Your rail predictions for 2015

[Techniquest]

How about some Rail Forums predictions... (With apologies in advance to those that are mentioned, it is good natured I promise!)

Trip Planning and Reports: Techniquest gets his last Scotrail unit in February, and to celebrate eschews BK and goes to 'the Scottish Restaurant' (for a Big Mac)

Oh I wish! I'm not off to Scotland in February after all (details will be posted in the usual thread eventually!), and I am missing McDonalds as I've not been there in months (possibly since my Central Scotland Rover in October!). That said, I love Burger King so ditching BK for McD's is rather unlikely

I read the rest of your post and I was bellowing with laughter (hence the massive amount of emoticons above), some of those suggestions were brilliant!

In addition to my comment regarding February, I am planning a return to Scotland later this year, although I have no idea when.

 

[ScotGG]

I think the London Bridge rebuild will cause a lot of headaches for Southeastern. Greater overcrowding will become an issue with paths reduced.

Network rail will improve the electrification program after a rocky start.

Maybe a miracle will happen and a new govt will give more powers locally over transport and tax and spend. If so cities can crack on with much needed projects without Whitehall interfering. Yes I know, very unlikely.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Nice to see "respect for other forum users" is alive and kicking.

In this instance it's rather hard to take a forum member seriously when they are busy slagging off Virgin Trains for running double deck services.

 

[anti-pacer]

In this instance it's rather hard to take a forum member seriously when they are busy slagging off Virgin Trains for running double deck services.

Are we referring to the same post?

I refer you to post 44.

 

[RichmondCommu]

Are we referring to the same post?

We are referring to the same forum member.

 

[anti-pacer]

We are referring to the same forum member.

I presume said member has slagged off Virgin Trains for their running of double deck trains on another post?

If this is the case, I understand your point entirely. :roll:

The views ain't half bad on the top deck of a Pendolino though!

 

[RichmondCommu]

I presume said member has slagged off Virgin Trains for their running of double deck trains on another post?

If this is the case, I understand your point entirely. :roll:

The views ain't half bad on the top deck of a Pendolino though!

Yes they have. The picture that they posted as evidence beggars belief.

The best thing about this wonderful forum is the information that is shared. With the exception of that fateful day.

 

[anti-pacer]

Yes they have. The picture that they posted as evidence beggars belief.

The best thing about this wonderful forum is the information that is shared. With the exception of that fateful day.

Haha.

I must have missed that one. Shame as I would liked to have read it, purely for the comedy factor.

Double deck Virgin Trains! My god, what next? On board shops on Pacers?!

 

[Ash Bridge]

How about some Rail Forums predictions... (With apologies in advance to those that are mentioned, it is good natured I promise!

Bit late seeing this, but very amusing, still chuckling as I type
Oh, and a Happy New Year to you too!

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Oh fantastic. Another Northern teenage rebellion, just what the country is crying out for. Oh goody gum drops.

I am not a teenager. And I never "slagged Virgin off" I only showed a picture.
The post I was refering to is unacceptable.
If I said all people in a certain country were b*****s like that poster said Northern people were, it'll be racist, so why should wrong streotypical views of any sought be promoted on this forum??
What's next after picking on people for their location??
Hair colour? Religion? Class? Gender?

Another prediction I have is that other companies will undertake work that Network Rail are behind on and some future projects. This is because of delays and cost overruns.

 

[Starmill]

Unfortunately there are Conservative MPs who represent places served by Northern Rail. We've got one here who actively avoids the local Pacer/Sprinter service and gets a taxi to and from the nearest station with a Pendolino service to London despite telling us "the economy is improving" and "we're all in it together."

I cannot abide that man. There are very few people in politics I actively dislike, I mean, they try to make you like them don't they? But he is sickening to the core.

 

[RichmondCommu]

I am not a teenager. And I never "slagged Virgin off" I only showed a picture.

No. You said that Virgin Trains double decked services had been a disaster. You made a comment about Virgin Trains double decked services. Despite the fact that they had never existed.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

No. You said that Virgin Trains double decked services had been a disaster. You made a comment about Virgin Trains double decked services. Despite the fact that they had never existed.

I said the tests for double deckers on Southern and Virgin were disasters. I had a look online before that to see what other operators had DD trains and that picture came up. I realise now it's some sort of fake, but it was still useful in that thread to show how a UK double decker would look.

 

[RichmondCommu]

I said the tests for double deckers on Southern and Virgin were disasters.

When did Virgin Trains conduct their double deck tests? When you say Southern are you referring to Southern Trains or the Southern Railway?

What evidence did you have that Virgin Trains had conducted tests using double deck stock?

How did you know that the tests had been disasters? Did you make that up?

 

[Y961 XBU]

2015 Predictions?

Nottingham - Liverpool stays with East Midlands
Northern will get even more Class 319s
Northern Liverpool - Wigan North Western Service will get an improved evening Timetable on Saturdays.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

When did Virgin Trains conduct their double deck tests? When you say Southern are you referring to Southern Trains or the Southern Railway?

What evidence did you have that Virgin Trains had conducted tests using double deck stock?

How did you know that the tests had been disasters? Did you make that up?

I already said that Virgin didn't. I just assumed they did when I first found the picture. I was refering to BR's Southern Region.

The Bulleid Double Deckers were disasters. Others on that same thread said that. They were not mass produced and had reported problems with ventilation as the top windows couldm't open.
I don't understand why this gets brought up here rather than the correct thread.

2015 predictions:
Many more bridges with lifts built at stations for access help.
Heritage lines laying lots of track in various places.
In-cab signalling being tested more.
Many signal boxes and level crossings to close.
Talk of rail fare reform by politicians.
IEP order investigated with possible cuts to trains being ordered.
Ashington and Portishead lines gets green light and some work.

 

[Starmill]

Ashington and Portishead lines gets green light and some work.

Well I guess we can all dream...

 

[jonnysr]

Abellio will continue to paint everything white.

Except in Scotland, thankfully.

Glasgow Airport Rail Link should re emerge in 2015, possibly tram-train.

 

[talldave]

A 442 will catch fire

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Stations are due to open on:
The Borders Line.
The Fleetwood Branch.
Oxford Parkway.
Cranbrook.
Ebbw Vale Town.
Ricoh Arena.
Kirkstall Bridge.
Apperley Bridge.
Ilkeston.
Beeston and Clifton trams.
Any other likely to open stations?

 

[Camden]

I'm going to stick my neck out and wager that D78 cascade to the north takes off.

 

[Rapidash]

Stations are due to open on:
The Borders Line.
The Fleetwood Branch.
Oxford Parkway.
Cranbrook.
Ebbw Vale Town.
Ricoh Arena.
Kirkstall Bridge.
Apperley Bridge.
Ilkeston.
Beeston and Clifton trams.
Any other likely to open stations?

Newcourt is due in March, I believe.

 

[HowardGWR]

We'll get several threads on here about 'private vs public ownership'. Oh, wait we already have them and it's not yet the Orthodox Xmas!

 

[bicbasher]

Honor Oak Park's lifts will finally be open.

London Overground announce an extra 2tph to Crystal Palace during the peaks from December, however this will reduce the New Cross service to 2tph.

 

[yorksrob]

The Bulleid Double Deckers were disasters. Others on that same thread said that. They were not mass produced and had reported problems with ventilation as the top windows couldm't open.
I don't understand why this gets brought up here rather than the correct thread.

Disaster is perhaps a bit of a strong word. It's just a ten carriage EPB did the trick so much better.

 

[Techniquest]

Honor Oak Park's lifts will finally be open

Same for Hereford's lifts. I'm sick of waiting for them to be done and our footbridge to be back! It's been months and months and months, just to install two lifts, how long can it take?!

Other predictions for 2015 include:

Hereford to Newport/Cardiff/Bristol fares to go through the roof, more so than they already are, thanks to ATW.

Passengers in the North West complain about 319s

Enthusiasts in the North West complain about 319s, when some of us down in the Midlands would quite happily have them, sure would be more fun than a 350 on a Walsall to Wolverhampton local!

68s have difficulties on Chiltern services for a fair few weeks so 67s get drafted back in

ScotRail kick up a fuss about "the south" having nice new locomotives to play with so demand use of 68s instead of 67s on the Fife Circle loco-hauled turn

Several major over-runs of engineering works across the country

350/3s pushed back to make their Birmingham area debut in 2016

LM scrap the Great Escape tickets

SWT continue the tradition of not introducing useful day rangers/rovers

SET push the Kent Rover price through the roof

375901 continues to hide in every corner of the SET empire but the one I'm in at any point in 2015

Ex-ScotRail 170s stay in their livery with Southern for at least one day in passenger service

LO announce a re-numbering of their 378s yet again

Chiltern start using 172/1s instead of 165/0s on their West Midlands local services

Chiltern introduce a day ranger for use on their services west of London

Virgin Trains introduce at least 3 temporary liveries on their 390s

The replacements for Great Northern 313s and Merseyrail's 507s and 508s get unveiled

That'll do!

EDIT:

No it won't, I forgot the BIG one!

GBRf announce they're getting another massive amount of 66s!

 

[cle]

Honor Oak Park's lifts will finally be open.

London Overground announce an extra 2tph to Crystal Palace during the peaks from December, however this will reduce the New Cross service to 2tph.

I thought this extra 2tph was possible on top of the existing timetable?

I wonder if it's worth just canning New Cross altogether (if not being extended) and sending all 4tph elsewhere. Plus additional frequencies...

 

[59CosG95]

Thameslink services will be behind schedule

The SWT 455/456/458 modernisation project will make as much progress as an asthmatic ant with some heavy shopping

90050 will become coke cans

Southern will order yet more 377s to replace the 455s and 313s

The Southern 313s will become bimodal and sent north

The DFT will see sense and give the 317s at Eastleigh to the North, and electrify to Felixstowe

I will see 350252 every time I travel on the WCML
The DFS sale will end

GBRf take all the remaining 92s and set them into use

*gets off the pipe and gets coat*

 

[Strathclyder]

90050 will become coke cans

I'm surprised that this hasn't happened already, to be honest.

 

[Starmill]

Honor Oak Park's lifts will finally be open.

The lifts at Bingley sat unused awaiting commissioning after being installed for more than six months.