What open access service would be expected to return the highest revenue?

[paul1609]

Indeed. Her Madge is the best open access operator of them all, as she can get a path in and out of any London terminal in the peak! Eat your heart out Renaissance.

Not sure Eurostar should be on that list anymore, as it exclusively uses HS1 now. Maybe next year to be joined by DB (the german bit, not Arriva). Doubtless someone will remind me of the ownership details of the CTRL/HS1.

Regardless of the ownership of HS1 Eurostar still use the natonal network to call at Ashford International even if it has its own dedicated platforms there.

 

[The Planner]

So...

With the "tidying up" of Reading in course, would there be the capacity for an OA operator to run an hourly Oxford-Reading-Kensington Olympia(for London) -Somewhere in the South service?

And would it generally considered to be a form of ORCATS raid?

If it was pick up only at Reading in the up direction and set down only in the down it might stand a chance.

 

[Martin_1981]

I quite liked that Liverpool to Bristol via the Marches idea tbtc came up with some time ago. It restores several long-lost links and connects two of the largest cities in England via some of Wales (which might encourage at least a small amount of WAG subsidy). It also means that there is an option for travel between the North-West and South-West regions that doesn't depend on either a change at Birmingham New Street or the hideous prices of Crosscountry...

A good idea, but I dont think WG would give any subsidy for any O/A run that starts & commences outside of Wales. Im sure TBTC had franchise in mind.


Bob

I would have thought a Scotland-Devon/Cornwall service via the WCML and the Marches line would generate a reasonable amount of interest, thus restoring the direct link between places like Preston/Lancaster/Carlisle and Bristol/Exeter/Plymouth/Penzance which was lost in 2007.

Similarly, a Scotland-South Coast service via the WCML, avoiding Birmingham NS and running via the Trent Valley to Nuneaton then via Coventry and Leamington could also be a potential revenue earner, again restoring a direct link.

 

[Masbroughlad]

Who ran the Cologne to Hamburg Contiental OA service in Germany? Any info on it anywhere?

I am always surprised easyTrain has never become reality. (or Train2, RyanRail or WizzRail come to think of it!).

 

[WatcherZero]

How long til the Co-op come knocking, I wonder?

Go-Co or Go-Op as it now is is a registered co-operative anyway. I believe its organised around one parent company which will organise and provide startup capital which will create local independent subsidary co-operatives if a service launches.

 

[DaveNewcastle]

In the event that East Coast abandon their incursions into Aberdeen and Inverness (as is frquently speculated), then there may be a lucrative opportunity for an Open Access replacement, not necessarily all the way to London, but certainly to destinations as far south as S.Yorkshire and Manchester.

I always thought Nottingham/Sheffield/Leeds/Carlisle/Glasgow if you could get some decent timings would be worth considering as an OA operation

Perhaps if this extended to Dundee/Aberdeen or Inverness, and as long as there were good onward connections.

 

[DownSouth]

In the event that East Coast abandon their incursions into Aberdeen and Inverness (as is frquently speculated), then there may be a lucrative opportunity for an Open Access replacement, not necessarily all the way to London, but certainly to destinations as far south as S.Yorkshire and Manchester.

Especially if it was to deliver passengers right to the northern HS2 terminus where they could swap onto the UIC-gauge HS2 trains to London.

 

[WestCoast]

Who ran the Cologne to Hamburg Contiental OA service in Germany? Any info on it anywhere?

There's some info here.

I am always surprised easyTrain has never become reality. (or Train2, RyanRail or WizzRail come to think of it!).

I am certain that Stelios and the easyGroup will have looked into it (the other airlines you mention don't appear to be interested in diversification at all).