Ideas to improve connectivity for the North Downs Line including Gatwick services

[yorksrob]

There is an argument that it is better to point the service at Canterbury than Folkestone and Dover as even if the population of Canterbury is less, the tourist / student demand is greater. Redhill to Canterbury might just about be possible in an hour with stops only at Tonbridge and Ashford but the trains would almost certainly be practically empty most of the time, even without the current issues.

I would catch it between Ashford and Tonbridge, just for the fast run on the centre roads.

Very rare now days, but they did it one sunday during engineering works on HS1 a couple of years ago. I timed it taking 23 minutes between Ashford and Tonbridge !

 

[PTR 444]

I would catch it between Ashford and Tonbridge, just for the fast run on the centre roads.

Very rare now days, but they did it one sunday during engineering works on HS1 a couple of years ago. I timed it taking 23 minutes between Ashford and Tonbridge !

Going further, it would be interesting to see how long a non-stop run between Ashford and Redhill would take, considering that it was of course the original SEML (and hence why it is almost ruler straight).

 

[yorksrob]

Going further, it would be interesting to see how long a non-stop run between Ashford and Redhill would take, considering that it was of course the original SEML (and hence why it is almost ruler straight).

Indeed. It's straight, and lets face it, there's not exactly a lot of other traffic on there to come up against.

Had a rather spirited run along there on the thumper last year !

 

[big all]

yes on a map it looks ruler strait but has perhaps 5 gentle curves between Redhill and Tonbridge from the strait leaving Redhill after the road bridge you have a gentle curve leaving Godstone another over the Uckfield line another around bough beech reservoir and another between Penshurst and Leigh halt.

Going further, it would be interesting to see how long a non-stop run between Ashford and Redhill would take, considering that it was of course the original SEML (and hence why it is almost ruler straight).

now my memories may be a bit askew with perhaps the dip into Penshurst tunnel and the big embankment fooling my memories off a change off angle may be wrong but man and boy i must have traversed the line may be a thousand times as a second man and driver between 72 and around 93??

 

[southern442]

I would catch it between Ashford and Tonbridge, just for the fast run on the centre roads.

Very rare now days, but they did it one sunday during engineering works on HS1 a couple of years ago. I timed it taking 23 minutes between Ashford and Tonbridge !

Slightly OT but isn't this section the only bit of 100mph running on the South Eastern Mainline?

 

[yorksrob]

Slightly OT but isn't this section the only bit of 100mph running on the South Eastern Mainline?

I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[cle]

I have no idea, but it wouldn't surprise me.

And the whole Southern region now (othern than HS1) - not including the SWML. As the BML was downgraded to 90mph.

 

[yorksrob]

And the whole Southern region now (othern than HS1) - not including the SWML. As the BML was downgraded to 90mph.

I must admit, I'd be surprised if anything could get enough space on the BML to get to 100 !

 

[MotCO]

How much demand is there for a Kent to Gatwick service? Whilst there is an attraction of not having to go via London and having to change, there have been a number of express coach services which served this market but did not succeed. There was a service run by OFJ Connections, and a 'Green Line' 795 service run by Southend Transport and others.

I think a train service should succeed, if it was quick and frequent enough.