Recent content by TheGrew

I wouldn't have thought rock would be a particular issue. Later this year I will be traveling through the Furka Base Tunnel which was built to bypass a treacherous mountain route that had to be closed for part of the year because of inclement weather (which is now a heritage line in summer!). If...

In a similar vein to Gareth Dennis' excellent video on the Morpeth curve I have been thinking about places where either a much quicker alignment or capacity could be created by taking out pinch points. I'm not thinking of something as 'grand' as HS2 acting as a bypass for the southern WCML but...

Looking at the Traksy layout in that area I think the problem would have been finding somewhere to turn it after Longport. It would go nearly as far as Alsanger to find somewhere to turn it and honestly as far as Crewe to have it parked up for a return working.

Yeah, I have been on the Blackpool services a few times between Euston and Warrington and the loadings have been good (all via Trent Valley). Generally, I think that most people on the Glasgow services out of Euston are aiming for stations up to Preston, and therefore the Blackpools act as...

I plan on traveling this route in July and was curious about this. From Google Satellite and Street view, it looks like the entire former route has been converted into a cycle path. https://maps.app.goo.gl/6bg7TKGmU2GsKVmL7

I can't comment on the bus but the metro can be tapped on and off with a Credit Card. I did it recently when doing Hook-van-Holland-Rotterdam Central->Utrecht Central last year.

You are correct, my mistake.

The Dutch are very much considering upgrading their system to 3kv DC as per France and Belgium. Dutch trains are reasonable accelerators but have quite low top speeds compared to similar units in other countries. This isn't so much of an issue where distances are comparatively short though.

Yeah I remember them doing the upgrade to the SWML when the Desiros were new. I think part of the quoted reason was increased power draw due to AC though traction would have certainly contributed.

Could they be potential export targets to somewhere with less mainline electrification?

TBH the place where I think replacing 3rd rail with OHEL makes the most sense on the UK network is what the Electric Spine proposed, Basingstoke - Southampton as combined with other elements a great deal more freight could be electrically hauled. If I were going to go about replacing 3rd rail...

I only bother claiming for the longer, more expensive journeys which for me is typically WBQ to EUS and Avanti's system is pretty straightforward. Unfortunately sometimes a delay will mean I miss my connection to NLW but I am rarely on a through ticket in order to travel on advances (especially...

Those are speculative though I think most of this thread probably exists in that space. I think Leigh's busway should be converted to Metrolink as I anticipate it would stimulate demand along that corridor, it just becomes a question of how you route it inside the M60. Metrolink has...

Two routes come to mind for me (warning crayonista incoming!) Replace the guided busway to Leigh broadly following the existing route but then: Running it right up to Monton Along Monton Road Eccles Old Road Salford Shopping Centre using Fitzwarren Street and Churchhill Way Rejoining the A6...

Indeed, though this would need to be a new train as I suspect halving the power output and tractive effort of the overall TGV Duplex consist would probably make it not very high speed :) Double deck AGVs with distributed traction have been mooted though (and indeed in testing a TGV Duplex was...