• Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

If you could create any direct services which currently don’t run which would you choose?

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

Thebaz

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2016
Messages
360
Location
Purley
Here's a potential 'express' Overground one for you: :lol: Perhaps a continuation of the Highbury & Islington - West Croydon services:
West Croydon, Wallington, Carshalton Beeches, Sutton, St Helier, Wimbledon, Haydon's Road, Tooting, Balham, Clapham Juntion, Imperial Wharf, West Brompton, Kensington Olympia, Shepherd's Bush, Willesden Junction, West Hampstead, Upper Holloway, Crouch Hill, Haringey Green Lanes, South Tottenham, Lea Bridge, Stratford.
 

Thebaz

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2016
Messages
360
Location
Purley
I like the idea of trains that link inner city areas with the countryside or areas of interest without having to change. To that end I would propose services to get people out into the Surrey and Kent countryside on summer Saturdays and Sundays! 1 - Starting at London Bridge (mainly because it has to start *somewhere*): Peckham Rye, North Dulwich, Tulse Hill, Crystal Palace, Norwood Junction, East Croydon, South Croydon, Purley Oaks, Redhill, Reigate, Dorking West, Gomshall, Shalford, Guildford, Ash, Aldershot, Farnham, Alton.
2 - Same calling pattern to Redhill, Nutfield, Godstone, Edenbridge, Tonbridge, Paddock Wood, Wateringbury, Maidstone West.

Yeah, I know. It'll never happen!
 

FenMan

Established Member
Joined
13 Oct 2011
Messages
1,361
Anything London - Redhill - Brighton on the same train. Criminal there's only about 2 trains a day to the coast from here anymore.

Gatwick - Tonbridge - Ashford International

When the Class 769s turn up on the North Downs Line extending the Reading - Gatwicks to Brighton would be handy.
 

306024

Established Member
Joined
23 Jan 2013
Messages
3,940
Location
East Anglia
How about a triangular service, Hayes to Harlington, Harlington to Hayes & Harlington, and Hayes & Harlington to Hayes. Worth it just for the confusion :s
 

Parallel

Established Member
Joined
9 Dec 2013
Messages
3,928
Well, this doesn’t run as it’s impossible to but I would like to see Bristol Airport linked by rail to Temple Meads in the future, divulging from the main line somewhere between Parson Street and Nailsea (or just after the latter) to as close to the terminal building as possible. If geography prevents this then a shuttle bus should run from the station to the terminal.
 

AndrewE

Established Member
Joined
9 Nov 2015
Messages
5,072
Bristol Airport sounds like an ideal application for an express tram using railway land as far as possible, rather than the Edinburgh debacle of a very expensive final leg to the airport after a long slow all-stops journey out from the city. Either that, or a people-mover connecting into a good regional metro (heavy rail) service.
 

pitdiver

Member
Joined
22 Jan 2012
Messages
1,071
Location
Nottinghamshire
Just so it could be done Penzance to Thurso. National Express at one time operated a coach service between Penzance and Inverness and apparently there was talk of extending it to Thurso. They also operated a service between Gatwick and Aberdeen. So if a coach company can do it a train company could do it. I'll get my coat.

Source: Former head of Corporate Affairs at National Express
 

Voyager lad

Member
Joined
3 Apr 2018
Messages
127
Location
Glasgow
I think running a maybe twice daily TPE service from Manchester Airport up to Stirling and Perth, and maybe even onwards to Dundee, Aberdeen or Inverness could be useful. If the 185s were retained it could run as a 6 car 185 and split at Gleneagles (not Perth as the lines diverge for Aberdeen and Inverness before the station). 3 carriages to Inverness and 3 for Aberdeen. Maybe twice daily.
 

Voyager lad

Member
Joined
3 Apr 2018
Messages
127
Location
Glasgow
Another useful service could be Stirling - London Euston. Could be run with a Pendolino once the wires are live. Would create new daytime links from Stirling to Carlisle, the Lake District and the Midlands.
 

deltic

Established Member
Joined
8 Feb 2010
Messages
3,201
Hull to Birmingham
Hull to Liverpool
Liverpool to Cardiff/Bristol via Hereford
Hull to Edinburgh
Manchester to Workington
Sunderland to Manchester via Hartlepool
Northampton to Manchester
Leicester to Leeds
Leicester to Manchester via Chesterfield
Derby to Manchester via Stoke
Newcastle to Leicester
Nottingham to Glasgow via Leeds and York and Edinburgh
Reading to Milton Keynes via Watford Junc
Cambridge/Norwich to Leeds
 

61653 HTAFC

Veteran Member
Joined
18 Dec 2012
Messages
17,624
Location
Another planet...
Silly suggestion: London Waterloo to Tiverton Parkway calling at Clapham Junction, Surbiton, Cobham, Guildford (reverse), Farnborough North, Reading, Westbury, Bruton, Castle Cary, Taunton. Operated using redundant Highland Sleeper stock with restored class 50s. Runs on Thursday evenings (down) and Monday evenings (up) to transport second-homers between their commuter-pads and countryside getaways.
 

Killingworth

Established Member
Joined
30 May 2018
Messages
4,811
Location
Sheffield
Just so it could be done Penzance to Thurso. National Express at one time operated a coach service between Penzance and Inverness and apparently there was talk of extending it to Thurso. They also operated a service between Gatwick and Aberdeen. So if a coach company can do it a train company could do it. I'll get my coat.

Source: Former head of Corporate Affairs at National Express

Not necessarily so off the wall when you see how long distance trains operate elsewhere around the globe.

A restored HST with uprated accommodation, dining, sleeping cars and routed via Edinburgh, York, Bath etc. Join anywhere en route, running weekly. Dream on

However, I've just checked the practicality and the return trip can be done in scheduled trains taking only 4 days. Possibly only 2 changes and not outrageous cost.
 

30907

Veteran Member
Joined
30 Sep 2012
Messages
17,867
Location
Airedale
I was thinking more along the lines of easier access from the West Coast to the East Coast using the Bentham line, for workers commuting to Leeds/York financial services industry etc which is a tortuous commute at the moment.

Whilst distances from Lancaster to Leeds as opposed to Manchester are similar, the commuting times are massively different - at least double.

And would remain almost as long, even running non stop Carnforth-Skipton-Leeds (which isn't realistic), unless you upgraded the whole route for 90mph.
 

40145 Panther

Member
Joined
4 Jun 2018
Messages
32
Location
Dukinfield
  • Preston - Lancaster - Bare Lane - Morecambe - Carnforth - Oxenholme - then all stations to Windermere;
  • Holyhead to Hull Paragon (calling at Bangor, Llandudno Junction, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Chester, Runcorn East, Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows, Manchester Victoria, Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Leeds, Selby, and Brough);
  • Wakefield Westgate - Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Victoria circular (via Ordsall Curve, then calling at all stations from Wakefield Kirkgate to Stalybridge, Guide Bridge, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria, and all stations back to Wakefield Westgate from Ashton-under-Lyne).
 

SSp

Member
Joined
26 Oct 2016
Messages
71
  • Preston - Lancaster - Bare Lane - Morecambe - Carnforth - Oxenholme - then all stations to Windermere;
  • Holyhead to Hull Paragon (calling at Bangor, Llandudno Junction, Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Chester, Runcorn East, Warrington Bank Quay, Newton-le-Willows, Manchester Victoria, Ashton-under-Lyne, Stalybridge, Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Leeds, Selby, and Brough);
  • Wakefield Westgate - Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Victoria circular (via Ordsall Curve, then calling at all stations from Wakefield Kirkgate to Stalybridge, Guide Bridge, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Victoria, and all stations back to Wakefield Westgate from Ashton-under-Lyne).
Are we trying to draw number 8s?
 

tsr

Established Member
Joined
15 Nov 2011
Messages
7,400
Location
Between the parallel lines
OK, let’s just do Axminster-Looe and be done with it.

Brighton-Norwich via the TL Core.

Heathrow to Aylesbury. Somehow.

Brighton to Ashford Intl and Oxford, running via Gatwick, then dividing at Redhill. One portion semi-fast via Reading to Oxford, one portion semi-fast via Tonbridge to Ashford. 8 coach trains or similar, to split in the bay at Redhill.

Bognor Regis to Northampton via Dorking, Sutton and Clapham Junction. To use the slow line spurs at Streatham to eliminate conflict whilst reaching Falcon Junction.

Extra-Outer South London service loop via the Arrival / Departure Roads at Selhurst (signalled as they are for passenger traffic). To run Victoria-London Bridge via Selhurst and Norwood Jn.

“Missing link” filled in between Tattenham Corner and Epsom Downs. Then a new Purley-London (somewhere) service via Epsom Downs.

Peak-time and selected Saturday Uckfield or East Grinstead services (don’t mind which) extended to Charing Cross via London Bridge.

New service from Euston via the NLL (somehow or other...) to Leeds, more like a LNWR stopping service equivalent, including a couple of stops in North London.
 

7ftBroad

Member
Joined
8 Dec 2017
Messages
26
Peterborough to Brighton via Canal tunnel and the core, no timetable or weekend work. Enjoy the excitement of wondering if you will get to your destination and home without a change at Reading and Crewe.
 

cactustwirly

Established Member
Joined
10 Apr 2013
Messages
7,447
Location
UK
Hull to Birmingham
Hull to Liverpool
Liverpool to Cardiff/Bristol via Hereford
Hull to Edinburgh
Manchester to Workington
Sunderland to Manchester via Hartlepool
Northampton to Manchester
Leicester to Leeds
Leicester to Manchester via Chesterfield
Derby to Manchester via Stoke
Newcastle to Leicester
Nottingham to Glasgow via Leeds and York and Edinburgh
Reading to Milton Keynes via Watford Junc
Cambridge/Norwich to Leeds

Technically Leicester already has a direct service to Leeds...
 

lincman

Member
Joined
11 Jan 2014
Messages
118
Lincoln-Sheffield -Manchester-Liverpool, this would give a fast service from Lincoln to Sheffield and he onward journey would avoid any reverse at Sheffield. From Lincoln
the route could be extended from Lincoln to say Grimsby and Cleethorpes giving an alternative to the current service
 

Killingworth

Established Member
Joined
30 May 2018
Messages
4,811
Location
Sheffield
Lincoln-Sheffield -Manchester-Liverpool, this would give a fast service from Lincoln to Sheffield and he onward journey would avoid any reverse at Sheffield. From Lincoln
the route could be extended from Lincoln to say Grimsby and Cleethorpes giving an alternative to the current service

This will be one of the options for a third Hope Valley fast service when the Hope Valley Capacity Scheme is finally completed, possibly in 2021 if they get started next year.

Other options for that service are, of course, available.
 

backontrack

Established Member
Joined
2 Feb 2014
Messages
6,383
Location
The UK
1) Liverpool Lime Street-Ormskirk-Preston-Blackburn-Burnley Central-Colne.

Would require through-running to be possible at Ormskirk.

(If the Colne-Skipton line were reopened, you could run the service from Liverpool to Skipton and call it the 'The A59, But A Train' line) :D

2) Whitby-Middlesbrough-Darlington-Bishop Auckland, Whitby-Middlesbrough-Sunderland-Newcastle and Whitby-Middlesbrough-Durham-Newcastle.

Just a couple of extensions/[combinations of services] per day in each direction during the summer.

3) Nottingham-Derby-Stoke-Crewe-Wrexham-Chester

(With a reopening, this could be Nottingham-Derby-Stoke-Stafford-Newport-Telford-Shrewsbury.)

4) Cleethorpes-Grimsby-Brigg-Gainsborough-Retford-Worksop-Mansfield-Nottingham-Derby
 
Last edited:

SteveyBee131

Member
Joined
28 Oct 2017
Messages
651
Location
Grimsby Town
Lincoln-Sheffield -Manchester-Liverpool, this would give a fast service from Lincoln to Sheffield and he onward journey would avoid any reverse at Sheffield. From Lincoln
the route could be extended from Lincoln to say Grimsby and Cleethorpes giving an alternative to the current service
This sounds brilliant! Especially with the Cleethorpes extension :D shame it's only a pipe dream;)
 

route101

Established Member
Joined
16 May 2010
Messages
10,595
Glasgow to Central to Leeds via settle .
Glasgow to Nottingham , only has to be once or twice a day .
 

Class 170101

Established Member
Joined
1 Mar 2014
Messages
7,909
If you could create any direct services which currently don’t run which would you choose?

Mine would include:

London King’s Cross - Peterborough - Doncaster - York - Middlesbrough - Whitby

London King’s Cross - Peterborough - Doncaster - Leeds - York - Newcastle - Edinburgh - Oban ( Sleeper)

The first one above is almost supposed to happen once IEPs arrive and the 7th path out of Kings Cross as far as Middlesbrough.

As for the Sleeper Oban to Euston has happened and indeed I'm surprised isn't offered as a 3rd path between Euston and Fort William / Oban split at Crainlarch. With the Inverness / Aberdeen running as a pair vice triple. NB The sleeper is being diverted to Kings Cross at August Bank Holiday with the Inverness portion running alone.
 

Masboroughlad

Established Member
Joined
2 Mar 2011
Messages
1,560
Location
Midlands
Rotherham Central to London STP
Rotherham Central on to the TPE network
Rotherham Central on the XC network

As it was when it was Rotherham Masborough.....

St. Ives to London Paddington (Summer)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top