hall bi-di with a Flyover at Basford Hall to allow trains to/from the Yard as well as Down Slow to cross the fasts without conflct. However now it'd also need Norton Bridge rejigging, which while not impossible does somewhat blow any efficiencies that might have been gained out of the water.
Decent Argument for Golborne-Wigan to go PBD as well, but again junction layouts constrain that quite a lot.

 

[The Planner]

Maybe post-HS2 Ironically, but at the moment having clean fast lines with minimal crossing is probably better overall for the long-distance WCML stuff. The bit of the WCML I'd move to PBD is Whitehouse-Stafford-Crewe, Although the Birmingham line at Stafford makes that somewhat awkward. Have the Down Slow between Crewe and Basford Hall bi-di with a Flyover at Basford Hall to allow trains to/from the Yard as well as Down Slow to cross the fasts without conflct. However now it'd also need Norton Bridge rejigging, which while not impossible does somewhat blow any efficiencies that might have been gained out of the water.
Decent Argument for Golborne-Wigan to go PBD as well, but again junction layouts constrain that quite a lot.

Basford Hall doesnt really get altered even when HS2 arrives, it drops itself inbetween the up and down fasts with the slows and down fast realigned.

 

[PGAT]

How would this benefit anything? It just means money spent and huge disruption for a relatively trivial difference

 

[zwk500]

Basford Hall doesnt really get altered even when HS2 arrives, it drops itself inbetween the up and down fasts with the slows and down fast realigned.

Not surprised, once you start to factor in the costs of doing anything the benefits quickly drop into the red.

 

[devon_belle]

I guess that Pairing Parson Street to Bristol Temple Meads by use, rather than by direction, would be good for the Portishead services once they (and the 4th track) are reinstated. I don't know what impact this would have on the junction where 4 goes to 2, or on the use of Bristol Temple Meads platforms would be, however.