Should GA semi-fast services be extended to Ely?

[Crithylum]

Given the disaster that is the current GN service, would it be sensible to extend these trains from Cambridge North to Ely, stopping at Waterbeach? They currently have a 37 minute turnaround, so could get to Ely and back in that time. From RTT, it appears that both platform 1 and 2 are available from xx:29 to xx:38 (when they would be in Ely) during the off peak.

I’m wondering how much of a reliability disaster this could be.

 

[Magdalia]

Given the disaster that is the current GN service, would it be sensible to extend these trains from Cambridge North to Ely, stopping at Waterbeach? They currently have a 37 minute turnaround, so could get to Ely and back in that time. From RTT, it appears that both platform 1 and 2 are available from xx:29 to xx:38 (when they would be in Ely) during the off peak.

I’m wondering how much of a reliability disaster this could be.

5 minute turnrounds at Ely combined with 12 minute turnrounds at Liverpool Street, what could possibly go wrong?

As it happens, there are only 5 between the peaks trains SX where it would be possible to do this, the 1015-1415 arrivals for the 1052-1452 departures. Also the 1959 arrival has time before a 2052 departure. All of the other SX Cambridge North turnrounds are too short.

Note that SX Ely already has departures for Cambridge and Liverpool Street at 0553/0650/0726/0757, and 1554/1708/1808 Liverpool Stret departures go through to Ely, calling Cambridge at 1721/1834/1935.