Lines that should be four track

[Anonywave]

• London commuters move into the area (both around Norwich itself and near places like Diss which get additional stops)
  

But if, say, Diss got additional stops, then surely It would likewise increase commuting into Norwich?

 

[LE Greys]

But if, say, Diss got additional stops, then surely It would likewise increase commuting into Norwich?

Precisely. Where do the people of Diss do their shopping now, and where will the incomers do theirs?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Unrelated, but the Blue Pullmans were pretty sleek looking for their time.

If this forum had been up and running in those days, I am sure the usual collection of negative pessamists would be giving reasons on the forum why they were not suitable....just as happens in these days :roll:
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway made many of the sections of the line from Pendleton to Wigan via Hindley a four track route.

Hindley, most certainly was a four platform station.

 

[LE Greys]

If this forum had been up and running in those days, I am sure the usual collection of negative pessamists would be giving reasons on the forum why they were not suitable....just as happens in these days :roll:

Such as small size, rough riding and the motorcoaches being noisy (criticisms levelled at them at the time). Sounds familiar . . . :?

 

[ainsworth74]

Such as small size, rough riding and the motorcoaches being noisy (criticisms levelled at them at the time). Sounds familiar . . .

Or how about:

"I hate those vile HSTs replacing the lovely Deltics, truly terrible rolling stock."

Or even:

"I hate those vile Deltics replacing the lovely A4s, truly terrible rolling stock."

 

[Zoe]

I look upon it as a bad thing (but then I don't like cities, as you might have guessed). The question is whether this is simply a socio-economic change that we can do nothing about or whether it is preventable by careful planning. I don't want to see yet another place go into local recession because of London commuting.

But isn't that what HS2 will do to some of the regional cities? Encourage people to commute to London due to the fast journey times?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

But isn't that what HS2 will do to some of the regional cities? Encourage people to commute to London due to the fast journey times?

Zoe, do you not think the reverse strategy would also apply? The BBC have moved many staff to Media City at Salford Quays.

 

[Zoe]

The BBC have moved many staff to Media City at Salford Quays.

That has been planned for years and had nothing to do with HS2.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

That has been planned for years and had nothing to do with HS2.

I was only using this as one example, large as it undoubtedly is, of how HS2 might be a fulcrum of more northern movement, rather than the blinkered "London" belief that all things of any worth should be based there. Leeds is a very large player in the new financial services sector.

Any suggestions from Midlands and North based commercial enteties that London should lose any of its power bases are met by London PR consultancies with reasons why these should not happen under any circumstancies whatsoever.

The BBC is only one example of what be the sign of things to come, and if HS2 accelerates such Northern movements, I for one would be extremely happy.

Can this line of reasoning now be terminated and the matter returned back to the original thread.....LINES THAT SHOULD BE FOUR TRACK

 

[The Planner]

How would you define NR moving more or less everything to MK then ?? nowhere near HS2 and with no extra stops in WCML services....

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

My definition would be:-

1)....More cost effective than being in London, as Milton Keynes is one of the "New Towns".

2)...National Rail see this move as still being on a main national rail link with good modern station facilities. If a national rail oriented company did not see Milton Keynes Central as such a station, with suitable rail facilities, why would the consultants working with them have come to this decision?

3)... HS2 is just another part of a European rail initiative to link major parts of the economy of the European Union. Britain has lagged after France shamefully so to most thinking forums on transport. But it must not be viewed as something akin to THE HOLY GRAIL of railway planning. It just seems to be so, because Britain is 30-50 years behind the forward railway thinking in other parts of Europe. It would be laughable...were it not such a condemnation of British railway thinking.

 

[Ploughman]

How would you define NR moving more or less everything to MK then ?? nowhere near HS2 and with no extra stops in WCML services....

What proportion of staff at NWR actually use rail in the course of their normal working day?
I would imagine the carpark is actually quite large and part filled with NWR branded vehicles.

 

[Zoe]

What proportion of staff at NWR actually use rail in the course of their normal working day?
I would imagine the carpark is actually quite large and part filled with NWR branded vehicles.

That doesn't fit well though with a future of sustainable transport and less people having cars.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

It is amazing that a discusson on " Lines that should be 4-track" that started this page by saying that Hindley once had a 4-platform station, can turn so quickly into discussions concerning a car parking facility at offices of a rail company. Were you proposing a 4 track railway line through this car park? Logic once again is denied.

If you want a debate on the political thinking that takes place in the higher echelons of the Labour and Conservative political establishments, why not take the simple route and make a new posting to reflect this on the General Discussion forum and leave this thread to the people who want to speak on the matter that the thread commenced with.

Then all parties will be happy.

 

[centurian]

In danger of this thread turning into EMU vs LHS, but...

Much has been made of the Intercity service being just for Norwich. As a regular commuter on that route, I can assure you that passengers at Colchester & Ipswich appreciate it just as much, but are happy for Norfolk to take the flak for it remaining.

The amount of times I have heard a Colchester passenger on the phone to their other half say

* "I'm on the Intercity train"
* "I'm on the non-stop service"
* "I'm on the fast service" - actually it's hardly any quicker as it catches up with the stopping services

 

[ivanhoe]

But isn't that what HS2 will do to some of the regional cities? Encourage people to commute to London due to the fast journey times?

Only the better off would be able to commute to London, just as they do now from the likes of Leicester, Kettering and Wellingborough. Price will be the key factor so the majority of the population will never be able to commute. As for attracting jobs to the Midlands and North, then I'm not convinced. Only relocation of Government and other public agencies can have a great effect. These can have a domino effect on creating new jobs. However as the dreadful experience with pompous BBC staff has shown, they get travel sickness north of Watford!

 

[Whistler40145]

Should the Midland Mainline be 4 Track from Bedford through to Trent Jn?

 

[Invincibles]

Should the Midland Mainline be 4 Track from Bedford through to Trent Jn?

I would like to see that with an eventual view to bringing Thameslink north to add one or two stations between Kettering and Leicester (where the line could terminate on the east of the station where space for a platform does exist). The alternative would be the ivanhoe line carrying on south to terminate at Bedford if wiring was not seen as a good idea.

(I am aware this needs units etc, which makes the balance slightly favour the Thameslink)

Removing stops from the EMT trains could also benefit Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield.