I dont think it is the primary consideration in stopping patterns on the relief line, no, not to the detriment of other users.
That isn't the point.
There appears to be an application with the ORR for just this to be introduced from May 2023.
It seems to be happening though, based on this download - note link is to pdf download from Network Rail website
If TfL want to run long trains that are lightly loaded beyond West London at high frequency off peak, that's their choice. It's not a rational one, but there we go. That's pretty much what happens on the Amersham Met branch.
Has Paddington station been closed since the last time I visited it?
How is Paddington relevant for those coming from the West on an intercity service? If one wanting Acton Main Line ends up at Paddington he would already have gone too far!Has Paddington station been closed since the last time I visited it?
Getting to Acton Main Line via Paddington is always going to be quicker than sitting on a stopping train all the way from Reading, particularly if it has to stop at Hanwell and West Ealing as well.
Great news. The stopping off peak services to maidenhead are painfully slow and actually alot of people alight at maidenhead, fast services are definitely needed.
Isn't changing at Harrow & Wealdstone (or Watford Junction if the train doesn't call there) the best most of the times?
No, because many of the long distance trains have their last stop a long way away from London - for example at Warrington Bank Quay in the case of Glasgow, Stafford in the case of Liverpool. The fastest route even to Harrow & Wealdstone is likely to be via Euston.
I have just searched for some journeys between Kilburn High Road and Milton Keynes and I am surprised that the fastest journeys all involve doubling-back through Euston.
I doubt it is a poorly written timetable, more just that trains that stop everywhere take longer. A Pendolino takes about 30 minutes to get from Milton Keynes to Euston. It takes about 50 minutes to travel from Watford to Euston on the DC lines.
I have no idea why you think the timetable is bad, just because most non-overtaken Milton Keynes-London services run non-stop? Even if they stopped at Watford Junction it would still be quicker to travel via London, and you would increase the journey time for the vast majority of passengers onboard, who are heading to central London.
So is the proposal a fast service to calling at Slough, Maidenhead, Twyford and Reading using the mains between Paddington and Slough? And this would then give up relief line running to Crossrail?
Yes, that is what the document linked above says. GWR would only serve stations between Slough and Paddington early morning and late night when Elizabeth Line isn't running. Slough's fast service to London would be provided by the train that calls at Maidenhead and Slough.
Ah right. Seems to be a happy medium and provides Didcot with a direct train still, as well as faster options for those further out
A grade separated junction between main and reliefs east of Slough would be very useful for this pattern. Perhaps the future connection to Heathrow for Western rail access could be modified to incorporate such a facility, something like: http://www.townend.me/files/richingspark.pdf
That bit of line where the down services from Paddington to the relief line and up services from the relief to Heathrow looks like an awkward conflict in that plan.
4TPH Reading (Rlf) to Heathrow conflicting with (say) 4TPH Paddington (Mn) to Reading (Rlf) is not ideal I agree, but seems far more manageable than all the Relief-Main weaves taking place on the level.
That might be a possibility, at a greater cost probably, say with a second flyover deck structure at a different site. You could end up with a set of interlaced flyovers nearly as complex as those west of Hayes and Harlington! I was trying to illustrate an outline concept; detailed configuration of a firmer proposal would need to be developed by engineers and operators.
