Trivia: cancelled post-privatisation routes

[A S Leib]

Which routes are there which were proposed for introduction since privatisation and either weren't implemented or lasted for a year or less? I'm not considering other changes, like proposals to split the Liverpool to Norwich route at Nottingham, and limiting open-access proposals to ones which came close to happening, like Grand Central's Blackpool route.

I can think of

• LNR Euston – New Street – Rugeley / Liverpool through services (~May 2019–March 2020?)
• Avanti services to Llandudno and Walsall (not implemented)
• Northern Connect routes from Liverpool, Manchester Airport and Nottingham to Leeds via Bradford (not implemented)
• Northern from Newcastle to Middlesbrough via Durham and Stillington rather than Durham
• Thameslink from Cambridge to Ashford International via Maidstone (not implemented)
• TransPennine Express Liverpool – Newcastle services running through to Edinburgh (December 2019–~March 2020)

 

[Djgr]

Which routes are there which were proposed for introduction since privatisation and either won't implemented or lasted for a year or less? I'm not considering other changes, like proposals to split the Liverpool to Norwich route at Nottingham, and limiting open-access proposals to ones which came close to happening, like Grand Central's Blackpool route.

I can think of

• LNR Euston – New Street – Rugeley / Liverpool through services (~May 2019–March 2020?)
• Avanti services to Llandudno and Walsall (not implemented)
• Northern Connect routes from Liverpool, Manchester Airport and Nottingham to Leeds via Bradford (not implemented)
• Northern from Newcastle to Middlesbrough via Durham and Stillington rather than Durham
• Thameslink from Cambridge to Ashford International via Maidstone (not implemented)
• TransPennine Express Liverpool – Newcastle services running through to Edinburgh (December 2019–~March 2020)

There were probably some new ones caught up in the Operation Princess fiasco.

 

[Nammer]

There was a proposed hourly Nottingham to Portsmouth route from XC, as part of Operation Princess. This was about 1999ish. I remember as i was spending a lot of time between Loughborough and Portsmouth at that time and thought it sounded useful.

 

[Djgr]

There was a proposed hourly Nottingham to Portsmouth route from XC, as part of Operation Princess. This was about 1999ish. I remember as i was spending a lot of time between Loughborough and Portsmouth at that time and thought it sounded useful.

Most of the new Operation Princess routes actually operated, at least notionally, until it all ended in tears.

 

[The exile]

Bristol -Paddington fasts via Parkway ran briefly then caught COVID.
How long did Anglia’s cross-London services last?

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Bristol -Paddington fasts via Parkway ran briefly then caught COVID.
How long did Anglia’s cross-London services last?

About 2 years I think if that. Wasn’t it planned to be more than just the one of them as well?

 

[norbitonflyer]

Does Edinburgh - Falkirk - Cumbernauld - Glasgow count? Now only runs between Falkirk and Glasgow

(There are, of course, four other services between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and two between between Edinburgh and Falkirk)

 

[MerlinRail 804]

Didn’t Chiltern want to reopen part of the Great Central up to an “M6/M1 parkway” near Rugby? Is it even still a proposal thesedays?

 

[The exile]

Just about post-privatisation and can’t remember how long either lasted.
Cardiff -Waterloo HST
Manchester - Waterloo via the Marches and Bristol
And, though I think it was mostly because of HEx work but marketed as offering Eurostar connections - Night Riviera to /from Waterloo (1996?)

 

[swt_passenger]

Didn’t Chiltern want to reopen part of the Great Central up to an “M6/M1 parkway” near Rugby? Is it even still a proposal thesedays?

That was one option on a list of a few Chiltern proposals to DfT around their 20 year franchise mid-point, and in the end they went with Oxford via Bicester, and I believe by default the other ‘possibles’ then automatically lapsed.

(If it was still on the cards I guess they’d have to deal with driving a route for it through the HS2 infrastructure depot, and the brand new EWR embankment.)

 

[aliceh]

When taking over the franchise, SWR proposed a Weymouth/Bournemouth-Southampton-Portsmouth route that never made it to the timetable, mainly thanks to local opposition

 

[Mcr Warrior]

When taking over the franchise, SWR proposed a Weymouth/Bournemouth-Southampton-Portsmouth route that never made it to the timetable, mainly thanks to local opposition

Really?! Why would local folk have opposed such a service?

 

[swt_passenger]

Really?! Why would local folk have opposed such a service?

Basically because it replaced one of the Weymouth to Waterloo services with an all stations stopper that didn’t go to London. So many passengers would have had to change for their most useful journey.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

(If it was still on the cards I guess they’d have to deal with driving a route for it through the HS2 infrastructure depot, and the brand new EWR embankment.)

I guess where there’s a will there’s a way sometimes.

But seemingly never on the the railway…

 

[A S Leib]

York to Scarborough via Malton is another proposed Northern service which hasn't yet been introduced (at least since it was last proposed; I think a predecessor might have went that direction as part of a longer route).

 

[Pyewipecarshed]

York to Scarborough via Malton is another proposed Northern service which hasn't yet been introduced (at least since it was last proposed; I think a predecessor might have went that direction as part of a longer route).

Northern trained some York-based drivers and guards on the route, but then COVID happened and it was shelved

 

[NSE]

Tattenham Corner being added to the Thameslink network. I want to say either Cambridge or Welwyn Garden City were the intended destinations?

 

[Pit_buzzer]

Northern, Sheffield to Gainsborough Central, I used it twice and then it disappeared. I think covid did for it

 

[A S Leib]

Northern, Sheffield to Gainsborough Central, I used it twice and then it disappeared. I think covid did for it

It's currently a once-per-weekday Sheffield to Cleethorpes and return service.