Cross Country Routes that never existed, but theoretically could have

[dk1]

I can see why it would be a long trip that might make it undesirable, but I can't see what would make it impossible to go Leeds - Selby - Hull - Selby - York.

It's one of those places that really ought to be on the XC network, but I guess you'd need to figure out what to get rid of in order to do so.

The Newcastle-Reading services operate via Doncaster.

 

[A S Leib]

It's one of those places that really ought to be on the XC network, but I guess you'd need to figure out what to get rid of in order to do so.

An idea I've had in the past is having an hourly CrossCountry service starting / terminating at Leeds to give Leeds passengers more capacity without it being taken by York and Newcastle to Sheffield and south travellers; extending that to Hull probably wouldn't take up all of the space for those joining at Leeds. The problem is that I don't think there's enough space between Leeds and Birmingham (Bristol Parkway or anywhere else it might be useful) to currently run such a service.

 

[Zomboid]

The Newcastle-Reading services operate via Doncaster

Serve more places then and run Doncaster - Goole - Hull - Selby - York.

 

[dk1]

Serve more places then and run Doncaster - Goole - Hull - Selby - York.

Crikey, whatever time would it get to York and what would be the point? Selby punters would change at Donny.

 

[Zomboid]

An idea I've had in the past is having an hourly CrossCountry service starting / terminating at Leeds to give Leeds passengers more capacity without it being taken by York and Newcastle to Sheffield and south travellers; extending that to Hull probably wouldn't take up all of the space for those joining at Leeds. The problem is that I don't think there's enough space between Leeds and Birmingham (Bristol Parkway or anywhere else it might be useful) to currently run such a service.

Hull - Cardiff, though I don't know where the space to do such a thing might come from.

 

[A S Leib]

Serve more places then and run Doncaster - Goole - Hull - Selby - York.

That effectively means Doncaster to York would be 1 tph when that's a more popular flow than anywhere from Hull except Leeds, London and Beverley.

 

[Andyjs247]

A summer dated Hull-Paignton ran for many years out on Friday night back on Saturday.

The daily Bournemouth-York and vice versa via the Great Central ran through to/from Newcastle in summer.

There was a Paddington-Hull for a while in the late 80s which ran via Birmingham and Doncaster.

Bristol (or Exeter/Plymouth) - Liverpool via Birmingham and Crewe.

Penzance to Liverpool was a regular route in the 70s and 80s also. Would often be a Class 50

 

[Zomboid]

Crikey, whatever time would it get to York and what would be the point? Selby punters would change at Donny.

Those probably aren't the people who would use it.
It'd really be two different services, Reading - Birmingham - Hull and Hull - York - Newcastle (- Edinburgh?). The second of which would be more of a TPE undertaking.

 

[dk1]

Hull - Cardiff, though I don't know where the space to do such a thing might come from.

Back in the day when Regional Railways where all about joining up routes, I never understood why the Hull-Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Piccadilly-Cardiff Central services didn’t amalgamate. Maybe times at Piccadilly couldn’t be matched or they just didn’t want to inherit and delays on the Marches onto the Trans-Pennine network.

Those probably aren't the people who would use it.
It'd really be two different services, Reading - Birmingham - Hull and Hull - York - Newcastle (- Edinburgh?). The second of which would be more of a TPE undertaking.

The latter would though be a complete waste of a Voyager. The route is already covered by Northern and no paths exist between York & Newcastle.

 

[Zomboid]

That effectively means Doncaster to York would be 1 tph when that's a more popular flow than anywhere from Hull except Leeds, London and Beverley.

I mean, I fully accept that it's an unworkable crayon suggestion, but Hull - Sheffield - Birmingham is a route that really should exist in some form.

 

[JonathanH]

I mean, I fully accept that it's an unworkable crayon suggestion, but Hull - Sheffield - Birmingham is a route that really should exist in some form.

Hull to Doncaster is one of those routes like Liverpool to Crewe where the calling points aren't really 'Intercity' places but you need a quick regional service. Hull to Sheffield has a regional service, which provides connections for Birmingham. The need is to keep those connections as good as possible.

 

[Magdalia]

There was a Paddington-Hull for a while in the late 80s which ran via Birmingham and Doncaster.

This started in 1984 and also has a Leeds portion. The return working went to Brighton.

Hull - Cardiff, though I don't know where the space to do such a thing might come from.

In the same timetable there was also a Leeds/Hull to Cardiff and return.

Penzance to Liverpool was a regular route in the 70s and 80s also.

This was the descendant of a long standing GWR train that ran Plymouth-Liverpool via Hereford

 

[Topological]

Hull - Cardiff, though I don't know where the space to do such a thing might come from.

Since this is speculative, tag it onto Cardiff to Nottingham with reversal at Nottingham.

 

[JRT]

Leeds to Cambridge is one sometimes considered, but it is obvious why the trains go through to London instead of 'turning off' in the way suggested.

You do wonder whether if there wasn't an avoiding route via the Trent Valley and all trains went through Birmingham whether there would be CrossCountry trains from Manchester to destinations beyond Birmingham.

Mid 1980s I did catch a train from Norwich to Leeds (via East Coast) but it was an "extra" that I found in the timetable supplement

I had that as an idea for an open access operation.

There was during the 1980s a Bradford Interchange to Bournemouth train via Greetland curve, Bradley curve, Penistone and Barnsley (before these routes had a regular service).

I have thought a Bradford – Birmingham New Street via Stockport service (via Denton to eliminate congestion) would be useful