Recent content by cle

If Plymouth-London was advertised as 2h53 or something (to OOC), how many more travellers would that entice? It’s always going to be far quicker than driving, and the airport closed due to no market, so frankly there aren’t untapped folks or quicker ways. Anyone who wants to take the train...

That whole line should be a metro service (Shenfield-Southend) and augmenting by EL extensions is the simplest way if there are no more paths on the mainline. It also enables local journeys (6tph like the Overground - people rarely go end to end, this is no different) - or vague overlaps to...

I could see a few peak extensions to Southend Victoria if frequency had to increase and Shenfield was busy / relieved by sending trains on. in a similar way, I could see 2-3 to Didcot to give some interim stations direct services in the peaks, or more cross-Reading journeys. This isn't just...

I think it's fair to hope that one day, sense will be seen and both NLL (more likely) and WLL (less so, and a hike - but strategically more important) - will be revisited for OOC, once the interchange explodes. Similarly to Stratford, it may be a patchwork affair vs a big bang.

Just because you state it, doesn't mean people will use it as you describe. And things will evolve. Plus, look at those Kings Cross to Waterloo tube things...people will take different routes. Bedford becoming an interchange between MML Fast and Corbys doesn't ruin journey times at all (did...

If the most grandiose version of the Bedford EWR rebuild happened (with ten platforms or whatever it was) - that should become the changing point vs Kettering, in terms of between fast and slow calls. I also don't think both Corby-s needs both Luton calls. I would say Town/Midland could be...

These places on HS2 will have an OOC stop at all. Maybe they won't like it, but I suspect it'll give them more options. Plymouth by itself is not that large or important a rail market from London. Totnes isn't either, Taunton etc etc - but together they add up to something. I would say another...

The glib answer here is EWR - a Corby could take a Bedford-Oxford frequency once that goes live. And maybe allow another slower service, often mentioned as a Leicetser EMU (might time up with that fifth platform... inshallah...) TL - I could see the odd Wellingboro' extension - plenty of...

Chapeau, I was in the US. Now happily in France.

Liverpool-Llandudno feels right, now that Halton is done - those places have tight connections between them and it's going to be very popular. Bangor has the students, so a little more spread in terms of demand. London and Manchester likely to cover it (tbh, 2tph from Crewe covers a lot of...

They don't take up a path on that network. If they extended, you might see somewhere have to drop a London Bridge - xxx service. Also it creates 4tph which show up at Surrey Quays relatively quiet, (better for stock # also) - vs the others which are slammed. If anything, it would be great to...

I've never seen anything like that. It's always been a split 4tph to each station, Brent Cross West and Cricklewood/West Hampstead.

Well for the Narborough etc stations, I think would flow into a Midlands Connect /frequency move in future, where if it doubled, the XC services would go faster (B'ham-Nuneaton-Leicester only, etc) - and these be a WMT type operator Chepstow/Lydney - ideally one day, under a Wales operator...

Most of these places should be on more local / regional services and not XC. And the grandad whinging on ironing board seats aside (it’s the new “60 mins without a toilet!”) - they are fine.

Don't they run at 125 Oxford-Reading also? 5 car 80x on Cardiff-Nott, Norwich-Derby, Cambridge/Stansted etc etc would be SUCH an upgrade.