Ludicrous suggestions for Kent (from Modern Railways)

[4-SUB 4732]

I’d argue that the most useful intervention would be to kick out the Eurostars - there’s a lot of infrastructure there that can only be used for a handful of trains per day. It could be put to much better use, and speed up the Eurostars.

I realise this is not a popular opinion.

I think it’s politically undesirable, but perfectly acceptable.

The alternative of course is to put the platforms on the flyover for Eurostar; or to be really radical and just get the very limited numbers (in real terms) of people who do want Eurostar from East Kent to go from Ebbsfleet.

 

[Bald Rick]

The alternative of course is to put the platforms on the flyover for Eurostar

Not an alternative at all at 1:50 or whatever it is!

 

[4-SUB 4732]

Not an alternative at all at 1:50 or whatever it is!

I’m sure it was scoped in documentation?

 

[Bald Rick]

I’m sure it was scoped in documentation?

It might have been considered in the early days, but it’s a solid gradient all the way up from the tunnel east of Ashford to the crest of the Viaduct.

 

[MarkyT]

Not an alternative at all at 1:50 or whatever it is!

and most of that roller coaster is probably continuous vertical transitions as well as horizontal curves so nowhere to put platform loop turnouts, and through speed is too high for platforms on the fast lines themselves, unless everything stopped there! The whole station concept is a mess really with all that conflict, a victim of piecemeal development even though it's all fairly new.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

If Hastings to London journey times need to be speeded up, would reinstating the curve avoiding Eastbourne help at all for Southern services?

 

[Ianno87]

If Hastings to London journey times need to be speeded up, would reinstating the curve avoiding Eastbourne help at all for Southern services?

That will still be slower than the route via Tunbridge Wells.

 

[zwk500]

If Hastings to London journey times need to be speeded up, would reinstating the curve avoiding Eastbourne help at all for Southern services?

You'd still have a much longer journey than via either Tonbridge or Ashford, introduce 2 additional conflicts and have to run additional trains to serve London-Hastings, and Hastings-Eastbourne.

 

[Bald Rick]

If Hastings to London journey times need to be speeded up, would reinstating the curve avoiding Eastbourne help at all for Southern services?

By far and away the best value option is to cut out stops on the existing services. Not very attractive to the politicians though. Although the push for doing something with Hastings is diminished now that Mrs Rudd is no longer the local MP. She was very vocal about it, and everyone who needed to know knew which was her regular train in the morning!