My idea for Cross Country services expansion

[PHILIPE]

There is a Board on the Forum "Quizzes and Games" so suggest this thread would be more suited there.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

XC back to Brighton simply wont happen.

It would be far more better for the Southern WLL services to be extended down to Gatwick and Brighton again which would certainly give more options than a XC service and would probably be quicker too.

The main issues though would be stock to run the service, paths South of Croydon and the service currently stops at all stations between Croydon and Clapham. If it could be fast between Clapham and Croydon (maybe just calling at Balham for LUL) it could reduce the journey tim, unless an extra service is added completely to give a half-hourly service between Croydon and MKC - but would the paths allow for it ?

Either way, that service, along with a possible extension of the FGW Reading-Gatwick service to Brighton, would be more likely and also more used than a XC service, which would be extremely slow and well off its current route if it ran via the WCML. A service via the North Downs would also be far too slow.

The journey via Redhill & Guildford was quicker by about 10 mins, than going via Croydon, Clapham & WLL.

The only real reason that there's XC service to/from Guildford is for route knowledge retention, but that's usually only for Bournemouth XC, if you get a Brum XC crew & they want to divert it then it will usually terminate at Reading.

Guildford could be a good destination for XC, however it would require an additional unit, also the signalling on the section between Woking & North Camp doesn't exactly lend itself to frequent service, with some long signal sections, the longest being Blackwater to Wokingham. FGW's lousy reliability and punctuality doesn't & most certainly wouldn't do XC any favours either.
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What about a new cross country route between Sheffield and Southampton via Bedford? Is this still in the pipeline or has the electric spine already hit the buffers?

It has been mooted that an XC service may go via the WCML & across to Oxford in the future, but nothing has been set in concrete as far as I'm aware.

 

[swt_passenger]

The main issues though would be stock to run the service, paths South of Croydon and the service currently stops at all stations between Croydon and Clapham. If it could be fast between Clapham and Croydon (maybe just calling at Balham for LUL) it could reduce the journey time...

It was a relatively recent change to run as a stopper between Clapham Jn and East Croydon, basically because the route through platforms 16/17 presents the trains onto the slow lines - and the necessary crossing moves to get from the slow to fast side (and vice versa) were alleged to take up too much overall capacity.

 

[infobleep]

The journey via Redhill & Guildford was quicker by about 10 mins, than going via Croydon, Clapham & WLL.

The only real reason that there's XC service to/from Guildford is for route knowledge retention, but that's usually only for Bournemouth XC, if you get a Brum XC crew & they want to divert it then it will usually terminate at Reading.

Guildford could be a good destination for XC, however it would require an additional unit, also the signalling on the section between Woking & North Camp doesn't exactly lend itself to frequent service, with some long signal sections, the longest being Blackwater to Wokingham. FGW's lousy reliability and punctuality doesn't & most certainly wouldn't do XC any favours either.
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It has been mooted that an XC service may go via the WCML & across to Oxford in the future, but nothing has been set in concrete as far as I'm aware.

If I was travelling home to my parents in Haywards Heath from Oxford the fastest route officially but 20-30 minutes was the direct train via Kensington Olympia.

It would take just over 2hours 30 minutes vers about 3 hours changing at Reading and Gatwick Airport.

Whilst they can't run a direct service just for my needs that was the case.

 

[backontrack]

I will say however, in defence of part of the above Inverness-Birmi suggestion, I honestly think Stirling-Cumbernauld-Motherwell-Carlisle has some scope for development, alas I have no idea exactly what. A bit like the Durham Coast in that regard, always seems to be overlooked in the grand scheme of things.

And a little tip, if suggesting something like that, don't use Walsall-Lake District as an exemplar flow...

Yeah, I was trying to base it around that without copying VTWC/TPEX completely. I know it was absolutely terrible, particularly trying to justify Walsall-Lake District.

Also, love your Moston-Portlaiose suggestion, would an extension to Brighton be possible? 2500tph, via Settle and Carlisle Line?

 

[Class 170101]

How about 1tp3h Inverness-Aviemore-Kingussie-Pitlochry-Perth-Stirling-Motherwell-Carlisle-Penrith/Oxenholme-Lancaster-Preston-Manchester Piccadilly-Stockport/Macclesfield-Stoke on Trent-Walsall/Lichfield TV-Birmingham New Street?

A bit circuitous, but would provide Inverness with a direct link to Manchester/the West Midlands and link the Lake District with Walsall and Stoke on Trent among other places.

Before the Highland Chieftain came into being there used to be a train called the Clansman which was from Euston to Inverness. This train started at Birmingham not long after the Chieftain started from Kings Cross as demand from Euston was minimal.

The aborted West Coast franchise proposed one train a day to / from Stirling which would have avoided Glasgow, Manchester and (probably) Birmingham.