Certainly not for the first (WCML) phase of the franchise. Denyboy was asking after post-HS2 services on the WCML. I'm pretty sure that Chester and North Wales are still in the "don't know yet" box after HS2 opens. But as Bletchleyite says, there's not much point in debating that stuff now, as the recent announcements only relate to the pre-HS2 phase.
It also says "as well as an exciting new on-board food offer". I don't think that could describe your interpretation. The proof will be in the pudding of course.
It's a good idea. The reservation I have is with the Wrexham(/Gobowen) services: as these are continuing, the EMU destination would miss out at peak times unless they're served with a separate, peak-time path.
ECML:- Lincoln, Hull, Harrogate, Skipton, Bradford, Huddersfield, Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Aberdeen, Glasgow Central, Inverness - total 11.
No capacity around Wolverhampton at present. Post-HS2 may be different.
That's a big IF, a southern approach to Heathrow has been talked about for years, I doubt it will happen. What would be just as good is if there would be a link between Clapham junction and OOC, I know the Overground is planned for this but the Overground is slow and will get overcrowded anyway. I would love a southern approach to Heathrow as it would be convenient for us on the SWML, but I doubt it will happen as A) there are lots of roads to cross north of Feltham, and a tunnel would be quite expensive, and B) because there will be people protesting because they're conservative.
Why wouldn't they simply fly to Heathrow and get a connecting flight, seems a bit much getting a train 400 miles to an Airport.
That's true, will Crossrail be overground at OOC? If so then that would be quicker to central London then continuing to Euston.
Don't think there was any plan in the prospectus for alternative operator other than the main West Coast Partnership Franchise. And I think Wolverhampton was in the ITT for the West Midlands Franchise and so it was known ahead that that would transfer away from (VT) in 2018. No such thing with Stafford, and the franchise map shown with the DFT announcement shows improvements for Stafford such as refurbished waiting rooms. I'd say from that you can be fairly confident Stafford will stay in the West Coast Partnership.
I'm living east of Anglesey these days, so I can take advantage of the Llandudno-Manchester Airport trains which run for most of the day. (They're available from Bangor with one change, but that connection bumps the time up to three hours, so is a bit slower than the two-change option.) On the up side, in a few years' time (2022), the Manchester Airport services will operate to Bangor instead for you.
Why not link it to a Euston to Birmingham service therefore a direct service is retained albeit slower and it would provide links to Coventry from destinations beyond Birmingham and also provides a much faster link to Birmingham international than the present TFW rail service
Of course it will. It runs on the existing GW reliefs from the western portal at Royal Oak, and will use the four relief side platforms in the surface part of OOC station.