FANTASY: You're in charge of your own Open Access operator.

[SWTCommuter]

Southampton Central > Southampton Parkway > Winchester > Basingstoke > Reading > Acton Main Line (pass) > Willesden Junc (pass) > Gospel Oak (pass) > Harringay (pass) > Doncaster > York > Durham > Newcastle.

Paths permitting, leave SOU approx 0600 arrive York approx 09:35, arrive Newcastle approx 10:35 (and vice versa).
Return, leave Newcastle 1630 arrive Southampton 21:00 (and vice versa).

If successful, would join/split at Reading with portion from/to Portsmouth via Guildford and split/join at Doncaster for portion to/from Leeds.

 

[mushroomchow]

London to Manchester, on two routes - West Coast via Birmingham New Street, to bolster the crummy current service, and via the Midland Mainline and Hope Valley. Wouldn't run the latter as far as Sheffield because there's really no point being in direct competition with TPE and the Liverpool - Norwich service, which do the job.

It's pretty lame that Manchester has a big blind spot in its connectivity as far as the East Midlands is concerned.

 

[DaiGog]

Some of the gaps in the current national network would be:

Kent to anywhere north / west of London
Gatwick Airport to the west and the midlands
Birmingham - Carlisle inclusive to north of Glasgow/Edinburgh
Bradford/Halifax/Huddersfield/Dewsbury to Birmingham
Huddersfield/Dewsbury to Doncaster (and on to KGX) - to/from Doncaster is a pain of a journey for the short distance involved
Cleethorpes - Grimsby - Lincoln - Spalding - London
Leeds - Glasgow via the S&C (maybe starting back at Hull / Doncaster / Sheffield / Nottingham)
Cambridge / Norwich - the north via the ECML

Otherwise, the North East - South West corridor competing with XC, using decent comfortable stock. Undercutting XC on price would be a piece of cake. Maybe even avoid New Street to speed up journeys, but it could be a financial basket case without it! Add-ons such as Bradford, Hull, Huddersfield, Nottingham, Cardiff and Swansea if there is a need to serve points not currently covered by a franchised service. Similarly the bits abandoned in the current XC franchise, namely South Coast - Reading - Oxford - the north west and Scotland, plus Manchester/Liverpool to the south west. Both of these could also avoid New Street and would put Liverpool back onto the "cross country Inter City" map.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Oak Rail would be a purely open access operator with three trains per Day operating as follows

Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, Erdington, Birmingham New Street, Birmingham International, Coventry, Rugby, Northampton, Milton Keynes central, Hemel Hempstead, Watford Junction, Shepherd's Bush, Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Lewes, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, all stations to Three Oaks

1 extra return trip would continue from Three Oaks all stations to Sevenoaks (where that 6 car 172 will run to join the other one stabling at Ashford)

Traction would be a 6 carriage class 172 albeit with an adaptation on the interior seating plan of a HST.

Revenue protection would be provided by Northern!

 

[GatwickDepress]

Oak Rail would be a purely open access operator with three trains per Day operating as follows

Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield, Erdington, Birmingham New Street, Birmingham International, Coventry, Rugby, Northampton, Milton Keynes central, Hemel Hempstead, Watford Junction, Shepherd's Bush, Clapham Junction, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Lewes, Hampden Park, Eastbourne, all stations to Three Oaks

1 extra return trip would continue from Three Oaks all stations to Sevenoaks (where that 6 car 172 will run to join the other one stabling at Ashford)

Traction would be a 6 carriage class 172 albeit with an adaptation on the interior seating plan of a HST.

Revenue protection would be provided by Northern!

A direct service serving where I reside that starts and ends where my family live. However will I have an excuse not to visit them now?!

 

[A Challenge]

Non-stop Rotherham Central to Motherwell - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/the-next-station-is.54545/page-4032#post-3350786

 

[Wirewiper]

Southampton Central > Southampton Parkway > Winchester > Basingstoke > Reading > Acton Main Line (pass) > Willesden Junc (pass) > Gospel Oak (pass) > Harringay (pass) > Doncaster > York > Durham > Newcastle.

Paths permitting, leave SOU approx 0600 arrive York approx 09:35, arrive Newcastle approx 10:35 (and vice versa).
Return, leave Newcastle 1630 arrive Southampton 21:00 (and vice versa).

If successful, would join/split at Reading with portion from/to Portsmouth via Guildford and split/join at Doncaster for portion to/from Leeds.

Good luck getting paths through London and up the ECML!

You aren't doing much different to what Cross Country Trains already does, except missing out a lot of station stops in the middle.

 

[A Challenge]

Good luck getting paths through London and up the ECML!

You aren't doing much different to what Cross Country Trains already does, except missing out a lot of station stops in the middle.

It would be much quicker as well surely?

 

[Steddenm]

Mine would be The Island Railway and would be a full cross UK service. One train in each direction a day, using either a HST with power plug doors or a diesel-hybrid Pandolino and would run as follows:

Penzance, Truro, Saltash, Plymouth, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Exeter St David’s, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Weston-s-Mare, Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Birmingham New Street (reverse), Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Wigan North Western, Warrington Bank Quay, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Glasgow Central (reverse), Haymarket, Edinburgh, Berwick upon Tweed, Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, York, Leeds, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby, East Midlands Parkway, Leicester, Kettering, Bedford, Luton, London St Pancras International Low Level, London Bridge, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Brighton (reverse), Hove, Worthing, Portsmouth Harbour (reverse), Portsmouth & Southsea, Fratton, Southampton Central, Brokenhurst, Christchurch, Bournemouth, Poole, Hamworthy, Wareham, Dorchester South and Weymouth.

No idea where the paths would come from but would make for an interesting journey and announcements at stations.

 

[DanTrain]

Mine would be The Island Railway and would be a full cross UK service. One train in each direction a day, using either a HST with power plug doors or a diesel-hybrid Pandolino and would run as follows:

Penzance, Truro, Saltash, Plymouth, Totnes, Newton Abbot, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Exeter St David’s, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Weston-s-Mare, Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa, Birmingham New Street (reverse), Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Wigan North Western, Warrington Bank Quay, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Glasgow Central (reverse), Haymarket, Edinburgh, Berwick upon Tweed, Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, York, Leeds, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Derby, East Midlands Parkway, Leicester, Kettering, Bedford, Luton, London St Pancras International Low Level, London Bridge, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Brighton (reverse), Hove, Worthing, Portsmouth Harbour (reverse), Portsmouth & Southsea, Fratton, Southampton Central, Brokenhurst, Christchurch, Bournemouth, Poole, Hamworthy, Wareham, Dorchester South and Weymouth.

No idea where the paths would come from but would make for an interesting journey and announcements at stations.

Excellent. Do what Thameslink does and announce every single station remaining on the route after you leave each station (which is annoying on a Brighton - Bedford so imagine it on this!)

Growler Rail, running top and tail 37's from Sheffield to Brighton through the core, just because it's not allowed

Remember to attach you 37s from Sheffield to Brighton and you could run this too

Oh, and people may become a little disorientated after 4 reversals!! And imagine how late this could become: "The 09:17 Island Rail service to Weymouth is delayed by approximately 300 minutes due to sheer incompetence in whoever devised the route"

 

[700007]

I haven't been following this thread so apologies if this idea has already been mentioned.

I think Hereford is a market to tap into, the links to London are quite poor - being infrequent, a Turbo sometimes and very slow. I would do a HST that aims to do the link in about 2 hours. Probably, or very off-the-scale unrealistic but I guess it is fantasy after all!

A HST service calling at London Paddington, Reading, Swindon, Cheltenham Spa, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link, Great Malvern and Hereford with scope to extend it to Cardiff Central.

 

[DanTrain]

I haven't been following this thread so apologies if this idea has already been mentioned.

I think Hereford is a market to tap into, the links to London are quite poor - being infrequent, a Turbo sometimes and very slow. I would do a HST that aims to do the link in about 2 hours. Probably, or very off-the-scale unrealistic but I guess it is fantasy after all!

A HST service calling at London Paddington, Reading, Swindon, Cheltenham Spa, Worcester Shrub Hill, Worcester Foregate Street, Malvern Link, Great Malvern and Hereford with scope to extend it to Cardiff Central.

I like that idea, although personally I might be tempted to send a few up to Shrewsbury, reversing at Hereford, serving Leominster, Ludlow, Craven Arms and Church Stretton on the way.

 

[LOL The Irony]

LMNR update #4
London Midland Northern Railway

It will use 25kv AC overhead/Diesel Bi-Mode versions of the Class 444 (Called Class 744). 110mph top speed Electric & Hybrid mode 100mph Diesel mode uses 4X MTU 12V 1600 R80L
Layout: A DMFW* B MSATW* C MSP D MSG* E DMS* *indicates carriage with Diesel engine.
No. to be built: 50 (744 001-050)
Detailed layout:
Coach A: Driving Motor First Wheelchair (C)(E) Northbound
Coach B: Motor Standard Accessible Toilet Wheelchair (E)(T)
Coach C: Motor Standard Pantograph (Quiet Zone underneath the panto recess)(QZ)
Coach D: Motor Standard Guard (GC)(T)
Coach E: Driving Motor Standard (C)(T) Southbound

There will be 15 units fitted with shoes for for Blackpool - Brighton services designated Class 744/1 (744 101-115)

2x 5 car mk3 sets with PRM upgrades & doors like the Chiltern ones (Not the awful IETesque pocket doors used by GWR) Top n' Tailed by 2 Class 90's. There will be 5 90's Sub-Leased from DB Cargo (90 022-025 & 027). These will be used on London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly & London Euston - Blackpool North services.
Layout:
Loco A Northbound
Coach A: First Open Whelchair (T)
Coach B: Standard Open Accessible Toilet Wheelchar (T)
Coach C: Standard Open Quiet Zone (QZ)(T)
Coach D: Standard Open (T)
Coach E: Trailer Guard Standard (T)
Loco B Southbound

There will be free super fast wifi a USB charger per seat and a plug per row. Tables will have 4 USB chargers, 2 plugs and a wireless charging pad. Seats will have a black leather (not pleather or e-leather, LEATHER!) headrest & purple moquette. First class will have a full sized table, USB charger, plug socket & wireless charging pad per seat. The seats will be black leather with purple alcantara centrepiece.

All units and locos will be named.

Services:
London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly via Birmingham New St. - 1tph each direction - 5 carriages. Stops: London Euston, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Brimingham International, Biringham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport & Manchester Piccadilly
London Euston - Blackpool North & Windermere - 1tph each direction - 5 carriages (Blackpool only) 1tp2h - 10 carriages (divides at Preston into a Blackpool & Windermere service). Stops: London Euston, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Tamworth, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Bolton, Chorley, Preston then Poulton-Le-Fylde & Blackpool North and Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme Lake District, Kendal & Windermere
London King's Cross - Manchester Airport & Preston - 1tph each direction - 5 carriages (Manchester Airport only) 1tp3h each direction - 10 carriages (divides at Hebden Bridge into a Manchester Airport & Preston service). Stops: London King's Cross Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage, Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark North Gate, Doncaster, Leeds, Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge then Rochdale, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport & Manchester Airport and Burnley Manchester Road, Blackburn & Preston
Blackpool North - Brighton - 5tpd each direction - 5 or 10 carriages. Stops: Blackpool North, Poulton-Le-Fylde, Preston, Chorley, Bolton, Salford Crescent, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Wilmslow, Crewe, Alsager, Stoke-on-Trent, East Midlands Parkway, Leicester, Market Harborogh, Kettering, Bedford, Luton, Luton Airport, St Albans City, Mill Hill Broadway, West Hampstead Thameslink, London St Pancras, Farringdon, City Thameslink, Blackfriars, Elephant & Castle, Clapham High Street, Clapham Junction, Balham, East Croydon, Gatwick Airport, Three Bridges, Hawards Heath & Brighton

On summer weekends, 1 Blackpool service per 4 hours will consist of 10 carriages slpitting at Preston and Calling additionally: Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley.

Northern Link Services:
Preston - LLandudno - 1tp3h - 5 or 10 carriages Calling: Leyland, Wigan North Western, Eccles, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Altrincham, Knutsford, Northwich, Chester, Flint, Prestatyn, Rhyll, Colwyn Bay, LLandudno Junction & Llandudno
Liverpool Lime St. - Windermere - 5tpd - 5 carriages Calling: Huyton, St Helens Central, Wigan North Western, Leyland, Preston, Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme Lake District, Kendal & Windermere
Liverpool Lime St. - Newcastle Central - 1tp3h - 5 or 10 carriages Calling: Huyton, Newton-Le-Willows, Eccles, Manchester Victoria, Rochdale, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, Bradford Interchange, Leeds, York, Thirsk, Darlington, Durham, Chester-Le-Street & Newcastle

Livery is black, fading into a Retrowave style livery. The logo is also in the Retrowave style. The doors are a shade of purple inkeeping with the Retrowave asthetic. 744 031 will be named Siemens Desiro and will have Siemens branding on Coach C.

Logo (made here :https://m.photofunia.com/categories/all_effects/retro-wave)

Route map:

Northern Link map:

Blackpool - Brighton map:

 

[The Ham]

Southampton Central > Southampton Parkway > Winchester > Basingstoke > Reading > Acton Main Line (pass) > Willesden Junc (pass) > Gospel Oak (pass) > Harringay (pass) > Doncaster > York > Durham > Newcastle.

Paths permitting, leave SOU approx 0600 arrive York approx 09:35, arrive Newcastle approx 10:35 (and vice versa).
Return, leave Newcastle 1630 arrive Southampton 21:00 (and vice versa).

If successful, would join/split at Reading with portion from/to Portsmouth via Guildford and split/join at Doncaster for portion to/from Leeds.

End to end journeys (Southampton to Newcastle) would be catered by air travel and so you'd be reliant on mostly your middle distance journeys.

Your train is also sat for a long time at Newcastle not earning money and with such a horrible split shift getting staff to crew such a train would be difficult.

 

[swt_passenger]

Good luck getting paths through London and up the ECML!

You aren't doing much different to what Cross Country Trains already does, except missing out a lot of station stops in the middle.

Would almost certainly fail the abstraction test against XC Southampton to Newcastle via Reading. Indeed I expect if XC got a sniff of such a plan there’d suddenly be a warmed up XC ECS providing something like an 0547 departure from Southampton to extend the present 2 hourly xx47 pattern earlier in the day.

In fact the easiest solution would be to just use the ECS for the first XC Newcastle service with departure from Southampton at 0647...

 

[itznonbine]

I would run a Weymouth>Dorchester West>Yeovil Pen Mill>Westbury(Reverses Here)>Taunton> Exeter St Davids>Newton Abbot>Plymouth>Liskeard (3hr 50 to liskeard aprrox so 4 hrs journey )
Dependant on the Rolling Stock depends what the terminus.
158&153 (3 car train)(Coombe Junction Halt>Looe) 1tph
HST (2 Power Cars + 4Mk3s) (Par>Penzance)2tph
tph is between 5am-7pm (Starting. Some early trains will start from Westbury)

Then another service would be
Bournemouth>Southampton Central>Fareham>Havant>Worthing>Brighton(Reverse)>Eastbourne(Reverse)>Hastings>Ashford
That would be class 180.
I would have some stabled at Bournemouth Sidings during the night.
There would be 2 early services from weymouth and 2 late services back to Weymouth.
Also Peak trains would extend to Weymouth.
These services will be 2x180 Until Brighton then 1 uncoupled. They would also additionally stop at Dorchester South as well as Poole.
This would be 2tph

I would run a Ashford to Westbury via Tonbridge and Reading
This would be a Class 221.
The stops would be
Ashford Int, Tonbridge,Redhill,Guildford,Wokingham,Reading,Newbury,Westbury.
Not too many stops but to acquire a faster connection to South east instead of going via weymouth or london

Then to add a Extra Connection I would do a Norwich to Ashford via Ely and the Thameslink cross from king cross approach into St Pancras
This would have a Stopper and Express (These stops noted with X next to them)
Stopping at Norwich(x) Wymondham,Spooner Row,Attleborough,Eccles Road,Harling Road,Thetford,Brandon,Lakenheath,Shipped Hill(X), Ely (X), Waterbeach(X), Cambridge North, Cambridge(X), Foxton,Shepreth,Meldreth,Rotation,Ashwell and Modern, Baldock,Letchworth Garden City, Hitchin (X), Stevenage (X) (express goes via potters bar without stopping) , WattonAtStone, Hertford North,Bayford,Cuffley,Crews Hill,Gordon Hill,Enfield Chase,Grange Park, Winchmore Hill, Palmer's Green, Bowes Park,Alexandra Palace(X),Hornsey,Harringay,St Pancras Intl (X),Carrington,City Thameslink, Blackfriars, London Bridge(X),New Cross,Hither Green(X),Sevenoaks (X), Tonbridge (X),Ashford Intl (X)

The Stopper would be 1tph so I dont annoy Great Northern
The Express would be 2tph.
Stopper would be a Class 156x2
Express would be a class 43 + Mk 3s X 6

Another Weymouth Service would be a Weymouth to Pembroke Docks
The rolling stock would always run 2x142
Calling at (X is express stops): Weymouth (X),Upwey, Dorchester South(X),Moreton,Wool,Wareham(X),Holton Heath,Poole(X), Parkstone,Branksome, Bournemouth (X),Pokesdown, Christchurch,Hinton Admiral, New Milton(X),Sway,Brockenhurst(X),Beaulieu Road(X),Ashurst New Forrest,Totton (X), Redbridge, Millbrook, Southampton Central(X), St Denys,Swaythling, Southampton Airport Parkway (X), Eastleigh (X), Chandler's Ford,Romsey(X),Mottisfont And Dunbridge, Dean, Salisbury(X), Warminster(X),Dilton Marsh(X),Westbury (X), Trowbridge,Bradford Upon Avon(X), Avoncliff,Freshford, Bath Spa(X), Oldfield Park, Keynsham, Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Road,Filton Abbey Wood(x), Patchway(X), Pilning(X),Severn Tunnel Junction(X),Newport(X), Cardiff Central (X), Bridgend(X), Port Talbot Parkway (X), Llangeneoch,Llanelli(X), Carmarthen(X),Pembroke Dock(X)

Stopper 1 every 1 1/2 hours
Express every hour

 

[DanTrain]

Then to add a Extra Connection I would do a Norwich to Ashford via Ely and the Thameslink cross from king cross approach into St Pancras
This would have a Stopper and Express (These stops noted with X next to them)
Stopping at Norwich(x) Wymondham,Spooner Row,Attleborough,Eccles Road,Harling Road,Thetford,Brandon,Lakenheath,Shipped Hill(X), Ely (X), Waterbeach(X), Cambridge North, Cambridge(X), Foxton,Shepreth,Meldreth,Rotation,Ashwell and Modern, Baldock,Letchworth Garden City, Hitchin (X), Stevenage (X) (express goes via potters bar without stopping) , WattonAtStone, Hertford North,Bayford,Cuffley,Crews Hill,Gordon Hill,Enfield Chase,Grange Park, Winchmore Hill, Palmer's Green, Bowes Park,Alexandra Palace(X),Hornsey,Harringay,St Pancras Intl (X),Carrington,City Thameslink, Blackfriars, London Bridge(X),New Cross,Hither Green(X),Sevenoaks (X), Tonbridge (X),Ashford Intl (X)

The Stopper would be 1tph so I dont annoy Great Northern
The Express would be 2tph.
Stopper would be a Class 156x2
Express would be a class 43 + Mk 3s X 6

I don't think you're allowed diesels through the Thameslink core, so good luck trying to get them to allow HSTs (what about some Valenta ones for the extra clag ).

Also, I slightly miss the point of this service, the stopper seems to just duplicate existing services (and stop in so many places that it serves little purpose) and the express would just not be used enough to justify the paths (Norwich - Ashford much quicker with a change at Stratford). Saying that, I like the idea of connecting Norwich to the Thameslink core, and of connecting the Hertford loop to anything other than itself and Moorgate.

I'd suggest, on a slightly related idea, running services from Morrgate to Peterborough via Herford loop and via Welwyn, to allow the local stations to have a connection to VTEC and thus the rest of the network. In the same vein, I'd run St Pancras to Leicester, stopping all stations to Bedford then all to Leicester (using 100mph capable stock to not slow the EMTs down too much north of Bedford). Again, this allows the Thameslink stations to connect to the North without having to change at St Pancras or change at Bedford then Leicester. All of these would run 1tph, not much need for any more.

 

[Fred26]

I'd like to run the following:

1tph Kings Cross - Norwich
1tph Kings Cross - Ipswich (extended to Harwich to connect with the ferry)

Stops would be:

Kings Cross
Hertford North (1tp2h) or Welwyn Garden City (1tp2h)
Stevenage
Hitchin
Royston
Cambridge
Ely
Brandon
Thetford
Attleborough
Wymondham
Norwich

Kings Cross
Hertford North (1tp2h) or Welwyn Garden City (1tp2h)
Stevenage
Hitchin
Royston
Cambridge
Bury St Edmunds
Stowmarket
Ipswich
(Harwich International)

Ideally I'd like the lines completely electrified, but failing that I'd run 5-car bi-modes. They could run pick up only at Hertford, Stevenage and Hitchin if on-train capacity became an issue, and likewise set down only on the return legs.
Thinking about line capacity, via WGC would be difficult. Via Hertford would be slow, though perhaps easier to route. I'm not sure.

 

[London Trains]

Sutton Express:

2tpd each way. ​

Sutton > West Sutton > Sutton Common > (via Wimbledon Loop, Wandsworth Rd, WLL, Ealing Broadway, Greenford) > Kings Sutton > (via Leamington - Coventry, Stechford - Aston, X City) > Sutton Coldfield > (via Burton, Castle Donnington, Ilkeston) > Sutton Parkway > (via Sheffield, Hope Valley, Oxford Rd, Newton le Willows, Warrington, Ellesmere Port) > Little Sutton.

Stock: 2 5 coach 800s each working 1 return journey.

 

[railfan100]

I think I would compete with Virgin West Coast, using a 30 plus year old Class 150 on long-distance routes in to Euston. The passengers may find the seats a little better as well.

 

[traction22]

A couple of ideas

More links between South Yorkshire to Manchester are required, so my first proposal would be

Manchester Airport - Manc (any central station) - via Woodhead - Penistone then either toward Huddersfield or Barnsley - Meadowhall - Sheffield then stations toward either Lincoln or Nottingham
or just more Doncaster - Meadowhall - Sheffield - Stockport - Manchester Pic - Manchester Airport (though I prefer the first option).

More summer coastal expresses are required as well. Possibly even just a couple a week.
Basically Northern Market towns to the coast ...
For example Sheffield > Meadowhall > Barnsley > Huddersfield (Express - not necessarily via current route) > Brighouse > Burnley > Blackburn > Preston > Blackpool
Extend the current Leeds - Nottingham route (either via Wakefield WG as planned, or via current route) to Skegness (which I believe is a current route)

More coming soon, with more thought as to the route.

 

[itznonbine]

I would run a Weymouth>Dorchester West>Yeovil Pen Mill>Westbury(Reverses Here)>Taunton> Exeter St Davids>Newton Abbot>Plymouth>Liskeard (3hr 50 to liskeard aprrox so 4 hrs journey )
Dependant on the Rolling Stock depends what the terminus.
158&153 (3 car train)(Coombe Junction Halt>Looe) 1tph
HST (2 Power Cars + 4Mk3s) (Par>Penzance)2tph
tph is between 5am-7pm (Starting. Some early trains will start from Westbury)

Then another service would be
Bournemouth>Southampton Central>Fareham>Havant>Worthing>Brighton(Reverse)>Eastbourne(Reverse)>Hastings>Ashford
That would be class 180.
I would have some stabled at Bournemouth Sidings during the night.
There would be 2 early services from weymouth and 2 late services back to Weymouth.
Also Peak trains would extend to Weymouth.
These services will be 2x180 Until Brighton then 1 uncoupled. They would also additionally stop at Dorchester South as well as Poole.
This would be 2tph

I would run a Ashford to Westbury via Tonbridge and Reading
This would be a Class 221.
The stops would be
Ashford Int, Tonbridge,Redhill,Guildford,Wokingham,Reading,Newbury,Westbury.
Not too many stops but to acquire a faster connection to South east instead of going via weymouth or london

Then to add a Extra Connection I would do a Norwich to Ashford via Ely and the Thameslink cross from king cross approach into St Pancras
This would have a Stopper and Express (These stops noted with X next to them)
Stopping at Norwich(x) Wymondham,Spooner Row,Attleborough,Eccles Road,Harling Road,Thetford,Brandon,Lakenheath,Shipped Hill(X), Ely (X), Waterbeach(X), Cambridge North, Cambridge(X), Foxton,Shepreth,Meldreth,Rotation,Ashwell and Modern, Baldock,Letchworth Garden City, Hitchin (X), Stevenage (X) (express goes via potters bar without stopping) , WattonAtStone, Hertford North,Bayford,Cuffley,Crews Hill,Gordon Hill,Enfield Chase,Grange Park, Winchmore Hill, Palmer's Green, Bowes Park,Alexandra Palace(X),Hornsey,Harringay,St Pancras Intl (X),Carrington,City Thameslink, Blackfriars, London Bridge(X),New Cross,Hither Green(X),Sevenoaks (X), Tonbridge (X),Ashford Intl (X)

The Stopper would be 1tph so I dont annoy Great Northern
The Express would be 2tph.
Stopper would be a Class 156x2
Express would be a class 43 + Mk 3s X 6

Another Weymouth Service would be a Weymouth to Pembroke Docks
The rolling stock would always run 2x142
Calling at: Weymouth, Dorchester South, Wareham, Poole, Bournemouth , Pokesdown , Brockenhurst ,Beaulieu Road ,Totton, Southampton Central, Romsey, Salisbury, Warminster,Dilton Marsh,Westbury , Bath Spa(X), Bristol Temple Meads, Pilning(X),Severn Tunnel Junction(X),Newport(X), Cardiff Central (X), Bridgend(X), Llangeneoch,Llanelli(X), Carmarthen(X),Pembroke Dock(X)

Stopper 1 every 1 1/2 hours
Express every hour

Another Service would be Southampton to Westbury stopping only at Salisbury which would be a 159

 

[DenmarkRail]

Manchester to Penzance night sleeper:

Manchester (leave at 21:00)
Stockport
Crewe
Stafford
Wolverhampton
Birmingham NS
Cheltenham Spa
Gloucester
Bristol TM
Taunton
Exeter SD
Totness
Plymouth
Bodmin Parkway
Par
Saint Austell
Truro
Redruth
Camborne
Hayle
St Erth
Penzance (Arrives 07:30)

Rolling stock: Class 67 + 6MK3 sleepers (displaced from Caledonian from 2018) + 1 MK3 lounge car (conversion from buffet) + 4 MK3 TSO (displaced from Caledonian)

 

[kevjs]

MidlandsPlus Connect North.

An East West service providing a link between the north south rail lines (except Chiltern) and an East to North West trans-south-of-Pennine link operating 5 Car Class 802s.

3tph

• Stansted
• Cambridge (West Anglia Main Link Interchange)

3tph

• Norwich
• Ely

Then 6tph through the core

• Peterbourgh (Thameslink Interchange)
• Grantham (East Coast Mainline Interchange)
• Saxondale Parkway (A46 - 3tph)
• Nottingham (NET Interchange)
• with 3tph to East Midlands Parkway (Midland Mainline Interchange)
• and the other 3tph to Toton - (HS2 Interchange)
• Derby (Cross Country / Midland Mainline Interchange)
• Crewe (HS2 West Coast Mainline Interchange)

Then 2tph

• Warrington
• Preston
• Lancaster
• Oxenholme Lake District (1tph)
• Windemere (1tph)

AND 2tph

• Manchester Airport
• Manchester Piccadilly
• Manchester Oxford Road
• Bolton
• Preston
• Blackpool North (1tph)

AND 1tph

• Chester
• Rhyl (1tph)
• Llandudno Junction (1tph)
• Bangor (1tph)
• Hollyhead (1tph)

AND 1tph

• Warrington
• Liverpool Lime Street

MidlandsPlus Connect South.

An East West service providing a link between the main lines and an East to South Wales link operating 5 Car Classic Compatible Hydrogen Electric Hybrid MUs

• Lincoln Central
• Newark Castle (for East Coast)
• Nottingham (for Midland Mainline)
• Toton (For HS2 East)
• Birmingham Interchange (for HS2 West)
• Birmingham New Street (2tph)
• Warwick (2tph)
• Banbury (for Chiltern Mainline 2tph)
• Oxford (2tph)
• Swindon (for Great Western 2tph)
• Bath (2tph)
• Bristol (2tph)
• Newport (2tph)
• Cardiff Central (2tph)
• Swansea (1tph)

East Midlands Connect.
3 Car Class 195s

3tph

• Lincoln Central
• Newark Castle
• All Stations to
• Lowdham Parkway ( 4 tph peak, 3 tph off peak)
• Burton Joyce ( 4 tph peak, 3 tph off peak)
• Stoke Lane (4 tph) *
• Carlton (4 tph)
• to the core

3tph

• Grantham
• Bottersford
• Elston and Orton
• Aslockton
• Bingham (5 tph peak, 3 tph off peak)
• Saxondale Parkway (5 tph peak, 3 tph off peak) *
  
• Radcliffe on Trent (5 tph peak, 3 tph off peak)
• Netherfield (5 tph)
• to the core

9tph through the core

• Nottingham Racecourse *
• Nottingham
• Dunkirk *
• Beeston
• Attenbourgh
• Trent *

Then 3tph to each of

• East Midlands Parkway
• East Midlands Airport (Dist Centre with Shuttle Bus) *
• Chellaston *
• Sinfin
• Peartree
• Derby

And

• Long Eaton
• Draycott *
• Borrowash *
• Spondon
• Derby

And

• Toton
• Ilkeston
• Langley Mill
• Alfreton (1tph)
• Kirkby-in-Ashfield (2tph)

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Given that there's a plethora of AC EMUs going to be coming available, let's see if we can propose some madcap uses for those...

Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street via GEML to Stratford, NLL to Willesden then down the WCML via Birmingham to Stafford, Stoke, Kidsgrove, Crewe, Warrington BQ, Earlestown, Huyton and Lime Street. Operated by 379s (uprated to 110mph if they aren't already)...

Thus allowing the existing EMT service to be split at Nottingham with nobody being inconvenienced ; and extending the Liverpool Street confusion all the way down the GEML to Stratford!

 

[backontrack]

Given that there's a plethora of AC EMUs going to be coming available, let's see if we can propose some madcap uses for those...

Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street via GEML to Stratford, NLL to Willesden then down the WCML via Birmingham to Stafford, Stoke, Kidsgrove, Crewe, Warrington BQ, Earlestown, Huyton and Lime Street. Operated by 379s (uprated to 110mph if they aren't already)...

Thus allowing the existing EMT service to be split at Nottingham with nobody being inconvenienced ; and extending the Liverpool Street confusion all the way down the GEML to Stratford!

Some people just like watching the world burn.

 

[cle]

I think the viable ones have been mentioned - my two votes would be:

St Pancras - Luton/Bedford alternating - Leicester - Derby - Chesterfield - Stockport - Manchester Piccadilly - hourly (Kettering and Loughborough on the odd service)

Kings Cross - Cambridge - (Thetford) - Norwich - hourly and as fast as possible to compete. Hence no Cambridge North or Ely stops.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Given that there's a plethora of AC EMUs going to be coming available, let's see if we can propose some madcap uses for those...

Norwich to Liverpool Lime Street via GEML to Stratford, NLL to Willesden then down the WCML via Birmingham to Stafford, Stoke, Kidsgrove, Crewe, Warrington BQ, Earlestown, Huyton and Lime Street. Operated by 379s (uprated to 110mph if they aren't already)...

Thus allowing the existing EMT service to be split at Nottingham with nobody being inconvenienced ; and extending the Liverpool Street confusion all the way down the GEML to Stratford!

Only that small issue of line capacity... in fact, the Trent Valley WCML has more capacity than the Birmingham route. The latter's actually very tight on capacity throughout most of the route, as it's only double track and has half-hourly local stoppers.

 

[800034]

Two Ideas:
The first would be three routes, with a hub at Stevenage:

• London Kings Cross to Norwich via Cambridge, using single or double sets of three car Class 170s from Greater Anglia or Scotrail calling at Stevenage, Letchworth, Royston, Cambridge, Ely, Thetford, Norwich. This would be extended at summer times to North Walsham & Cromer.
• London Kings Cross to Carlisle, either using HST power cars hauling 5 Mk 4s or a class 88, Mk 4s and DVT calling at Stevenage, Peterborough, York, Darlington, Newcastle, Hexham, Haltwhistle & Carlisle. This could also call at Metrocentre and Prudhoe, depending on demand.
• Finally, Rochester to Bishop Auckland via Thameslink, which is unlikely given the upgrade, or the WLL/NLL, with 442s stripped of their traction equipment and replaced with bimode dual voltage motors. This would call at: Bromley South, London Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras Int'l, Stevenage, Peterborough, York, Darlington, Newton Aycliffe & Bishop Auckland. If Thameslink is unavailable then the stops along the WLL would be Imperial Wharf, West Brompton, Kensington (Olympia), Shepherd's Bush, Willesden Junction, West Hampstead, Gospel Oak, Camden Road.

Attached is a map of this network:

The second operator would be called Midland Railway and would run from St Pancras Int'l to Glasgow Central, calling at Leicester, Derby, Sheffield, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds (Reverse), Shipley, Keighley, Skipton, (Kirkby Stephen), Carlisle, (Lockerbie), (Motherwell), & Glasgow Central. Rolling stock would be class 222s in their original Midland Mainline livery.

 

[backontrack]

Two Ideas:
The first would be three routes, with a hub at Stevenage:

• London Kings Cross to Norwich via Cambridge, using single or double sets of three car Class 170s from Greater Anglia or Scotrail calling at Stevenage, Letchworth, Royston, Cambridge, Ely, Thetford, Norwich. This would be extended at summer times to North Walsham & Cromer.
• London Kings Cross to Carlisle, either using HST power cars hauling 5 Mk 4s or a class 88, Mk 4s and DVT calling at Stevenage, Peterborough, York, Darlington, Newcastle, Hexham, Haltwhistle & Carlisle. This could also call at Metrocentre and Prudhoe, depending on demand.
• Finally, Rochester to Bishop Auckland via Thameslink, which is unlikely given the upgrade, or the WLL/NLL, with 442s stripped of their traction equipment and replaced with bimode dual voltage motors. This would call at: Bromley South, London Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, St Pancras Int'l, Stevenage, Peterborough, York, Darlington, Newton Aycliffe & Bishop Auckland. If Thameslink is unavailable then the stops along the WLL would be Imperial Wharf, West Brompton, Kensington (Olympia), Shepherd's Bush, Willesden Junction, West Hampstead, Gospel Oak, Camden Road.

Attached is a map of this network:

The second operator would be called Midland Railway and would run from St Pancras Int'l to Glasgow Central, calling at Leicester, Derby, Sheffield, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds (Reverse), Shipley, Keighley, Skipton, (Kirkby Stephen), Carlisle, (Lockerbie), (Motherwell), & Glasgow Central. Rolling stock would be class 222s in their original Midland Mainline livery.

I like that.