My ideas for new train services.

[FQ]

Possible new train services.

I was thinking that this thread would be good for putting in new possible train services and companies to run them such as more XC services and other TOCs.


I will start with an hourly train service from London Paddington to Blackpool North calling at London Paddington, Reading, Didcot Parkway (alternate services), Oxford, Evesham/Pershore (alternate services), Worcester Shrub Hill, Kidderminster (only on days the Severn Valley Railway is running), Wolverhampton, Telford Central, Shrewsbury, Wrexham General, Chester, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston and Blackpool North.

Also a service could run from London Paddington to Okehampton calling at London Paddington, Reading, Swindon, Chippenham, Westbury, Yeovil Pen Mill, Exeter St Davids and Okehampton.

Moderators please feel free to move.

 

[gordonthemoron]

extend Leeds-Nottingham (Northern) to Bletchley

 

[FQ]

extend Leeds-Nottingham (Northern) to Bletchley

Maybe not with Northern Rail but instead you could have a Bradford Interchange-London Euston calling at Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Huddersfield, Barnsley, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby, East Midlands Parkway, Leicester, Market Harborough, Kettering, Bedford, Bletchley, Watford Junction and London Euston taken by a different TOC.

 

[43074]

Maybe not with Northern Rail but instead you could have a Bradford Interchange-London Euston calling at Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Huddersfield, Barnsley, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby, East Midlands Parkway, Leicester, Market Harborough, Kettering, Bedford, Bletchley, Watford Junction and London Euston taken by a different TOC.

Why? Bradford to St Pancras perhaps if the main objective of the service was to improve things for the East Midlands, but why London Euston? And why Market Harborough and Kettering but not Wellingborough? I would just expand the Grand Central or East Coast services to a few more per day if Bradford to London needed more services to London, which it does.
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I will start with an hourly train service from London Paddington to Blackpool North calling at London Paddington, Reading, Didcot Parkway (alternate services), Oxford, Evesham/Pershore (alternate services), Worcester Shrub Hill, Kidderminster (only on days the Severn Valley Railway is running), Wolverhampton, Telford Central, Shrewsbury, Wrexham General, Chester, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston and Blackpool North.

And the journey time and purpose of that service would be... :roll:
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My suggestion would be an extra train every hour from Cambridge to Birmingham, calling only at Ely, Peterborough, Leicester, Nuneaton & Birmingham with extra calls at peak times, to relieve the Birmingham to Stansted services of overcrowding and to speed up journey times on the East Anglia - Midlands corridor.

 

[FQ]

Why? Bradford to St Pancras perhaps if the main objective of the service was to improve things for the East Midlands, but why London Euston? And why Market Harborough and Kettering but not Wellingborough? I would just expand the Grand Central or East Coast services to a few more per day if Bradford to London needed more services to London, which it does.
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And the journey time and purpose of that service would be... :roll:

Well it is either that or Virgin would need to run a Voyager or something from Euston-Blackpool North. Also I guess it would be better to run Bradford to Pancras instead of to Euston. I guess instead FGW could run a service to Wolverhampton or Shrewsbury via the route shown instead of all the way to Blackpool North.

 

[northwichcat]

extend Leeds-Nottingham (Northern) to Bletchley

Maybe Northern could allocate a 144 to that service.

 

[FQ]

Maybe Northern could allocate a 144 to that service.

That would be torture.
A Nodding Donkey all the way from Leeds to Bletchley.
I think it would have to be a 156 or 2.

 

[Strathclyder]

One that has crossed my mind a couple of times before is an hourly service from Dalmuir to Ayr, calling at Clydebank, Yoker, Garscadden, Scotstounhill, Jordanhill, Hyndland, Partick, Exhibition Centre, Anderston, Glasgow Central, Argyle Street, Bridgeton, Dalmarnock, Paisley Gilmour Street, Johnstone, Kilwinning, Troon, Prestwick International Airport, Prestwick Town, Newton-on-Ayr & Ayr.

 

[northwichcat]

That would be torture.
A Nodding Donkey all the way from Leeds to Bletchley.
I think it would have to be a 156 or 2.

It was a joke. I know gordonthemoron was suggesting such a service to benefit himself rather than there being a good business case for such a service. A 156 wouldn't be that suitable for such a service, it would need to be something that can travel faster than 75mph.

 

[Anvil1984]

That would be torture.
A Nodding Donkey all the way from Leeds to Bletchley.
I think it would have to be a 156 or 2.

Could use a bi mode 444 :roll:

In a few years once adequate stock is released (probably Voyagers /222 when MML / Electric spine done)

Maybe extend the Northern Leeds to Carlisle up to Glasgow and give to another TOC (poss TPE). There's currently press going round that says this service needs longer stock than the current 2 cars (even though in real world most diagrams are 3/4 cars).
Also extend the Leeds - Nottingham somewhere useful divert if possible via Westgate probably give to EMT/XC. Run additional Northern express via Barnsley.
Some people say run Glasgow to Nottingham but that would possibly be operational nightmare

 

[FQ]

How about a daily class 86 or 87 from London Euston to Carlisle calling at London Euston, Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Tamworth, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road (86/87 uncouple steam train come on) Then the steam train could take it from Manchester Oxford Road, Salford Crescent, Bolton and up the SandC to Carlisle.The steam train could then go round and then after about 2 and a half hours at Carlisle the steam train could go Carlisle and then back down to Crewe down the WCML where the Steam loco could un-couple and the 86/87 could come back on to take it back to Euston. It could be usual fare from London to Crewe and then a revised fare from Crewe to Carlisle.
What do people think.

 

[northwichcat]

How about a daily class 86 or 87 from London Euston to Carlisle calling at London Euston, Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Tamworth, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road (86/87 uncouple steam train come on) Then the steam train could take it from Manchester Oxford Road, Salford Crescent, Bolton and up the SandC to Carlisle.The steam train could then go round and then after about 2 and a half hours at Carlisle the steam train could go Carlisle and then back down to Crewe down the WCML where the Steam loco could un-couple and the 86/87 could come back on to take it back to Euston. It could be usual fare from London to Crewe and then a revised fare from Crewe to Carlisle.
What do people think.

There would be no paths to do that during hours when people would actually use it without withdrawing existing services and given you're not proposing using tilting rolling stock it would probably need 2 services to be withdrawn to fit it in opposed to directly replacing an existing one.

Maybe you could have it as a northbound service at 04:30 with the return working at 21:30?

 

[FQ]

There would be no paths to do that during hours when people would actually use it without withdrawing existing services and given you're not proposing using tilting rolling stock it would probably need 2 services to be withdrawn to fit it in opposed to directly replacing an existing one.

I guess but you could route it down the slows when it is on the WCML.

 

[northwichcat]

I guess but you could route it down the slows when it is on the WCML.

There aren't any spare weekday daytime paths between Slade Lane Junction and Deansgate until the Ordsall Chord is built. The extra paths created by building Ordsall Chord are needed for enhancements on local and regional services.

Maybe you could route your proposed service Stockport-Denton-Guide Bridge-Victoria but then when TPE start running 4tph to Victoria that may no longer be possible either.

 

[43074]

I guess but you could route it down the slows when it is on the WCML.

South of Northampton/Milton Keynes Central the slows are full pretty much of existing freight and 5+ ''slow'' trains per hour, so not much room for growth there.

That idea sounds more like a railtour to me, and potentially a popular one, but not something a franchised TOC would run.

 

[FQ]

One that has crossed my mind a couple of times before is an hourly service from Dalmuir to Ayr, calling at Clydebank, Yoker, Garscadden, Scotstounhill, Jordanhill, Hyndland, Partick, Exhibition Centre, Anderston, Glasgow Central, Argyle Street, Bridgeton, Dalmarnock, Paisley Gilmour Street, Johnstone, Kilwinning, Troon, Prestwick International Airport, Prestwick Town, Newton-on-Ayr & Ayr.

That would be a really good idea because currently you would have to change at Glasgow Central which is really annoying, especially for disabled people who don't want to go to one of Scotland's busiest railway stations to change.
If I can have your permission I might be able to E-mail First Scot Rail as a possible service.

Please post as a visitor message or private message as your permission.
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Also maybe put a Holyhead-Cleethorps calling at Holyhead, Bangor, Llandudno Junction, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Flint, Chester, Crewe, Stoke-On-Trent, Derby (reverse), Nottingham, Newark Castle, Lincoln, Barnetby, Habrough, Grimsby Town and Cleethorps.

 

[dannypye9999]

First Great Western extend some of their Weymouth to Bristol trains to Birmingham N St via Worcester.

 

[Manchester77]

While both are served by parliamentary services I'd like to see whether a regular service would be used so therefore (obviously I'm ignoring the fact Northern don't have to stock to operate this!)
Stockport, Reddish South, Denton and Manchester Victoria.
I think with a regular service at least in the peak hours could prove to be popular since you have InterCity connections at Stockport as well as connections to places across the north from Victoria (as well as metrolink connections). When you look at the site of both Reddish South and Denton (especially Reddish South) they both serve quite built up areas with Reddish South in the centre of many houses. If you have 1tph in each direction during the peak you could then reduce it to 1tp2h off peak so you maintain connections. If northern really want to appeal to customers they could time it so it connects with none stop services to Piccadilly as well as a LDHS service both from Stockport

 

[adrock1976]

One that has crossed my mind a couple of times before is an hourly service from Dalmuir to Ayr, calling at Clydebank, Yoker, Garscadden, Scotstounhill, Jordanhill, Hyndland, Partick, Exhibition Centre, Anderston, Glasgow Central, Argyle Street, Bridgeton, Dalmarnock, Paisley Gilmour Street, Johnstone, Kilwinning, Troon, Prestwick International Airport, Prestwick Town, Newton-on-Ayr & Ayr.

That would be a really good idea because currently you would have to change at Glasgow Central which is really annoying, especially for disabled people who don't want to go to one of Scotland's busiest railway stations to change.
If I can have your permission I might be able to E-mail First Scot Rail as a possible service.

Please post as a visitor message or private message as your permission.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Also maybe put a Holyhead-Cleethorps calling at Holyhead, Bangor, Llandudno Junction, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Flint, Chester, Crewe, Stoke-On-Trent, Derby (reverse), Nottingham, Newark Castle, Lincoln, Barnetby, Habrough, Grimsby Town and Cleethorps.

Or alternatively, run it from Dalmuir via Westerton, Maryhill, Springburn, and Bellgrove as part of a Glasgow Crossrail service. This would still interchange at Bellgrove for Queen Street low level and at Glasgow Cross for the Argyle line, also West Street for the underground too.

In peace

Adam

 

[Busterfridge]

How about reinstating the 'clansman' that used to run in the 70s & 80s, Euston - Birmingham - Crewe- Carlisle- Coatbridge - Perth - Inverness, putting this back will give a better connection from the west midlands to north Scotland, its been done to Edinburgh, why not take it further north ?

 

[FQ]

How about a quick class 43 HST from London Kings Cross to Scarborough and one from London Kings Cross to Saltburn. The one to Scarborough could call at London Kings Cross Peterborough, Grantham, Newark North Gate, Retford, Doncaster, York, Malton and Scarborough.

The one to Saltburn could call at London Kings Cross, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark North Gate, Retford, Doncaster, York, Northallerton, Middlesborough and Saltburn.

East Coast definitely have the stock free because they have lots of class 91s just sat in Bounds Green while loads of the class 43s are doing loads of the Newcastle and Newark North Gate trains. They could just take about 4 or 5 HST sets off and put 91s on the moves those class 43s would have taken.

3 HST sets could do the Saltburn trains while the other 2 do the Scarborough's or the other way round.



What do people think?

 

[Manchester77]

London Kings Cross to Scarborough and one from London Kings Cross to Saltburn.
East Coast definitely have the stock free because they have lots of class 91s just sat in Bounds Green while loads of the class 43s are doing loads of the Newcastle and Newark North Gate trains. They could just take about 4 or 5 HST sets off and put 91s on the moves those class 43s would have taken.

What do people think?

The Scarborough service may happen under the next ICEC operated by bi-modal IEP sets. Is there really the demand for a direct London service from Saltburn surely it'd make more sense to terminate it at Middlesbrough and time it to connect with a local service to Saltburn with some trains extending to Saltburn on summer Saturdays.

The only reason why they have a few spare 91s is because through accidents they've lost mark IVs so effectively East Coast are one electric set down and so they have to run HSTs under the wires to some places. And before you suggest swapping the power-cars for 31s you can't because the mark IIIs are wired for HST configuration not to be used as traditional LHCS.

 

[Tomnick]

How about a Barton-on-Humber to Colne service, via Brigg, Gainsborough Central, Sheffield, Barnsley, Huddersfield, Stalybridge, Stockport (rev), Manchester Picc, Bolton and Blackburn? I think there's a real gap in the market for end to end travel on that route.

 

[alex17595]

First Great Western extend some of their Weymouth to Bristol trains to Birmingham N St via Worcester.

Don't most of them go to Great Malvern anyway, or is it hourly south of Bristol and only 2 hourly north of Bristol.

 

[43106]

I reckon Newton-le-Willows should have better connections to the WCML, so I'd like to extend some of the LM London - Crewe service to Preston (or even to Blackpool) via Hartford, Warrington, Winwick Junc, Earlestown, Newton-le-Willows, Golborne Junc and Wigan.

 

[FQ]

How about reinstating the 'clansman' that used to run in the 70s & 80s, Euston - Birmingham - Crewe- Carlisle- Coatbridge - Perth - Inverness, putting this back will give a better connection from the west midlands to north Scotland, its been done to Edinburgh, why not take it further north ?

Wow, that would be amazing.
You would need to restore 87035 and 87001 and get them back up and running to use them on 'the Clansman' to make it class 87 hauled to Mossend Yard for a class 47 from Mossend-Inverness. Of course Scot Rail would need to get a few class 47s to work from Mossend. Also if that happened you would need to put in the 'Royal Scot'.

 

[Parallel]

Although it's more fantasy than anything, something like 2 x daily service between Exeter St Davids and Oxford would be good - Calling at Exeter Central, Honiton, Axminster, Crewkerne, Yeovil Junction, Yeovil Pen Mill, Castle Cary, Frome, Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot Parkway and Oxford.

Or perhaps a Reading - Weymouth service would also be good, calling at Theale, Thatcham, Newbury, Hungerford, Bedwyn, Pewsey, Westbury, Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill, Thornford (x), Yetminster (x), Chetnole (x), Maiden Newton, Dorchester West, Upwey and Weymouth.

 

[FQ]

Although it's more fantasy than anything, something like 2 x daily service between Exeter St Davids and Oxford would be good - Calling at Exeter Central, Honiton, Axminster, Crewkerne, Yeovil Junction, Yeovil Pen Mill, Castle Cary, Frome, Westbury, Trowbridge, Melksham, Chippenham, Swindon, Didcot Parkway and Oxford.

Or perhaps a Reading - Weymouth service would also be good, calling at Theale, Thatcham, Newbury, Hungerford, Bedwyn, Pewsey, Westbury, Frome, Bruton, Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill, Thornford (x), Yetminster (x), Chetnole (x), Maiden Newton, Dorchester West, Upwey and Weymouth.

They would both be good but with the Exeter-Oxford one maybe after Swindon make it go around Didcot west Curve so it doesn't have to turn around at Didcot.

 

[phil8715]

I'd like to see a Euston to Ayr service that connects with the Cainryan-Belfast boat either via Dumfries or via Glasgow Central, or even The Clansman and Royal Scot services hauled by a class 87 would be fantastic.

 

[Strathclyder]

I'd like to see a Euston to Ayr service that connects with the Cainryan-Belfast boat either via Dumfries or via Glasgow Central, or even The Clansman and Royal Scot services hauled by a class 87 would be fantastic.

That service actually used to run twice-daily (one daytime and one sleeping car train), up until the re-structuring of British Rail in the early 1990s, and the service was withdrawn from Ayr.