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Grand Central apply for Newcastle - Brighton direct

SECR 65

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2 Apr 2026
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726
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East Sussex
If you were very clever, and in the absence of disruption, you could probably run Brighton on four or five platforms with the existing services (it has eight).

During the day the West Coastway only uses one (except two platforms (1&2) are only accessible from the WC) for what I think is a 4tph service.

The East Coastway services use a mixture of 7 and 8, but, generally, there is only one EC train in the station at a time. (4tph service off-peak). (Perhaps does this go back to previous 6tph with Lewes Terminators?)

Thameslink has a total of 4tph (2 Bedford, 2 Cambridge), and you often see two TL units in the station at once. But, as is proved by the WC, 4tph can be run with one platform...

Gatwick Express is 2tph. This uses one platform off-peak and two platforms peak (extra calls mean that basically an extra unit has to come out of the depot so units can 'step back' a diagram at Brighton, because these additional calls mean that the minimum turnaround time is fouled).

So some clever train planning and a timetable recast, I reckon you could fit some extra trains in.
 
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RailUK Forums

NCT

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Given the distances covered by the Thameslink services, you really don't want anything more intensive than 2 turnarounds per hour per platform.
 

XCTurbostar

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Last edited:
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On the basis of the ORR decisions on the West Coast bids today, I rate the chances of this being approved at somewhere between 0% and 1%, not least with Birmingham New Street being chock-a blocked.
 

The Planner

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15 Apr 2008
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On the basis of the ORR decisions on the West Coast bids today, I rate the chances of this being approved at somewhere between 0% and 1%, not least with Birmingham New Street being chock-a blocked.
That doesn't matter in this case, they were after the XC paths that already exist.
 

YorkRailFan

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That doesn't matter in this case, they were after the XC paths that already exist.
The XC paths will be contested by XC as well. Then there's the Brighton Main Line with its limited paths. That's not forgetting the revenue abstraction test as well!
 

NCT

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Have XC completely relinquished the rights to the paths they don't currently operate in? If so, what does this mean in the 'incumbency' dimension of path allocation? Can XC reasonably object on grounds 'this used to be our path'?
 

hexagon789

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2 Sep 2016
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Glasgow
That doesn't matter in this case, they were after the XC paths that already exist.
The XC paths will be contested by XC as well. Then there's the Brighton Main Line with its limited paths. That's not forgetting the revenue abstraction test as well!
Have XC completely relinquished the rights to the paths they don't currently operate in? If so, what does this mean in the 'incumbency' dimension of path allocation? Can XC reasonably object on grounds 'this used to be our path'?
I thought XC had already taken back the paths in May, to offer the now hourly Reading to York with two-hourly extensions to Newcastle?
 

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