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Places that have potential to be major hubs

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VTPreston_Tez

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So, as the title suggests.
First I'll go local. Preston will benefit from extra capacity during the Guild and with new trains coming through Preston (the first 350s) there will be more potential for services to Newcastle, Stalybridge, London stopper, Bristol, Bournemouth, Wrexham, Cardiff, Bangor, Llandudno, Cardiff, Milford Haven, Kyle, Glasgow Airport, and the list goes on if we get new trains.
Carstairs looks good too, it could become a major interchange where Virgin would stop, and new interchanges in general.
Keep the list going!
 
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MidnightFlyer

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Milford Haven, Kyle and Glasgow Airport? Erm, no. Most of what you said isn't likely without a major changes to some franchises, which I doubt will ever occur. The London stopper is possible though, but I can't see beyond that.

Carstairs? :lol:
 

MidnightFlyer

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For where though? Electrification and introduction of 390s et al make it unlikely that Carstairs will ever be a major interchange again - the only reason it survived so long was for splitting InterCity trains.
 

VTPreston_Tez

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For where though? Electrification and introduction of 390s et al make it unlikely that Carstairs will ever be a major interchange again - the only reason it survived so long was for splitting InterCity trains.

Maybe most trains stopping and transforming it into a "Scotland Gateway Parkway"... but that would take too much development.
 

MidnightFlyer

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Carstairs is the WCML Scotland Junction, it only seems right.

Further, it serves very little (if nothing) that Glasgow and Edinburgh wouldn't cover. Its only future prospect AFAICS is the hourly stopper between Glasgow and Edinburgh serving it that has been proposed as part of EGIP.
 

VTPreston_Tez

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Further, it serves very little (if nothing) that Glasgow and Edinburgh wouldn't cover. Its only future prospect AFAICS is the hourly stopper between Glasgow and Edinburgh serving it that has been proposed as part of EGIP.

Hmm, anything on the ECML? Maybe a new parkway with WCML links, if that can be pulled off that could be a success.

In regards to the London stopper, I think a Grand Central 222 (they'd need to get one) or 180 would work; with one running Glasgow-Carlisle-Preston-Wigan NW-Manchester OR-Manchester PC-Stockport-Crewe-Wolverhampton-Sandwell & Dudley, Birmingham New Street, Marston Green?, Birmingham International, Coventry, Northampton, Watford Junction, Harrow & Wealdstone, Wembley Central, Euston.
OR
Inverness-All stations to Edinburgh-Carlisle-Preston-Northampton-Watford Junction-Bushey-Harrow & Wealdstone-Wembley Central-Euston
or something via Milton Keynes, Bletchley, and Tring?
 

MidnightFlyer

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Not a DMU. Further, the amount of calls it has I suspect would obliterate any custom - Inverness and all stations to Edinburgh would be pointless, only the EC calls I suspect would be neccessary. Further, I would concentrate on stops in the North, and run it as trains run now - anything else would be a very unattractive journey lenght.
 

VTPreston_Tez

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I'd like another LU interchange with Preston, preferably a new line from Marylebone, even via Cardiff?Bristol if we're up for something wacky and new.
I'm off to ponder the idea.
 

Nym

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If Manchester Metrolink sprawls out in some more directions... Bolton?

Lines going out to...

Blackburn, Chorley, Wigan, Manchester, Bury & Rochdale (Tram/Train), Trafford Centre via Salford Reds & Walkden, Leigh via Atherleigh (Tram/Train)... ?
 

VTPreston_Tez

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If Manchester Metrolink sprawls out in some more directions... Bolton?

Lines going out to...

Blackburn, Chorley, Wigan, Manchester, Bury & Rochdale (Tram/Train), Trafford Centre via Salford Reds & Walkden, Leigh via Atherleigh (Tram/Train)... ?

Blackburn and Chorley wouldn't even come close. They're both in Preston & District and the South Ribble area so they're more likely to be part of a Preston metro, but there probably would be an interchange between the two maybe at Bolton, after Chorley it would run non-stop I guess, maybe village stops for more passengers, but getting the stock would be mad.
 

ushawk

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Brighton was with its services to the Westcountry and the north, but they have all gone now, but i guess its still a regional hub
 

WestCoast

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Runcorn with a fully reinstated Halton Curve could serve as junction station between the services to Liverpool, Crewe, Birmingham, London and new services to Chester, North Wales, the Welsh Borders and South Wales.
 

NSE

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I'd like another LU interchange with Preston, preferably a new line from Marylebone, even via Cardiff?Bristol if we're up for something wacky and new.
I'm off to ponder the idea.

Mate, this idea is a bit crazy, I mean why does Preston need another LU? I can't see it being a big issue. From Euston you have direct access to the City with the Bank branch, the West End on both Victoria and Charing Cross branch, 6 termini and another 12 BR stations, it's walking distance to Kings Cross and the ECML and St. Pancras for MML and Eurostar and ofc The Thameslink Project, which provides access to two airports. Plus, walking distance to Euston Square which is direct to Liverpool Street and Paddington and all the way to Amersham and Barking/Upminster (almost) which are some of the furthest reaches of the underground. The only thing I think could be improved is maybe access to Crossrail, however Northern Line to Moorgate (for Liverpool Street) and Tottenham Court Road, so its pretty well covered.

Also I cannot see a stopper calling at places such as Bushey and Wembley Central working at all. I mean if LM don't see the need to stop all shacks Tring stoppers at Wembley Central and the Northampton/Brimingham ones at either, then if a Preston stopper exists then I think it will run similarly to the Crewe one, like off to Watford then maybe fast to the Trent valley and onwards from there. I can't see anyone from Preston using a stopper if it goes via Manchester and on via Birmingham that's far to lengthy.

Nice ideas but just not really necessary.
 

tsr

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Mate, this idea is a bit crazy, I mean why does Preston need another LU? I can't see it being a big issue. From Euston you have direct access to the City with the Bank branch, the West End on both Victoria and Charing Cross branch, 6 termini and another 12 BR stations, it's walking distance to Kings Cross and the ECML and St. Pancras for MML and Eurostar and ofc The Thameslink Project, which provides access to two airports. Plus, walking distance to Euston Square which is direct to Liverpool Street and Paddington and all the way to Amersham and Barking/Upminster (almost) which are some of the furthest reaches of the underground. The only thing I think could be improved is maybe access to Crossrail, however Northern Line to Moorgate (for Liverpool Street) and Tottenham Court Road, so its pretty well covered.

A publicly-available link between Euston and Euston Square (I believe there is staff access, but I know I may be wrong - please correct me if so) would make things even more convenient.

As for other "potential major hubs"... Redhill? It could be an ideal location for Brighton<>Reading (and beyond) services to link up with passengers from Kent (perhaps with an enhanced Redhill-Tonbridge service frequency), and long-distance services would boost the local economy. An improved North Downs Line Reading-Redhill/Gatwick Airport service would allow connections with Thameslink, and perhaps also re-extended Milton Keynes-Brighton services. We have had similar discussions on other threads before.

Aside from that, I can see Bletchley becoming a hub if/when Oxford-Cambridge services are reintroduced. I may be mad but I would say a shuttle between Milton Keynes Central and Bletchley would be quite useful - possibly with Parry People Movers, although that may be a bit silly.

I agree with people who say Moor Street has potential.
 

wintonian

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Teesside Airport?

No seriously, a nice parkway station with commuting opportunities for Middlesbrough and Darlington as well as the airport.

Or should I just look for my coat?
 

tsr

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Teesside Airport?

No seriously, a nice parkway station with commuting opportunities for Middlesbrough and Darlington as well as the airport.

Or should I just look for my coat?

Not at all, you have a point. I have personally always been slightly confused by the lack of services, since that constitutes a lack of investment in an airport which could, as a result, be much more viable for the travelling public. A better link does need to be established to save walking between the airport and the station, but it's nothing a Gatwick-Airport-style monorail couldn't solve.

I don't think it would be a hub for railway services in the sense of a junction station which serves many different destinations, but a half-hourly service would surely be possible.
 

tbtc

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Carstairs looks good too, it could become a major interchange where Virgin would stop, and new interchanges in general

Carstairs? :lol:

Carstairs is the WCML Scotland Junction, it only seems right.

For where though? Electrification and introduction of 390s et al make it unlikely that Carstairs will ever be a major interchange again - the only reason it survived so long was for splitting InterCity trains.

Maybe most trains stopping and transforming it into a "Scotland Gateway Parkway"... but that would take too much development.

Further, it serves very little (if nothing) that Glasgow and Edinburgh wouldn't cover. Its only future prospect AFAICS is the hourly stopper between Glasgow and Edinburgh serving it that has been proposed as part of EGIP.

Generally speaking most WCML services are non stop between Carlisle/Lockerbie and Glasgow/Edinburgh. So whilst they share a lot of track , the Glasgow/Edinburgh services have little in common with each other.

Going up the ECML a service can serve both Edinburgh and Glasgow. But on the WCML you have to serve one or the other. So if I am at Preston heading to Edinburgh then a Glasgow bound train is of little use, and it'd take an hour extra to change at Glasgow and jump on a train to Edinburgh.

So despite the decent frequency of services from Preston to Carlisle (historically), a large proportion of the services are of little use to a large proportion of Scottish passengers.

At the moment there's a bi-hourly service through Carstairs from Glasgow to Edinburgh (the XC service). Now, if those services were to all stop at Carstairs plus the Birmingham/Manchester - Glasgow services were to stop there then that wouldn't take much in the way of additional resources (no new trains, no additional services, just a few trains stopping at a station that they already pass through), but it would significantly increase the connections from the WCML to Edinburgh.

Now, if you were to divert the Edinburgh services to/from Manchester/Birmingham into Carstairs you'd probably add at least five minutes on to each journey (since the trains would have to run round two sides of the triangle and reverse), but you'd create a few more connections from Glasgow to the WCML.

So, with just a little in the way of additional resources you'd give both Glasgow and Edinburgh more connections down the WCML. Whilst Carstairs isn't a big place it could work as an interchange.

There's also the potential for some EMUs to be diverted away from Lanark, giving a connection at Carstairs for the large number of people who live south of the M8 (Motherwell etc) rather than having to go into central Glasgow.

(I'm not planning on doing anything with the Euston services as they are more time sensitive so wouldn't want to stop)
 

Yew

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East midlands parkway? extend the nottingham tram to there, with branches to donnington park and EMA (or maybe an independant light rail system would be better) then extend some nottingham services to it..
 

Mutant Lemming

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Berney Arms with a tunnel linking it to Europort in Rotterdam giving it a link to the Europe's major port.
 

Mutant Lemming

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and I thought Teesside Airport was daft. :lol:

Well as we seem to be on a trip to see Mr Rourke and Tatoo (for those who can remember who they are) I thought well, why not. We could also link Berney Arms to London by a new canal and provide speed boats to ferry passengers off the trains from Rotterdam.
 

NSE

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I'd like to think Cambridge could be developed a little more, nothing too drastic, with 6 trains an hour to London already, would be nice to see a little improvement time wise on the Liverpool Street line, but I know thats hard. My main cause for improvement is Stansted Airport, only one train an hour, not even operated by GA, and formed of at best, three carriages.
Personally I think the Norwich service could become Half hourly with the new one going on towards Stansted. I do not know if this could be acheived with Rolling stock or if Norwich warrants the service etc. but its a nice idea :)
 

wintonian

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Well as we seem to be on a trip to see Mr Rourke and Tatoo (for those who can remember who they are) I thought well, why not. We could also link Berney Arms to London by a new canal and provide speed boats to ferry passengers off the trains from Rotterdam.

I'd like to see your suggestions for Georgemas Junction or even Stranraer could conjure up some silly radical ideas about ferries to Northern Ireland. ;)
 

Mutant Lemming

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I'd like to see your suggestions for Georgemas Junction or even Stranraer could conjure up some silly radical ideas about ferries to Northern Ireland. ;)

Stranraer ? That's 'Wicker Man' country - that line should be cut back to Ayr
 

tsr

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I do not know if this could be acheived with Rolling stock or if Norwich warrants the service etc. but its a nice idea :)

If there's no way to improve road links to this part of East Anglia from the rest of the country, I agree that rail services need to have their frequencies improved, since that could be a more viable way of getting people into the area, from financial, ecological and social points of view. Unfortunately, a lot of industry and business is conducted away from railway lines, though.
 

12CSVT

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Aside from that, I can see Bletchley becoming a hub if/when Oxford-Cambridge services are reintroduced. I may be mad but I would say a shuttle between Milton Keynes Central and Bletchley would be quite useful - possibly with Parry People Movers, although that may be a bit silly.

I agree with people who say Moor Street has potential.

I did hear rumours a few years ago about extending the Bedford - Bletchley service to Milton Keynes but it seems to have gone quiet recently. Maybe some of the West Coast services could call at Bletchley (on a pick up only / set down only basis) if the Oxford / Aylesbury - Bletchley / Bedford start.

I'm surprised more services between New Street and Wolverhampton don't stop at Smethwich Galton Bridge as this would be a useful interchange with the Moor Street to Kidderminster route.
 
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