ECML upgrades (what we could've had.)

[Galvanize]

I was looking through Rail 377 (Febuary 23rd-March 7th 2000) and it had a feature on ECML upgrades. Some of these upgrades included:

Flyover at Newark, to replace the current flat crossing, allowing more trains to run on the Nottingham-Lincoln and ECML respectively.

Remodelling lines at York to reduce conflicting movements, including
re-instating a centre road.

New lines for Thameslink 3000 (no typo!)

Re-opening of the leamside line.

What we should have by now:
New platform at Kings Cross (platform 0!)
Up slow reinstated at Huntingdon
Newark flyover
Hitchin Flyover
Thameslink 3000
Yaxley-Fletton quadroupling
plus more which i CBA to type up.

What we now have:
Allington Chord
Extra Platform(s) at Edinburgh waverley

 

[Coxster]

New platform at Kings Cross (platform 0!)

Just like Cardiff Does anywhere else have a platform 0?

 

[Galvanize]

Yes, Stockport.

 

[87015]

Yes, Stockport.

That doesnt count as its not in use. And what a complete farce that whole shambles is!

 

[Guinness]

That doesnt count as its not in use. And what a complete farce that whole shambles is!

Count as what? It may not be in use but the Platform is still labelled "0" and is there on the Signage, it's just not connected yet...

 

[ChrisCooper]

I remember when I first went to Cardiff a couple of years ago, and when I was ready to come back I looked at the Departures board for the Nottingham train, and it was showing Platform 0. I thought it was an error or something, until I found a sign pointing to Platform 0, leading in pretty much the opposite direction to the rest of the platforms, and followed it, eventually coming out on Platform 0. Out of interest, does anyone know if P0 is used by anything other than the Nottingham trains, since I've never known anything else to go there?
I think the ECML has suffered a lot from the WCML works, both due to the former costing so much that little was left for the ECML, and also that RT and NR seem more cautious of any large work these days since its almost expected to go over time and budget and not deliver the benefits it's supposed to. I suppose though the ECML has done well since the mid 70s, what with electrification, regular new trains for both Intercity (HSTs then 225s) and Outer Suburban (312s then 317s then 365s), and it has had what must be overall the best Intercity TOC since privatisation (whilst other TOCs have blown hot and cold, GNER has been consistantly good right from the start). All of this has made it less a target for investment, afterall it's much better for all concerned (government, TOCs, NR etc) to spend loads on upgrading services like the WCML that were percieved as very poor, than spending half the amount on the ECML which was pretty good to start with.

 

[matt]

Out of interest, does anyone know if P0 is used by anything other than the Nottingham trains, since I've never known anything else to go there?

Loco-hauled ruggexs have