Eurovision Liverpool: a missed opportunity to reintroduce CrossCountry services to Bristol & Reading?

[Mogz]

Moderator note: Split from https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/eurovision-liverpool-a-rail-nightmare-waiting-to-happen.246794/

This would have been a good time to reintroduce the recent(ish)ly mooted return of trains to and from Bristol and Reading.

As it is, no will and no dosh.

 

[Dr Hoo]

This would have been a good time to reintroduce the recent(ish)ly mooted return of trains to and from Bristol and Reading.

As it is, no will and no dosh.

…and no route to Reading just now.

 

[Mogz]

Yup!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

This would have been a good time to reintroduce the recent(ish)ly mooted return of trains to and from Bristol and Reading.

As it is, no will and no dosh.

Erm. What's that got to do with the upcoming Eurovision event in Liverpool?

 

[Mogz]

Erm. What's that got to do with the upcoming Eurovision event in Liverpool?

The ability for attendees from across the UK to be able to get to Liverpool directly. It would have been a good time to start the services.

 

[Watershed]

The ability for attendees from across the UK to be able to get to Liverpool directly. It would have been a good time to start the services.

Do you really think it's realistic to expect that the WCML and XC timetables would be completely rewritten on a whim, starting on a random date when a relatively minor event like this occurs? Major timetable changes only occur in May and December (albeit soon to be three times a year) and there is no prospect whatsoever of direct services from Liverpool to Reading. It wasn't even on the cards in the last pre-Covid XC direct award.

Wishful thinking, I'm afraid to say.

 

[The Planner]

The ability for attendees from across the UK to be able to get to Liverpool directly. It would have been a good time to start the services.

What direct services are these then, as it isnt as though they are re-introductions?

 

[Mogz]

What direct services are these then, as it isnt as though they are re-introductions?

Liverpool could soon have direct train links to these key cities

The process would be "relatively easy" to arrange, transport officials have claimed

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

Liverpool could soon have direct trains to cities like Bristol, Reading, Southampton and Cardiff, and the process would be "relatively easy" to arrange, transport officials have claimed.

The claims have been made as part of the government's passenger rail franchise consultation on the network, with the Liverpool Combined Authority's response saying the move would improve the area's fortunes.

Time flies. I didn’t realise how long ago these proposals were!

 

[The Planner]

Liverpool could soon have direct train links to these key cities

The process would be "relatively easy" to arrange, transport officials have claimed

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk

Time flies. I didn’t realise how long ago these proposals were!

They weren't proposals, just "transport officials" saying it would be easy to do which clearly there was no evidence or thought behind.

 

[frodshamfella]

The ability for attendees from across the UK to be able to get to Liverpool directly. It would have been a good time to start the services.

Quite, Liverpool used to have far more direct rail services than it does now, and these days the city is much much busier with visitors, Eurovision is just one event that city is hosting ( on behalf of Ukraine ) , there really should be far better connections than there are.

 

[317 forever]

It would have been good if some Eurovision charter trains had been added just for May 13th linking Liverpool with Birmingham, Harrogate and Brighton. The Brighton one could have gone via Birmingham. Such trains could have enabled Eurovision enthusiasts to see at least 2 places that had history of hosting Eurovision.