Philip
On Moderation
Would you say it was the wrong decision to close the Great Central mainline south of Chesterfield, or was it the correct decision in hindsight?
It provided a faster route to London from Sheffield and the northern reaches of the East Midlands than the Midland mainline did and this would probably still be the case today. Keeping the line open may also subsequently have kept the Woodhead line open as they were used in conjunction for services between Manchester Piccadilly and London Marylebone. Today this would mean an alternative and faster route between Manchester and Sheffield compared with the Hope Valley, along with a competitive alternative route between Manchester and London.
On the flipside, the GCML didn't connect with many other mainline routes and wasn't really intended for inter-regional connections en route, rather as a long distance route providing good journey times between London and Nottingham and Sheffield.
It provided a faster route to London from Sheffield and the northern reaches of the East Midlands than the Midland mainline did and this would probably still be the case today. Keeping the line open may also subsequently have kept the Woodhead line open as they were used in conjunction for services between Manchester Piccadilly and London Marylebone. Today this would mean an alternative and faster route between Manchester and Sheffield compared with the Hope Valley, along with a competitive alternative route between Manchester and London.
On the flipside, the GCML didn't connect with many other mainline routes and wasn't really intended for inter-regional connections en route, rather as a long distance route providing good journey times between London and Nottingham and Sheffield.