How should the additional Leeds - Sheffield Northern service be operated?

[quantinghome]

Moderator note: Split from:

Leeds Station Improvement

The biggest problem with the PUDO, aside from the rush caused by London trains (if you avoid these peaks its nowhere near as bad) is Uber drivers waiting in the drop off area for ages, and often refusing to take any jobs unless it's a premium ride. There needs to be enforcement about the waiting...

www.railforums.co.uk

Which could very well mean that the important Leeds-Sheffield-Nottingham route will remain as inadequate 2 carriage trains for around another 3 years at least.

That can’t be entirely true; they have somehow found new rolling stock to run an entirely new Sheffield-Leeds via Wakefield Westgate train from December.

It would be better for the new fast Leeds-Sheffield service to take over Nottingham duties. In fact, wasn't this the Northern Connect plan?

 

[yorksrob]

I would hope that these improvements would in some way facilitate a half hourly service between Leeds and Normanton (not holding my breath though).

 

[YorksLad12]

It would be better for the new fast Leeds-Sheffield service to take over Nottingham duties. In fact wasn't this the Northern Connect plan?

Yup. Bradford-Leeds-Westgate-Sheffield-Nottingham. 1h40 Leeds to Nottingham. Timings at Sheffield don't match up though.

 

[quantinghome]

Yup. Bradford-Leeds-Westgate-Sheffield-Nottingham. 1h40 Leeds to Nottingham. Timings at Sheffield don't match up though.

Yes, it looks like it would coincide with the Newcastle-Reading service... now THAT gives me an idea...

 

[ChrisC]

Yes, it looks like it would coincide with the Newcastle-Reading service... now THAT gives me an idea...

It could all become very complicated south of Sheffield. If it coincides with the Newcastle-Reading services, and has to be timed to depart from Sheffield a few minutes after the Reading service has departed, it will then be running only a few minutes ahead of the Liverpool to Norwich service. In addition to the fact that this would end the roughly half hourly service between Sheffield and Nottingham, after calls at Dronfield, Chesterfield, Alfreton, Langley Mill and Ilkeston the Liverpool to Norwich train will catch up with it. I do wonder what the original plan was with the Bradford to Nottingham trains.

 

[Starmill]

Moving the Nottingham over would deprive Dronfield, Chesterfield and Alfreton of a direct train to Meadowhall too, which they'd definitely moan about.

 

[quantinghome]

It could all become very complicated south of Sheffield. If it coincides with the Newcastle-Reading services, and has to be timed to depart from Sheffield a few minutes after the Reading service has departed, it will then be running only a few minutes ahead of the Liverpool to Norwich service. In addition to the fact that this would end the roughly half hourly service between Sheffield and Nottingham, after calls at Dronfield, Chesterfield, Alfreton, Langley Mill and Ilkeston the Liverpool to Norwich train will catch up with it. I do wonder what the original plan was with the Bradford to Nottingham trains.

My thought was more that as the Newcastle-Reading services are only 2-hourly, there are unused Sheffield-Birmingham slots on alternate hours, and the new fast Leeds-Sheffield service should really be a XC service to Birmingham, possibly beyond, where there are the slots.

 

[YorksLad12]

My thought was more that as the Newcastle-Reading services are only 2-hourly, there are unused Sheffield-Birmingham slots on alternate hours, and the new fast Leeds-Sheffield service should really be a XC service to Birmingham, possibly beyond, where there are the slots.

No! It should be a local service for local people, relieving pressure on the XC service by providing an alternative. If I was still working in Sheffield I would be using it of an evening instead of hoping that the 1721 had space (I used to sometimes wait for the 1821, which was usually a bit quieter).

(We're drifting off topic though.)