What we've lost !!!

[Kris]

Finally found that leaflet I was on about - SWT's proposals for the West Country printed in 1999/2000. It runs to 10 pages on both sides but I've given you the jist of it.

Why Stagecoach's bid for the new South West Trains franchise will give the West Country the best railway choice into London Waterloo.

Stagecoach has presented to the Strategic Rail Authority revolutionary new proposals to transform the West of England line from Waterloo to Exeter into a leading main line route.

Over the past four years, Stagecoach has shown its commitment to the route with new late-evening and early-morning services between Exeter and Axminster and by trying to persuade Railtrack to allow two off peak trains an hour to operate between Waterloo and Salisbury.

Overcrowding has been cut by providing extra services and more carriage for peak Waterloo trains. An extra £18m investment in eight new diesel trains to be based at Salisbury depot will cut overcrowding further - the trains will be in service by the end of 2000.

Stagecoach is now proposing a radical leap - the transformation of the line with 100mph express services between London Waterloo and Exeter.

Quicker trains

New InterCity style trains will be ordered - more comfortable, more reliable and quicker than now - at a cost of £110 million.

More track, better routes

British Rail's (Western :angryfir: ) decision to cut-back the route to single-track in the 70's was shortsighted and a big mistake. To fullfill its vision, Stagecoach plans to upgrade the Salisbury to Exeter line to mostly double track. Whilst doing this work it will take the opportunity to upgrade the line to 100mph.

With new trains and new track, Stagecoach aims to cut the Waterloo-Exeter journey time down to just 2 hours 25 minutes - offering a true alternative to the Great Western route into Paddington

Many other proposals in the document including :-

More bus-rail links

Rail-Taxi - fixed price from stations

Investment in Inter-Modal access and interchange at stations

New Stations - Broadclyst for Exeter Airport and Salisbury Parkway - near Bishopsdown.

Extra Choice

Stagecoach is also proposing extra services West of Exeter - building on its current Paignton services and the Plymouth trains starting in 2001. A comprehensive timetable of trains between London Waterloo and Penzance, Barntaple and Taunton has been developed - using the new high speed trains.

Stagecoach has also developed options to run from Waterloo to Okehampton, Falmouoth, Newquay and Bristol - ready for discussions with the Strategic Rail Authority over the future of the West Country routes.

Stagecoach will offer to operate the West Country regional lines when Wales and West is broken up - providing a firm guarentee for the future of these routes.

To comply with the SRA's instructions, Stagecoach has also submitted a bid for South West Trains without the West of England line. But we are proud of our acheivements in the past fouur years - the best deal for the future is to keep the line as part of South West Trains under Stagecoach ownership.

 

[Dennis]

Thank goodness the new 'inter-city style' trains weren't ordered, they look suspiciously like Voyagers. Personally, I find the 159's just fine even for a couple of hours travelling.

 

[Tom]

How about some 159s refurbished to an Intercity standard? Even the unrefurb 159s are better than the new FGW HST sets.... hock:

 

[Kris]

159's are beautiful. So comfortable you doze off to sleep as the engine purrs away in the background.

(That is - until the AWS wakes you up ) ......JOKE! I mean the passenger saloon of course

 

[Techniquest]

Waterloo - Okehampton and Falmouth sound like cracking ideas!

Double track up The Mule, that would have been handy!

Pity these two options never happened!

 

[Kris]

Government intervention again.

DONT' VOTE LABOUR !!!

 

[devon_metro]

Its silly why they discourage rail travel. The intercity trains look awful. Re-engine the 159s and get 100 out of them

 

[Ascot]

Government intervention again.

DONT' VOTE LABOUR !!!

I counted and they did win Shard End Ward.

 

[mbonwick]

Why am I not surprised this hasn't materialised?

 

[5872]

This seems a good prospect if it happens Another mainline to add to the 'MAIN' between Waterloo - Worting , would be great extra mainline , by what a saturday service has I think they need it , theres usally big gaps in the fast lines timetable so that could be filled?


Fred

 

[thefab444]

Hmm, I think, top of the agenda at the moment is loose 2 SC seats on each side of the coach in order for more legroom to be added!

Think the 159/0s are marginally better (having compared 159005 and 159107 yesterday).

John

 

[Techniquest]

Voting Labour would be a fatal move for anyone. Why on Earth would anyone want to do so after all of the problems that Labour have caused since coming into power?

In our local elections here on Thursday, I am proud to say that three of us (myself included) in this house voted Liberal Democrats. What does make me very happy to be able to say is that the Liberal Democrats candidate got voted in here. Which is excellent. It does help that, unlike the others such as Conservatives, he lives in the local area and is available to help deal with issues that come up that affect the community. He does actually go and fight our corner in Parliament too, which he really should do anyway of course but suffice to say others don't.

The future is bright, the future really is orange!

 

[Kris]

I'm not a big fan of politicians - they're mostly all liars and out for themselves whether they are communist ASLEF leaders or fascists (amounts to the same really - they're all dictators).

Paddy Ashdown - the best leader the Liberals had did protest strongly to Railtrack in about 2000 when they rebuilt the bridge at Templecombe as a single track bridge and not as requested with the foresight for double track re-laying in the future.

This seems a good prospect if it happens Another mainline to add to the 'MAIN' between Waterloo - Worting , would be great extra mainline , by what a saturday service has I think they need it , theres usally big gaps in the fast lines timetable so that could be filled?
Fred

Won't happen Fred - this was 10 years ago and now everyone is settling for a couple of small extensions to passing loops. Even the longer passing loops as originally mooted about 2 years ago have been scaled back. False economy.

 

[Tom]

In our local elections here on Thursday, I am proud to say that three of us (myself included) in this house voted Liberal Democrats.

Mojo won't be too happy with that.

I suspect HST2 will be the replacement for the 159s and 444s on the Exeter and Weymouth route respectively as there is a 3rd rail/diesel engine option in the specs as well.

 

[Kris]

I suspect HST2 will be the replacement for the 159s and 444s on the Exeter and Weymouth route respectively as there is a 3rd rail/diesel engine option in the specs as well.

Better have bloody windows we can see out of!

Mind you I'll probably be retired or dead by then.

 

[Julian G]

Mojo won't be too happy with that.

I suspect HST2 will be the replacement for the 159s and 444s

Nathan wouldn't be too happy with that

 

[devon_metro]

I've heard it may also replace all buzz-fire units

 

[Techniquest]

Mojo won't be too happy with that.

I suspect HST2 will be the replacement for the 159s and 444s on the Exeter and Weymouth route respectively as there is a 3rd rail/diesel engine option in the specs as well.

Don't care what Mojo thinks of that!

Can't see SWT actually getting a cut of the HST2 order.

 

[Tom]

Don't care what Mojo thinks of that!

Can't see SWT actually getting a cut of the HST2 order.

Read MR, and you will see there is an option for the extended order. The primary order is for the HST/91 replacement for the GWML and ECML.

 

[Z12XE]

Mojo won't be too happy with that.

And quite right not to be.

The LDs during the General Election had picked up on the Community Railway thing which had been announced the previous November.
Their solution to was to do away with our local line and use Dedicated Buses.

They can take that idea straight to hell with them, luckily the old woman didnt get in.

 

[Nick W]

It does help that, unlike the others such as Conservatives, he lives in the local area and is available to help deal with issues that come up that affect the community.

Doesn't really help to have a biases perspective.

The LDs during the General Election had picked up on the Community Railway thing which had been announced the previous November.
Their solution to was to do away with our local line and use Dedicated Buses.

There are times when a heavy railway just isn't quite the right transport solution.

The primary order is for the HST/91 replacement for the GWML and ECML.

Any chance of us having some for London - Lowestoft which would actually benefit from an electric and diesel combination?
Can't see GNER's successor paying to carry diesel engines which are never going north of edinburgh like the current 91s.

 

[Z12XE]

There are times when a heavy railway just isn't quite the right transport solution.

Very True, but when you have evidence to prove its the best option you dont ignore that because the party prefers buses instead.


The LDs love Bandwagons, this time they jumped on the wrong one which made them look stupid

 

[Kris]

Doesn't really help to have a biases perspective.



There are times when a heavy railway just isn't quite the right transport solution.

No. The ideal solution would be a for light rail fast tram type systems as they have in some parts of Germany which can go out in the road where trackbeds have been built upon.

 

[Techniquest]

Read MR, and you will see there is an option for the extended order. The primary order is for the HST/91 replacement for the GWML and ECML.

You mean like how Transpennine were originally going to get a small order of HSTs way back in the 1970s, then that got ditched due to costs?

Much like that unhappy situation (I can only imagine storming up and down the Pennines on HSTs), I am of the belief that SWT will get any chance of HST2 coming its way ditched.

 

[Mojo]

Contrary to popular belief, I don't hate the Lib Dems because they're someone to hate, I hate them because they are probably more anti good public transport than any other political party.

Galaxy's example (above) is one. In my area, they are totally non-committed, from choosing a non-unionised bus company with ancient high-floor vehicles and a repulation for running poor services (having been fined several thousands in the past), to cutting the subsidy for local rail, making up inflated figures to stop any new subsidies & failing to support any future rail schemes. Some argue it is Nottingham & Manchester's political will that got them the money for their trams.

 

[compsci]

I attended a presentation by a manager from Siemens last year (it would have been amusing to have had some other forum members there and observed from a safe distance).

Their proposal for HST2 is something alomg the lines of an EMU with power supply cars at either/both ends. There could be a diesel on both ends, electric at one and diesel at the other or just plain electric. The power supply cars will be interchangable, and can be completely replaced without replacing the carriages when whatever it is that replaces diesel arrives.