Or because people are trying to find a way to maintain the through link to East Anglia that will be lost when the current service is split and realise the current LNWR timetable is an unreliable shambles or it was pre Covid ?
Because people over-egg the appetite for slow direct cross country connections that achieve nothing but looking nice on a map, and under egg the demand for trains to/from London.
Agreed. I sometimes make obscure leisure journeys and think "To be fair, a few people have changed with me and would probably appreciate a through service." - one example is Waterloo to Swanwick, quicker via Havant or Southampton Central as opposed to going direct from Victoria which is painful. I then remember that same-platform interchange at Havant, good connections; it's hardly a disaster. That said, I'd love a direct service although you can guarantee the Stopper from Waterloo would be extended making it pointless; but that would score points!
Liverpool Cross Country is something of an odd one. If nothing else, you could have a look at this:
Birmingham, northbound Liverpool and Manchester departures:
Arr xx:52 <> xx:04 Dep, 1Yxx, Euston - Birmingham - Liverpool [Penkridge, Winsford, Hartford etc.]
Arr xx:13 <> xx:20 Dep, 2Kxx, Birmingham Intl - Stoke - Crewe stopper.
Arr xx:25 <> xx:31 Dep, 1Mxx, Bristol - Birmingham - Manchester
Arr xx:17 <> xx:37 Dep, 1Yxx, Euston - Birmingham - Liverpool [Penkridge, Hartford, Acton Bridge etc.]
(Arr xx:41, London Midland terminator)
Arr xx:48 <> xx:57 Dep, 1Mxx, Bournemouth - Birmingham - Manchester
Birmingham, southbound Liverpool and Manchester arrivals:
Arr xx:59 <> xx:04 Dep, 1Oxx Manchester - Birmingham - Bournemouth
(Dep xx:14, London Midland starter)
Arr xx:21 <> xx:33 Dep, 1Wxx, Liverpool - Birmingham - Euston [Hartford, Winsford, Penkridge etc.]
Arr xx:25 <> xx:39 Dep, 2Ixx, Crewe - Stoke - Birmingham Intl stopper.
Arr xx:33 <> xx:42 Dep, 1Vxx, Manchester - Birmingham - Bristol
Arr xx:51 <> xx:54 Dep, 2Yxx, Liverpool - Birmingham - Euston [Acton Bridge, Hartford, Penkridge etc.]
So, if we tried to marry up some of the services, the best situation is to have 8/220 on the Bournemouth <> Manchester, so they'd stick.
The Bristol could run to Liverpool, so would be Arr xx:25 and depart xx:37; and on the southbound it would mean Arr xx:25 and depart xx:42 if you modify the Crewe. Long layover but good for punctuality if nothing else.
That would then allow the Birmingham International starters to also be operated by Cross Country instead, giving northbound Arr xx:13 and depart xx:31 to Manchester (8/350 or similar) and southbound Arr xx:33, depart xx:39.
With the Crewe - Stoke - Birmingham stoppers, it would require an amended arrival of xx:21, and northbound departure of xx:20. These would start/terminate at Birmingham New St; or the units could form alternative services. This would result in WMT running one less Liverpool, and the Birmingham Intl starters going to Manchester with XC using sub-leased or their own 350s.
Anyway, a bit of work there. Never know, might make some logistical sense even though I don't personally see it happening.
