I think its a good idea, and will avoid some of the confusion at the moment (e.g. if you miss an Airport train on 13, do you then drag your suitcases over to the main platforms for the next train in seven minutes, or do you just wait on 13 for quater of an hour for the one after?).
It'd also make platform 13 a lot easier. At the moment you get different crowds on there, waiting for the Norwich/ Airport/ Scarborough (etc) service on a narrow platform. Your solution would mean 95% of people on 13 would just jump on the first service (since they all run to the Airport, none are overtaken), which would avoid congestion on the platform. The only exception being the passengers for Burnage (etc), which brings me on to...
Again, good idea. I'm in favour of doing this kind of thing on lines where you have a "long distance" service but with several "local" platforms. Another example would be the stations from Staleybridge to Huddersfield. Instead of one slow Pacer/150 (stopping at Greenfield etc, and eating up paths) you could run more TPE services on this route, but each stopping at one of the intermediate stations. Same with stations between Leeds and York (etc).
Of course there will be *some* demand from East Didsbury to Gatley (or from Garforth to East Garforth on the York line), but I think that our fixed resources need to be targetted at the largest demands (so everywhere gets a service to the "big" stations, but there's not necessarily a service linking each pair of "local" stations).
Hmm... If the Scarborough/Leeds - Liverpool service is being diverted via Victoria then I can see the logic in the Norwich/Nottingham - Liverpool service doing that too. All "fast" Manchester - Liverpool trains serve the same Mancunian station. BUT, you'd then get different stations for the two "fast" Manchester - Sheffield services each hour. I'm not sure what the best way round this is. I don't know whether cutting the Liverpool - Norwich service at Manchester would help (replaced by extending the Hull - Manchester TPE service to Liverpool in its place) - the Liverpool - Norwich route is a bit of a sacred cow to some... no easy answer there.
I agree with many of your points, but not necessarily the one about dedicated stations for certain destinations.
Manchester is a big place, ever more important, and there will still be demand from Piccadilly to travel to Liverpool, as well as Victoria. Think of Brighton - and London Victoria/London Bridge, both serve a purpose.
So while TPE should run through Victoria, I don't see why there shouldn't be a few faster trains via Warrington Central too. They could start at the airport (as with today's fast via Newton le Willows), as well as the Norwich train. TPE from Scarborough would be gone from Liverpool I'm sure.
As for the famous Liverpool-Norwich service, I'm not sure what I'd do with it. It's a tricky one. I doubt many from Liverpool go beyond Nottingham. But removing the Liverpool - Sheffield link especially, would be a bad move.
And what about the TPE Cleethorpes - re: P13 only for Airport?
Your suggestion of adding Liverpool to the Hull is good, and surely hardly anyone does the full journey. I think TPEs to Liverpool are supposed to rise, and the Hull won't terminate at Piccadilly any more, but I would bet on it going to the Airport.
I'd solve Manchester to the East Mindlands by reinstating Rio - Manchester, Stockport, Derby, Leicester (Bedford/Luton) London, hourly.
And don't forget, the Derby-Stoke is returning to Crewe and Man Airport too - could that be extended (both route and unit!!!) to have more purpose?
. (Tornado was the last, with the royal train; I got to sit in the driver's seat!).
