Should Corby services be portion worked to maximise MML capacity?

[Bletchleyite]

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/east-midlands-franchise-won-by-abellio.180915

I think the best solution to the Bedford issue long-term would be to have the Corby service run portion-worked (perhaps only one of the two services), with 8 cars to Corby and 4 to Leicester all day, then you could change at Leicester for other routes. Requires some wires, of course.

 

[Aictos]

I think the best solution to the Bedford issue long-term would be to have the Corby service run portion-worked (perhaps only one of the two services), with 8 cars to Corby and 4 to Leicester all day, then you could change at Leicester for other routes. Requires some wires, of course.

There's no reason why they can't just operate both services, simply advertise it as a semi fast to Leicester where the train divides at Kettering for the front 4 to continue to Leicester and the rear 8 to Corby.

If they were really smart though, they would emulate SouthEastern HS1 St Pancras to St Pancras via the Kent Coast in both clockwise and anti clockwise directions by running a 8 car (12 car in peak) from St Pancras to Leicester via Corby then onto St Pancras via Kettering with the second service running as a 8 car from St Pancras to Leicester via Kettering then onto St Pancras via Corby

Having Leicester instead of Kettering as the interchange between IC, Regional and Electrics makes more sense but it would need remodelling, electification and extra platforms I think at Leicester.

In a ideal world, this is what would have happened maybe....

 

[43074]

If they were really smart though, they would emulate SouthEastern HS1 St Pancras to St Pancras via the Kent Coast in both clockwise and anti clockwise directions by running a 8 car (12 car in peak) from St Pancras to Leicester via Corby then onto St Pancras via Kettering with the second service running as a 8 car from St Pancras to Leicester via Kettering then onto St Pancras via Corby

Really? Waste 45 minutes trundling around rural Leicestershire and Rutland with an 8 car going nowhere in particular?

 

[Starmill]

What is this in aid of? Is there an issue with 2 Sheffield services fast to Leicester, 2 Nottingham services fast to Kettering and 2 Corby services of up to 12 car electrics for the benefit of Corby and Wellingborough and expresses from Bedford and Luton stations? Gives 4 services per hour from Kettering to London too which is quite remarkable. What does this proposal fix about that situation?

 

[edwin_m]

I guess it would allow all four trains per hour going north of Leicester to be non-stop between there and London, saving about 6min on Nottingham journeys. But it would slow down Market Harborough journeys due to the time needed to split/join, and there would be more conflicts around Kettering as the Leicester portions would have to cross to/from the Slow lines. Also the entire class 360 fleet from the GE is being used to provide the Corby service, adding Leicester portions would need several more units due to the extra journey time, and they would have to be able to multiple with the existing fleet.

 

[Starmill]

I accept it might allow slightly better journey times to Nottingham, and greater capacity from Leicester to London, although if one were to invest in additional electric rolling stock and electrification from Market Harborough to Leicester and remodeling of Leicester station, one would probably expect greater benefits than just that.

If Market Harborough were served only by 4 car units, would that be sufficient?

 

[Bletchleyite]

What is this in aid of?

Connectivity from stations south of and including Bedford to points north, and potentially speeding up of IC services.

 

[Ianno87]

Problem you'll get is that the extra time needed to split/join means that you'd need to structure the timetable so that every splitter/joiner gets overtaken whilst doing its split/join at Kettering. So connection times at Leicester will be poor.

Plus, you'd need to put the 4 Leicester fast trains bunched in two flights per hour to fit in with the Thameslink 15 minute repeating pattern, not a very meaningful 4tph service. And then flighting means that trains have to 'queue' for the platforms at Leicester - that's partly the point of the current Market Harborough stop in the Nottingham fast today.