Places that have potential to be major hubs

[Lampshade]

Corrour.

 

[tsr]

Corrour.

At least Coombe Junction actually sounds like somewhere important... Corrour just sounds like, well, Corrour...

Altnabreac Parkway is one station I can see opening in future. Why on earth not? If they can keep Altnabreac open, they may as well open another station somewhere nearby. They clearly have potential customers that they're not telling anyone about...

 

[wintonian]

Rugeley Trent Valley ?

I was there last week coming down from Stoke for a change to Walsall, TBH I was expecting a bit more than a handfull of houses and a pub, prehaps something more like Telford or something.

How about Maidenhead when Crossrail opens? Assuming it dosn't go to reading from the start.

 

[Gathursty]

Wigan - As well as the WCML services, we could get a Liverpool Lime St - Clitheroe/Colne service going to make use of the Farington curve.

To be blunt, I'm just jealous of Preston for having connections to more interesting places than us!! :P

 

[DarloRich]

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!

WTF - are you on some kind of mind altering substance. I dont even know where to start.

1) Last time i was at Glasgow Airport it didnt have a railway station! (the proposed line got binned) Would a better link to Manchester Airport/Liverpool airport not be of more use to the local populace?

2) Have you just thought of a list of places and stuck them down in a list? I mean do you even know where these places are? Preston - Kyle? Are you sure?:roll: Preston - Milford Haven?

3) A london stopper? I know LM want to run to Preston but is there really a market? Why - it would take about 5 years ( it is bad enougth from Crewe to Euston on LM!)

4) CARSTAIRS have you ever been there? There is nothing there except the State Hospital for Scotland and Northern Ireland (a maximum-security psychiatric facility) and a railway junction and a small town/village. What possible benefit could there be in building a new interchange there? It was important when you needed to change loco's - it isnt anymore.

 

[PaulLothian]

Altnabreac Parkway is one station I can see opening in future. Why on earth not? If they can keep Altnabreac open, they may as well open another station somewhere nearby. They clearly have potential customers that they're not telling anyone about...

No need to go overboard on this - a simple Park and Ride at the existing station should suffice

 

[Cherry_Picker]

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.

4tph is enough, even if they are not spaced out evenly, surely?

Dunno what else could be done with Moor Street either. A better service to Worcestershire and beyond (Bristol/Cardiff) would be nice, but it is hamstrung by capacity issues on the already very busy local area as far as Stourbridge and faster alternative routes into New Street. I'd like to see Stratford upon Avon go half hourly, but a huge timetable recast would be needed to make that work (or could a Dorridge terminated be extended to run via Hatton north junction? Journey time would be fairly comparable to the North Warwick route) and of course the much discussed re opening of the Camp Hill line stations and a chord into Moor Street would be great for the city of Birmingham. Is there anything else which can be done realistically? Diverting a Reading - New Street train into Moor Street is easy to do physically, but seems pointless beyond shaving a minute or two off of the journey time. It would play havoc with connections people are used to having and diagramming of Voyagers and the red tape just make it a non starter.

 

[tbtc]

I'd like to see Stratford upon Avon go half hourly, but a huge timetable recast would be needed to make that work (or could a Dorridge terminated be extended to run via Hatton north junction?

I think that if you extend a Whitlocks End service non stop* to Stratford then it could work (so there'd be the existing slow service from Birmingham and one leaving Birmingham forty minutes later which skipped half a dozen stations so arrived half an hour later, so giving Stratford a half hourly service whilst maintaining the 20/40 gaps through Moor Street/ Snow Hill - so not needing to alter the timings through the "core")

(* - or maybe a couple of stops - as long as it runs a good bit faster so can give Stratford something approximating a half hourly service when co-ordinated with the hourly current service)

 

[AndyLandy]

I'd quad-track the WCML through the Weaver Valley and build an interchange station in Hartford where the WCML crosses the Mid-Cheshire Railway. That would allow you to keep Liverpool and Glasgow traffic separate all the way from Crewe, would provide better London connections for trains on the MCR and would offer the possibility of a relief route from Crewe to Chester, via the MCR.

Add on some regional services other than the BHM-LIV one (Seriously, why can't you go direct from Hartford to Warrington?) and take some pressure off Crewe.

(Heh, all pipe dreams, just so I can have better connections to Hartford!)

 

[Cherry_Picker]

I think that if you extend a Whitlocks End service non stop* to Stratford then it could work (so there'd be the existing slow service from Birmingham and one leaving Birmingham forty minutes later which skipped half a dozen stations so arrived half an hour later, so giving Stratford a half hourly service whilst maintaining the 20/40 gaps through Moor Street/ Snow Hill - so not needing to alter the timings through the "core")

(* - or maybe a couple of stops - as long as it runs a good bit faster so can give Stratford something approximating a half hourly service when co-ordinated with the hourly current service)

I'm pretty sure you could make it work. I quite like the idea of extending a Dorridge terminator too. Dunno what the issues are with paths between Dorridge and Hatton, I dont think its too crowded there though. I guess the only point of debate is missing Hatton station and how passengers might not want to do that. Hatton offers connections to Leamington and the south and is handy for Stratford residents because of that. It's entirely possible to reverse at Hatton coming from Stratford of course, but the time penalty would probably be prohibitive.

 

[tbtc]

I'm pretty sure you could make it work. I quite like the idea of extending a Dorridge terminator too. Dunno what the issues are with paths between Dorridge and Hatton, I dont think its too crowded there though. I guess the only point of debate is missing Hatton station and how passengers might not want to do that. Hatton offers connections to Leamington and the south and is handy for Stratford residents because of that. It's entirely possible to reverse at Hatton coming from Stratford of course, but the time penalty would probably be prohibitive.

Something ought to be done - surely there's a market for a faster Stratford - Birmingham service, rather than (just) the current slow service?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

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.

No they aren't! Both Blackburn and Chorley are sizeable towns withoin their own rights, and witrhin thier own unitary authority (former) and disrtict (latter). Preston, and any aspect of its local governing, has no control over either. Further, I would quite like to see how Blackburn would join the metro - firstly, I doubt there is any call, and secondly, without using NR track, how would the metro get there? 'Getting the stock would be mad'. In what way? The same could be said for all of your proposed destinations ex-Preston.

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

No it shouldn't. The ferry moving away from Stranraer I personally see as a new opportunity - the station can be relocated so that it is convenient for the town, services can be retimed to suit social and business needs, not those of the ferry. The whole closure thing in my eyes was blown out of all proportion by the media, it was scaremongering - TS, NR and SAYLA et al seem confident and willing to commit to the line's future. If all else fails, sell it on the beauty front - south of Ayr that line rivals the S&C and West Highlands lines for beauty from my experience, and, as demonstrated with the the two aforementioned lines, steam specials and excursion trains can become very, very popular.

If, and I highly, highly doubt it, the line to Stranraer was to shut, I would only say south from Girvan, not Ayr. Girvan has extra services as it is, and is doing very well for itself.

 

[Lampshade]

To be blunt, I'm just jealous of Preston for having connections to more interesting places than us!! :P

I think Southport trumps Burnley

 

[Ivo]

Is it safe to say that the days of sensible fantasy threads on this forum are over...?

Seriously though, speaking of potential hub areas or what have you, there are very few places out there that could work that aren't already working. Many of the easier interchanges outside of major cities are in locations that just aren't substantial enough to operate as major hubs (Tonbridge anyone?). Plymouth certainly has potential, but the city as a whole would need major investment - and a better link to the city centre - before such a scheme could become reality. Eaglescliffe could also work as a more localised hub if all services from Middlesbrough stopped there, but the only real benefit in doing that would be the link to Grand Central services anyway, which is virtually pointless (it is already possible in both directions even on services that do not call at Eaglescliffe). With some work, such as the Light Rail idea, St Albans might be worth a look too.

Back to the original point though, fantasy threads on here just aren't fun any more. In months long gone even was eager to show off their ideas, and most of these ideas were well thought out and in some cases even shown to have financial potential. Now we're back to Village Parkway scenarios...

 

[Nym]

Back to the original point though, fantasy threads on here just aren't fun any more. In months long gone even was eager to show off their ideas, and most of these ideas were well thought out and in some cases even shown to have financial potential. Now we're back to Village Parkway scenarios...

Quite... It makes those ideas that have had a lot of background work put into them look less sensible too...

 

[wintonian]

No it shouldn't. The ferry moving away from Stranraer I personally see as a new opportunity - the station can be relocated so that it is convenient for the town, services can be retimed to suit social and business needs, not those of the ferry. The whole closure thing in my eyes was blown out of all proportion by the media, it was scaremongering - TS, NR and SAYLA et al seem confident and willing to commit to the line's future. If all else fails, sell it on the beauty front - south of Ayr that line rivals the S&C and West Highlands lines for beauty from my experience, and, as demonstrated with the the two aforementioned lines, steam specials and excursion trains can become very, very popular.

If, and I highly, highly doubt it, the line to Stranraer was to shut, I would only say south from Girvan, not Ayr. Girvan has extra services as it is, and is doing very well for itself.

If and if the station is relocated closer to the town as is (had been?) planned then I think you are right it will see a reasonable amount of use, nothing great but it will do what is intended.

If however the plan for the interchange does not go ahead then I think there may be a real risk of the line being cut back in 10 or so years.

 

[monty9120]

Something ought to be done - surely there's a market for a faster Stratford - Birmingham service, rather than (just) the current slow service?

from my house to startford takes an hour in the car. once i get the shuttle and the train it doubles that easily

 

[bailey65]

Won't be anything happening until the franchise changes are out of the way then there is the sticky subject of funding and viability imo spending on infrastructure creates construction jobs and when complete helps boost the economy.

 

[Mutant Lemming]

TBH I was expecting a bit more than a handfull of houses and a pub, prehaps something more like Telford or something.

.

Trent Valley is a little way out of town. There is a station closer to town which is called Rugeley Town. The pub however, is quite well reknowned for it's food and does an excellent pint of Palmer's Poison (a local brew from up the road).

 

[Bakerbloke]

CHINLEY for regular connections between stockport, hope valley, goyt valley and the future Chinley to Derby line which will carry direct services to London and Paris.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

CHINLEY for ... the future Chinley to Derby line which will carry direct services to London and Paris.

Really? If Matlock-Buxton is ever reopened (which I do hope it is), I doubt services would ever run beyond Derby or the East Midlands to London or Paris - I'm sure HS2 will be far and away the favoured route for any international trains from Northern England, and I doubt a domestic London service would ever be in prospect.

 

[Wath Yard]

CHINLEY for regular connections between stockport, hope valley, goyt valley and the future Chinley to Derby line which will carry direct services to London and Paris.

Sorry to disappoint you but any additional Eurostar services are going to Keswick:

http://www.keswickrailway.com/id15.html

Which reminds me - Penrith, as shown above, a real major hub in the making.

 

[DarloRich]

Personally I feel that if we were to build HS3 from Darlo to the newly refurbished an renamed Darlington Intergalactic Cosmodrome (formerly Known as Teesside Airport) we could then have a seamless service from London (and Europe for that matter via HS1/2) to Jupiter, Vulcan, Rygal 7 and Tatooine. I think that there could be a market for ski rockets to Hoth.

Getting the right franchise holder for the ROC will be the big problem. We all know who will bid but why it cant be run by the government on the lines of the pilot study set out in the Eagle report by Professor Dan Dare I will never know!

Just imagine the possibilities! To let this golden opportunity slip through our fingers would be nothing short of criminal! I mean the EC timetable will have to be recast but I feel that there is a good chance of making this work.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

I think that if you extend a Whitlocks End service non stop* to Stratford then it could work (so there'd be the existing slow service from Birmingham and one leaving Birmingham forty minutes later which skipped half a dozen stations so arrived half an hour later, so giving Stratford a half hourly service whilst maintaining the 20/40 gaps through Moor Street/ Snow Hill - so not needing to alter the timings through the "core")

(* - or maybe a couple of stops - as long as it runs a good bit faster so can give Stratford something approximating a half hourly service when co-ordinated with the hourly current service)

This was worked out , and costed for revenue support as far back as the SRA days when there was a fund (Rail Partnershop fund) for service increments which included things like Norwich - Cambridge , the VoG etc - unfortunately the estimated demand and hence patronage / revenue was way too low to justify - even with subsidy.

I believe line speed increases following resignalling and track works might allow a more comptetive journey time in the future , so one to keep alert to as an option (subject to funding and so on - as usual)

 

[Ivo]

Personally I feel that if we were to build HS3 from Darlo to the newly refurbished an renamed Darlington Intergalactic Cosmodrome (formerly Known as Teesside Airport) we could then have a seamless service from London (and Europe for that matter via HS1/2) to Jupiter, Vulcan, Rygal 7 and Tatooine. I think that there could be a market for ski rockets to Hoth.

Might be better to organise services from the DIC to Coruscant. At least that way we might get a subsidy from Emperor Palpatine (and the market would be that much bigger ). Just think - direct services between our galaxy and the galaxy far, far away...

 

[tbtc]

This was worked out , and costed for revenue support as far back as the SRA days when there was a fund (Rail Partnershop fund) for service increments which included things like Norwich - Cambridge , the VoG etc - unfortunately the estimated demand and hence patronage / revenue was way too low to justify - even with subsidy.

I believe line speed increases following resignalling and track works might allow a more comptetive journey time in the future , so one to keep alert to as an option (subject to funding and so on - as usual)

Cheers ChiefPlanner - always interesting to hear what was going on behind the scenes

 

[DarloRich]

Might be better to organise services from the DIC to Coruscant. At least that way we might get a subsidy from Emperor Palpatine (and the market would be that much bigger ). Just think - direct services between our galaxy and the galaxy far, far away...

OF COURSE - how stupid of me! We should stick to hub to hub services NOT regional services. We cant compete with the no frills carriers.

I mean Solo Falcon can make the Cassel run in only 6 parsecs!

So Darlo to Coruscant, Scaro, Vulcan, Romulus/Remus, Kronos for starters might be decent services!

 

[Hydro]

You'll never get the paths to work since the passing loop at Alderaan Junction mysteriously disappeared.

 

[DarloRich]

You'll never get the paths to work since the passing loop at Alderaan Junction mysteriously disappeared.

Have they plain lined it or has it been totaly blown away?

 

[Gathursty]

I think Southport trumps Burnley

Haha! Burnley was far from my list. I was thinking the Lake District, Clitheroe, Ormskirk, York and Blackpool!