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
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
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.
Are we trying to draw number 8s?
- 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).
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
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 shame it's only a pipe dreamLincoln-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
23:00 Southend Victoria to Witham Saturday 18 August 2018 - close enough?Southend Victoria to Colchester (reversing at Shenfield)
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)
A direct lunchtime only service from Ham Street to Sandwich.