I definitely read that it was planned for regular use. It certainly makes sense: if a train from Stoke-on-Trent heading up the mainline uses the new flyover, it will have to cross all of the down lines to get to the up slow.
Are any changes going to be made to timetables based on the line speed changes? Or is it all being absorbed?
NR made a point of adding 1m to all southbound schedules on the Fast because of the 50mph TSR/PSR at the old Norton Bridge junction.
You'd expect that to be removed at the least, plus something for line speed increases and better pathing.
There should be significant time taken out of branch schedules with the new 100mph route without conflicts, but whether it makes any difference Stoke-Stockport and Stafford-Birmingham is another matter.
Cheadle Hulme and Wolverhampton North seem to be the new pinch points.
Then there are the extra trains we were promised with the new capacity...
Are any changes going to be made to timetables based on the line speed changes? Or is it all being absorbed?
Still debate over whether it is used for timetabling, it is more useful for platform 1 at Stafford.
Checking TRUST earlier I spotted that from December, the XC Bournemouth to Manchester services (xx.57 off New Street) now arrive into Piccadilly ahead of the VT xx.20 off Euston - the arrival into Stoke is now a full 10 minutes earlier.
In 2014, NR were saying Stafford Area Improvement Programme would deliver:
"Two extra trains per hour (each direction) between London and the north west of England
•One extra fast train per hour (each direction) between Manchester and Birmingham
•One extra freight train per hour (each direction) through Stafford"
but later I heard that the only increase in passenger services would be some extra off-peak trains. Anyone know the real picture?
(Almost) the same situation as obtains at British Steel Redcar and Lympstone Commando - you would be able to alight from the train but not leave the platform.No chance as there is now no means of accessing the platform(s).
Do you think there's any space for a once weekly stop at Norton Bridge Halt? Therefore keeping the station open? Or will London Midland invoke the necessary procedure to close the station?
I love the picture of the station on the NRE page!Norton Bridge is as closed as it ever going to get...
I love the picture of the station on the NRE page!
;
RTT quite clearly shows the up Crewe-Euston services as having been retimed to use the East Chord from its original commissioning date.
Absolutely priceless.
Here's the link. Don't miss it: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/NTB.aspx
If time could be saved elsewhere then stopping odd trains at Barlaston may be more beneficial.
That is hilarious
If the up Liverpool is running late it seems that they hold the LM service on the up slow. Perhaps we need an up passenger loop just north of Stafford, or maybe the capability to run through platform 1 and set back into the bay...
I was under the impression that the chord was only there for operational flexibility, not for regular timetabled usage. After all, doesn't it have a much lower speed limit (30mph vs 100mph for the up slow)? And it only provides access to the fast lines until Stafford North Junction.
Do you think there's any space for a once weekly stop at Norton Bridge Halt? Therefore keeping the station open? Or will London Midland invoke the necessary procedure to close the station?
40mph I understand. Slow, but faster than the 25mph that held under the previous layout.
As Up Crewe to Euston workings are presently having to cross the down fast on the flat. I would be interested if anyone with inside knowledge could advise whether they may be routed via the East Chord to obviate this.
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I thought a better service for Norton Bridge and Chebsey could be provided by a new 2 platform station on the flyover line accessed from Searchlight Lane.
This wouldn't require trains to stop on the WCML and could be served by the new Manchester to Birmingham Stopper if it ever materialises.
All very valid points.1) The down side of routeing on the Up Fast is that, at Stafford, calling a train in Platform 1 effectively costs two Up Fast line paths due to its 'loop' arrangement (path on arrival > wait > second path on departure). Crossing the Down Fast on the flat (for which there are options) is, ironically, arguably less capacity-hungry in that respect, as only a single gap is required on each Fast Line, not two gaps suitably close together on the Up Fast. Plus, as someone has posted above, the Up Crewe-Euston cannot get to Stafford too early, it is limited by being fairly close behind the Liverpool-Euston, also needing to use Platform 1 first; and the Crewe service cannot 'wait' on the Fast Line for the platform for too long before the next Up service passes.
2) Supposing a station at Norton Bridge had never existed in the first place; would anyone be now actually proposing one? I would suspect that the likely low usage would not justify the cost of provision of a new station in this location.
What's the speed into Platform 1 at Stafford?