speeding up existing services with a bulldozer

[Ken H]

This is a spin off from the next high speed route. But I think there is room to get a bit more out of the existing network with a little civils to speed things up.

So where would you get the bulldozer out to reduce journey times? New alignments like bypasses, or just easing a bad curve are allowed. or signalling changes. But new rolling stock isnt. UK and abroad.

I am going with a bit of new alignment between Shap and Penrith. I would just put it alongside the M6. Should cut valuable time off, esp for non tilting trains.

 

[PTR 444]

How about a new tunnel from Southampton Central to Woolston cutting off the dog-leg rail route via St Denys. The bypassed route can then be reused as part of a future tram network for the city.

 

[JonathanH]

So where would you get the bulldozer out to reduce journey times? New alignments like bypasses, or just easing a bad curve are allowed. or signalling changes. But new rolling stock isnt. UK and abroad.

Ash - no need for the sharp curve which remains there because of the former Junction to Tongham.

 

[Starmill]

A new shorter route between Wainfleet and Eastville, abandoning the route through Thorpe Culvert.

 

[Killingworth]

"little civils" seems to rather underestimate the work involved with new tunnels and a new alignment to cut out the twsting secton that weaves in and out of the A6 and M6 between Shap and North of Penrith.

Just relaying the removed two tracks between Dore and Sheffield, about 4 miles on the mostly intact old track bed, is probably too big a project.

I agree with the 'little' sentiment. Let's make what we've got work better before reopening long dead lines and carving new tracks through sensitive green areas.

 

[dgl]

I would try and do something with Yeovil if I could, having only one station for both lines would be good, it would probably be way too expensive as you might need to move Sherbourne station to be over the other side to make the curves easier.

 

[Dr Hoo]

A favourite for these Forums is surely Bradford Interchange to Bradford Forster Square via the new shopping centre (and various heritage buildings as collateral damage) to expedite the vast number of Low Moor to Frizinghall journeys.

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

Exeter to Plymouth (or at least Newton Abbot) immediately springs to mind, as well as a high speed curve at Carstairs to/from Edinburgh and the south.

 

[class26]

Morpeth avoiding line

 

[Bletchleyite]

I forget where it is, but somewhere on the Far North Line is a potential cut off that would save a significant amount of journey time. As it would require a new bridge it is not financially justifiable, though.

Plenty you could do on the south WCML but of course it is being done already by building HS2.

 

[D365]

I forget where it is, but somewhere on the Far North Line is a potential cut off that would save a significant amount of journey time. As it would require a new bridge it is not financially justifiable, though.

Is this the one where a dual-mode bridge was proposed, but only a road bridge was built in the end.

 

[30907]

Is this the one where a dual-mode bridge was proposed, but only a road bridge was built in the end.

Yes. The proposed route was through Dornoch.

 

[Irascible]

Resignal & remodel Exeter, That would enable more small projects in the area. If you have to get the diggers out, sort out the flood risk areas ( Cowley, Culm valley, Somerset levels etc ) a bit too. Modernising Exeter-Plymouth will need a bit more than bulldozers...

Must be a few more places with life-expired sugnalling & now over-rationalised layouts.

 

[Ken H]

Is this the one where a dual-mode bridge was proposed, but only a road bridge was built in the end.

Dornoch. North of Tain. But it would have removed some communities from the rail network. But it would have improved end to end timings.

 

[Meerkat]

Definitely Newton Abbot to Plymouth. Straighter and faster, and electric.

 

[class26]

Dornoch. North of Tain. But it would have removed some communities from the rail network. But it would have improved end to end timings.

You could retain a branch to Lairg only as part of the Invernet timetable then all trains going further north go via Dornoch cutting appx 40 minutes from the times to Thurso and Wick. That would only mean Rogart station closing but the benefits, I would have thought far outweigh this with apologies to the good people of Rogart.

 

[adamedwards]

Far North: A west to south curve at Georgmas Junction, with new station at Halkirk replacing Georgemas Junction. No reversal at needed to get direct to Thurso and puts a good centre of population on the line rather than at a distance from the station. Georgemas Junction is then closed.

 

[Taunton]

Exeter to Plymouth (or at least Newton Abbot) immediately springs to mind, as well as a high speed curve at Carstairs to/from Edinburgh and the south.

Drawings were done for that by the GWR around 1900 (at a time when they did a whole range of new cut-off lines), but that one was never taken forward. Compared to the Swansea District line of that era, justified by Fishguard traffic that never happened, it would have been a sight more useful over the years.

 

[43096]

The biggest benefits to be had are from removing severe speed restrictions, for example those approaching stations, and having the speed profile match the performance characteristics of the trains so trains aren't crawling in and out of stations.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Far North: A west to south curve at Georgmas Junction, with new station at Halkirk replacing Georgemas Junction. No reversal at needed to get direct to Thurso and puts a good centre of population on the line rather than at a distance from the station. Georgemas Junction is then closed.

That Halkirk was closed and e.g. Altnabreac (a station nobody even quite knows why it was built) not is beyond bizarre.

Another one I have proposed before is an east to north curve for the Marston Vale, funded by planning gain by building very large developments of houses ("eco villages") centring on the proposed 5 consolidated Marston Vale stations, but it only sort of fits the thread as while it would speed up journeys to MK it would do so by missing out Bletchley entirely rather than changing there.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

An extension from Southend Victoria to link up with the Shoeburyness line?

Or from Glasgow Queen Street direct to Glasgow Central.

Wouldn't need to bulldoze all that much awkwardly in-the-way property at either of these locations!

 

[D365]

Another one I have proposed before is an east to north curve for the Marston Vale, funded by planning gain by building very large developments of houses ("eco villages") centring on the proposed 5 consolidated Marston Vale stations, but it only sort of fits the thread as while it would speed up journeys to MK it would do so by missing out Bletchley entirely rather than changing there.

I see to remember an idea floated for a north to east curve via Wolverton and Newport Pagnell.

 

[py_megapixel]

Bulldoze some central Manchester buildings to widen the Castlefield corridor?

 

[Grumpy Git]

Make Liverpool South Parkway the main Liverpool terminus.

 

[gingertom]

There's a number of tunnels where the Victorian engineers failed to allow for W12 and electrification clearance that have lower speed limits than the rest of the line. The Farnworth treatment of filling with concrete and reboring them to modern standards would be my suggestion for Kinghorn and Killiecrankie, and many more. Aberdeen's Woolmanhill and Hutcheon street tunnels could be opened up for double tracking, W12 and electrification, more than for speed.

 

[Railwaysceptic]

Exeter to Plymouth (or at least Newton Abbot) immediately springs to mind, as well as a high speed curve at Carstairs to/from Edinburgh and the south.

Absolutely. Also Port Talbot to Swansea, reducing that long loop.

The biggest benefits to be had are from removing severe speed restrictions, for example those approaching stations, and having the speed profile match the performance characteristics of the trains so trains aren't crawling in and out of stations.

There are also expensive opportunities to increase line speeds on several very well aligned routes across flat land. examples are Brough to Selby, Lincoln to Nottingham plus - dare I suggest this - the route across Chat Moss.

 

[D6130]

That Halkirk was closed and e.g. Altnabreac (a station nobody even quite knows why it was built) not is beyond bizarre.

IIRC, Altnabreac was originally a private station for a nearby hunting lodge, which is - or was before the forest matured - visible a mile or so to the South. However, I agree that Halkirk is one of the biggest settlements in the area, but it suffered from being too close to Georgemas Junction.

Absolutely. Also Port Talbot to Swansea, reducing that long loop.

I'm not sure that the inhabitants of the large towns of Neath and Skewen would be too happy about that proposal!

 

[gg1]

Exeter to Plymouth (or at least Newton Abbot) immediately springs to mind, as well as a high speed curve at Carstairs to/from Edinburgh and the south.

This was my first thought. A chord of around a kilometre in length where the only only obstacle to be crossed is a farm access road, aside from that it's just flat open farmland.

 

[EllieAquitrain]

I'm not sure that the inhabitants of the large towns of Neath and Skewen would be too happy about that proposal!

It seems to me that the way the rail network is laid out in the Swansea area just fully precludes any metro network reusing existing alignements, even with a few 'minor' (relatively!) adjustments such as new curves. I'd almost be tempted to suggest throwing our hands in the air, demolishing everything, and starting again from scratch.

 

[The Planner]

There's a number of tunnels where the Victorian engineers failed to allow for W12 and electrification clearance that have lower speed limits than the rest of the line. The Farnworth treatment of filling with concrete and reboring them to modern standards would be my suggestion for Kinghorn and Killiecrankie, and many more. Aberdeen's Woolmanhill and Hutcheon street tunnels could be opened up for double tracking, W12 and electrification, more than for speed.

Not sure they are at fault though for that! Not everywhere needs W12 either, you just get it by default in rebuilds.