5. Swansea To southend: Swansea, Port Talbot Pkwy, neath, Bridgend, Cardiff, Newport, Glouster, chelthnham, Birmngham uni, Birmigham new street, Coleshill Pkwy, Nuneton, Hinckley, Leicester, Mleton, Oakham, Stamford, Peterbouorugh, Ely, Newmarkey, Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket, Colchester, Ipswich, Chelmsford, Brentwood, Bilaraichy, Wickford, Rayleigh, Southend
Interesting spelling!
That's a very arse about face route.
Three NX services I would like to see: a curve to be put in at Shenfield to allow trains from Southend and Southminster to access the Chelmsford bound line without reversing at Shenfield. I'd have an hourly service from Southend to Ipswich joining with a set from Southminster at Wickford and a set at Witham from Braintree call at all stations to Billericay from Southminster and Southend, then Chelmsford, Witham, Kelvedon, Marks Tey, Colchester, Manningtree and Ipswich. I realise that that is twelve coaches from Witham, but its something I'd like to see.
I can't see the point in Kelvedon stops. Hourly to Ipswich from Southend is a good idea though.
I like it! So, WGC and Hatfield will be skipped out for Cambridge/Peterboro services from PBR, with the trains splitting at Stevenage/Hitchin. Agreed?
I think it would probably be better to split at Hitchin.
I feel uneasy about skipping any of Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield or Potters Bar. They're all reasonably busy and Potters Bar gives a good connection to the inner services. If I had to drop one of the three it'd be Hatfield, then Potters Bar if I were really pushed. Can't see justification for dropping Welwyn at all though.
I'm seriously tempted to email FCC. I doubt they'll take much notice, but the Potters Bar timetabling really needs to be looked at. Are there still trains that go up to Peterborough, splitting at Hitchin/Stevenage to drop off Cambridge coaches?
No, none. The only splits that happen around there are at Royston where the front four go fast to Cambridge/Kings Lynn and the rear four go slow.
I'm not a fan of this idea. Hitchin and Stevenage currently have two trains an hour to ...Welwyn, Hatfield, Potters Bar... and they should stay. If anything, I'd like to see a third train instated.
What I'd really like to do, (in my wildest dreams, if you like) is build the Hitchin flyover, double Welwyn viaduct/tunnels and alter the track layout at Langley Jn so trains can join any line to/from Hertford. I'd then run all services from the Hertford loop (to be 3tph) through Stevenage to Letchworth and terminate them there. I'd run all services that currently terminate at Welwyn Garden City (to be 3tph) through to Letchworth and terminate there, instead. This may require an extra platform at Letchworth.
An alternative could be to terminate half at Letchworth and half somewhere on the Peterborough route.
I don't like the idea of terminating at Stevenage, even if those services have their own platform. It is simply not neat enough for me. Once the Hitchin flyover is built there will be no need for trains to terminate at Stevenage and I hope the practice is stopped.
If I could have all of the above, I'd then look at changing the current Cambridge/Peterborough semi-fasts that call at Knebworth, Welwyn North, Welwyn Garden City... They'd stop all stops to Stevenage then either Welwyn Garden City, or Hertford North, then Finsbury Park and Kings Cross. I may add a stop at Alexandra Palace too.
Knebworth, Welwyn North, Hatfield and Potters Bar would lose the semi-fast services and be left with slow trains, however, there would be an increase in services for Knebworth and Welwyn North to compensate. Hatfield and Potters Bar would have 3tph most of the day, all week, which has to be seen as an improvement (?).
Stock wise, I'd like to use something with toilets and run into Kings Cross, once the Thameslink stuff has happened. The 313s wouldn't be good enough for me.
