Create your fictional UK train service

[Bartsimho]

Can you imagine a Penzance to Wick service, on a pacer, calling at every single station along the way? I wonder how long that would take?

An infinite amount of time if it was being run by Northern

 

[Some guy]

Has to be a Glasgow central/Edinburgh service to Plymouth via the WCML would be fantastic and would at least be up to 1 and a half hour faster than going up the east coast

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Crewe to Preston via WCML operated by Northern calling at all stops. Northern class 331s for traction.
- Crewe
- Winsford
- Hartford
- Acton Bridge
- Warrington Bank Quay
- Wigan North Western
- Euxton Balshaw Lane
- Leyland
- Preston

Would perhaps create some decent links for people at the intermediate smaller stops. Such as how Winsford/Hartford/ACB and Euxton/Leyland don't currently have a service to Warrington/Wigan.

That’s a good service - brand it something like “Northern Regional” and run a Blackpool to Birmingham service as “Northern Intercity”

 

[RailWonderer]

I'm surprised at the preference for long stopping services, mine is towards long non-stop servies or obscure expresses.

Liverpool St - Norwich. Calling at Ipswich and Norwich only (formed of a single 755/3 in the late evening/early morning).

Kings Cross - Lincoln via Spalding, or Leicester via Stamford. Calling at Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford and Lincoln Ctrl. Formed of a single 3 car EMR 170, alternately calling at P'boro, Stamford, Oakham, Melton Mowbray and Leicester.

Bring back Basingstoke - Ipswich as a GA London Crosslink a few times per day with a double class 755 calling at Farnborough, Woking, West Byfleet, Weybridge, Virginia Water, Staines, Feltham, Old Oak Common, West Hampstead, Highbury and Islington, Stratford, Ingatestone, Chelmsford, Witham, Colchester and Ipswich.

Regionals:
Lincoln - Liverpool Lime St. Calling at Newark Castle, Nottingham, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Newton-Le Willows, Liverpool Lime St (class 170)

York - Whitby a few times per day. Calling at Northallerton, Yarm, Thornaby, Middlesborough, James Cook, Nunthorpe, Battersby, Sleights, Ruswarp and Whitby (class 185 obviously)

 

[ATrainSpotter]

A service that runs trains from Edinburgh, Glasgow, York, Manchester, Liverpool nonstop to Paris, Southern France via Camden Road, then the HS1 link at Kings Cross (but without going into St Pancras).

 

[150249]

I agree the pacers are not suited for long distance travel, but they are perfect for routes like:

Blackpool South to Preston
Bristol Temple Meads to Weston Super Mare
Bristol Temple Meads to Severn Beach
Exeter to Exmouth/Barnstaple/Paignton
Plymouth to Penzance
Cardiff Central to Barry Island
York to Scarborough
Portsmouth Harbour to London
Southampton to Bournemouth

I really like pacers on coastal routes, for some reason.

Would love to do something like Penzance to Paddington or Kings Cross to Edinburgh on a pacer.

Can you imagine a Penzance to Wick service, on a pacer, calling at every single station along the way? I wonder how long that would take?

You have an obsession.

I would put class 50s back on the Paddington to Penzance route because they are amazing of course and if you disagree you are 100% wrong.

 

[Bevan Price]

Would have to wait for some line reopening & new electrification, but:

1. London Euston - Trent Valley semi-fasts - Crewe extended to Hartford, Warrington Bank Quay - Earlestown, then, in alternate hours, St. Helens Junction, St. Helens Central (remove forest to reopen bay platform on south side of station), or Newton Le Willows, Golborne (reinstated), Wigan North Western, Coppull (reinstated), Euxton Balshaw Lane, Leyland, Preston, Kirkham, stations to Blackpool South (reverted to double track) and reinstated Blackpool Central. Worked by Class 350/2 (modified to 2+2 seating)

2. St. Helens Central - St. Helens Junction - Earlestown - stations to Huddersfield & Leeds . Hourly, replacing TP locals east of Manchester; operated by Class 350/2. (reseated)

3. Liverpool Lime St. - stations to Earlestown - (reopened) - Kenyon & Culcheth Parkway - Leigh - Tyldesley - (new connection part using old NCB alignment) - Walkden - stations to Manchester Victoria. Hourly.

 

[Some guy]

That’s a good service - brand it something like “Northern Regional” and run a Blackpool to Birmingham service as “Northern Intercity”

That would be an extremely popular service. Birmingham/West Midlands has a huge market to Blackpool especially during the summer months

 

[Sad Sprinter]

I might run TPEX down to Euston. You’d need to sort out Manchester Airport so it becomes a through station, but I think an extension through to Euston calling at Milton Keynes could provide some connectivity with Yorkshire and the Southern WCML, as well as provide links from Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Stalybridge to London. I’d use the 805s of course. The London to Manchester market really needs competition.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I might run TPEX down to Euston. You’d need to sort out Manchester Airport so it becomes a through station, but I think an extension through to Euston calling at Milton Keynes could provide some connectivity with Yorkshire and the Southern WCML, as well as provide links from Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Stalybridge to London. I’d use the 805s of course. The London to Manchester market really needs competition.

Why would you need to make it a through station? There's already a southern curve to the Airport spur.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Why would you need to make it a through station? There's already a southern curve to the Airport spur.

Just to stop it from reversing

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Just to stop it from reversing

Why is reversing a problem? It only takes a few minutes, and gives train drivers a bit of exercise...

Come to think of it all Euston to Manchester services should run via the Airport, as the reversal would mean first class is nearer the barriers at both ends!
(not a serious suggestion, not least because the platforms aren't long enough!).

 

[bussnapperwm]

I'd introduce a hourly LNWR Stourbridge to Euston service calling at all stations to New Street via Rolfe Street, then all stops to Euston... using 172s!

 

[gc4946]

I'm surprised at the preference for long stopping services, mine is towards long non-stop servies or obscure expresses.

Liverpool St - Norwich. Calling at Ipswich and Norwich only (formed of a single 755/3 in the late evening/early morning).

Bring back Basingstoke - Ipswich as a GA London Crosslink a few times per day with a double class 755 calling at Farnborough, Woking, West Byfleet, Weybridge, Virginia Water, Staines, Feltham, Old Oak Common, West Hampstead, Highbury and Islington, Stratford, Ingatestone, Chelmsford, Witham, Colchester and Ipswich.

I believe the Basingstoke-Ipswich cross-London service was popular during its brief period of operation (1999-2002), however I'd stop them only at Woking, Staines, Willesden Junction, Stratford, Chelmsford and Colchester en route.
If I had my way there should be an hourly Liverpool Street-Norwich train that only calls at Ipswich, plus another slower hourly service calling additionally at Stratford, Colchester and Diss. Maybe a non-stop peak service each way Liverpool Street to Norwich and v.v.

 

[PacerTrain142]

You have an obsession.

I would put class 50s back on the Paddington to Penzance route because they are amazing of course and if you disagree you are 100% wrong.

37 would be better. More noise and clag.

 

[BlueLeanie]

A weekly "outdoor pursuits" service from Kings Cross to Aviemore

Utilising MK4 stock, with 2 coaches converted to securely accommodate mountain bikes, skis and snowboards. All standard accommodation, with low density reclining seats.

Departing Friday afternoons at 14:30. Stop to pick-up only at Grantham, York & Newcastle.

Hauled by a Class 89 or 91 loco to Stirling. Departing Stirling at 20:00 hauled by a Class 68. Pick Up/Set Down at Perth. Set Down at Aviemore at 22:00.

Pre-booked at seat meals, powered by Do&Co, utilising airline style ovens.

Return leaving Aviemore on Sundays at 15:00, into London at 22:30.

 

[rf_ioliver]

Can you imagine a Penzance to Wick service, on a pacer, calling at every single station along the way? I wonder how long that would take?

Has such a route been talked about...I mean there have been longest possible journeys, but what would be the journey between any two stations on the railway network with the highest number of station calls (if you called at each station). Do you allow reversing? No doubling back etc.

Give it a few years and people will pay good money for the Penzance-Wick Pacer Rail Tour

 

[Trainguy34]

Give it a few years and people will pay good money for the Penzance-Wick Pacer Rail Tour

I would, and I can think of someone else who would (looks at @PacerTrain142)

 

[gc4946]

Weekday non-stop trains to/from London "County Flyers" serving rail-served county towns in England.
Also weekday non-stop to/from London "Capital Flyers" serving Cardiff and Edinburgh.
Opens up several possibilities:
London Paddington-Hereford via Newport avoiding curve
London St Pancras-Matlock
London Paddington-Truro non-stop then all stations to Penzance
London Euston-Shrewsbury bypassing Birmingham New Street and not stopping at Wolverhampton
First stop Morpeth from London Kings Cross, then Alnmouth, Berwick upon Tweed, Reston and Edinburgh Waverley

 

[FlyingPotato]

I'd do a service between London and Penzance via Swindon
Calls at Ealing Broadway, Reading, Swindon, Chippenham Trowbridge Frome, Taunton, Exeter, Teignmouth, Newton abbot, Plymouth, Saltash Liskeard Par st Austell Truro Redruth and Penzance
Stock iet or something else
4 times a day
Gives Trowbridge and Frome more services to London

 

[Bread & cheese]

As an alternative to long distance services of the InterCity type, which call at the biggest, busiest principal stations, introduce a network of long distance services which MISS OUT all the biggest, busiest principal stations.
It would be nice to brand the trains InterVillage... though in practice most stops would probably be in towns.
The idea would be to cater for people who want to make long distance journeys, but who strongly dislike having to navigate the biggest, busiest stations.
All the stations served would have at most two platforms, and have step-free access.
Because the passengers wouldn't be keen on changing trains, different routes would run on different days of the week, to maximise the number of available direct journeys.
In my area, Wokingham would be a suitable calling point, and a northbound train from there might go to Wellington (Shropshire) one day, and Harrogate the next, stopping at suitable stations on the way.
Each route would probably only have one train per day.

 

[LLivery]

Add a few Midland Regional Express routes

1tph - Nottingham - Reading via EWR (Beeston, EM Pkwy, Loughborough, Leicester, Market Harborough, Kettering, Wellingborough, Bedford Midland, Woburn S, Bletchley, Bicester V, Oxford Pkwy, Oxford) - 4 car bi-mode (EMU in a sane world)

1tph - Nottingham - Ipswich or Cambridge via Melton (EM Pkwy, Loughborough, Melton M, Oakham, Stamford, Peterborough, March, Ely, Cambridge N/Bury St E, Stowmarket) - 3 car bi-mode

1tph - Grimsby - Nottingham via Mansfield (Habrough, Barnetby, Brigg, Kirton Lindsey, Gainsborough Central, Retford, Worksop, Shirebrook, Mansfield Whouse, Mansfield, Sutton Pkwy, Hucknall, Bulwell) - 3 car bi-mode, replaces the old Robin Hood semi-fast

2tph - London St Pancras - Corby but (Melton 1tph) (LAP, Luton, Bedford M, Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, Oakham) - bimode or battery at least.

 

[A S Leib]

There's a few places where I'd run extra shuttles (one or two tph) if possible, e.g. Exeter Central - St. Davids, Worcester Shrub Hill to Foregate Street, Yeovil Pen Mill to Junction, Wrexham General to Chester, Perth to Dundee and Middlesbrough to Northallerton, although in Middlesbrough's case a York to Newcastle via Thirsk, Northallerton, Stockton, Hartlepool and Sunderland service in hours without a Grand Central train with connecting services from Stockton to Middlesbrough might be better.

 

[Bartsimho]

London St Pancras-Matlock

If you ran it on a weekend instead and went St Pancras, Leicester, Derby, Ambergate, Whatstandwell, Cromford, Matlock Bath, Matlock you would probably be able to make it decently loaded advertising Matlock Bath and Matlock as a Day trip

 

[Bevan Price]

A once-only, one way trip from somewhere like Worksop to Newport scrap yard. Worked by all but one of the last remaining Pacers. Step ladders to be available at destination, to enable desperadoes to alight from their last-ever Pacer run.
One example to be confined to the Museum of Engineering Practice as an example of "how not to design a train".

 

[Rhydgaled]

Class 175 - (longer 5 car version) reason I seem to remember very good legroom & working aircon, although it’s been a number of years since I’ve been on one.

Yes, the class 175s have great legroom. Many years ago they always seemed to be cold too (working air-con, great on a hot day but unpleasant on cold winter nights when the air-con seemed to be making it even colder on the train) but more-recently (still quite a number of years ago now, I can only remember catching one 175 since COVID and all I can remember about that journey was how horribly overcrowded it was and that we were late and missed the TPE service I had reserved seats on as a result) they seem to be hot inside.

Just to hear how long the automated announcements would be whilst still keeping it at least a tiny bit realistic, I'd go with a TFW service from Manchester Piccadilly to Aberystwyth, Pwllheli and Swansea via the Heart of Wales, calling at all stops between Crewe and Shrewsbury. Formed of two 158s coupled to a 153, with the 153 splitting off at Shrewsbury and the 158s then doing the regular Cambrian service. I reckon the train would already be at Wem by the time the announcement ends at Piccadilly lol.

In a similar not-completely-serious tone (in this case partly because of the partial symmetry in the announcements (first/last 7 stops at either end)) my suggestion for this topic (all calling points listed) is: Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth & Southsea, Fratton, Cosham, Fareham, Southampton Central, Romsey, Salisbury, Warminster, Westbury, Trowbridge, Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Filton Abbey Wood, Severn Tunnel Junction, Newport, Cardiff Central, Llanelli, Carmarthen, Whitland, Fishguard & Goodwick and Fishguard Harbour. Stock would be a five car train formed in one of the following ways:

• class 159/0 plus 400hp engined 2-car 158
• class 159/1, Northern 3-car 158 or GWR 158798 plus GWR 2-car 158 (ie. 350hp Cummins enigined units and proper centre cars not hybrid 3-car units)
• class 175/1 plus 175/0
• some kind of locomotive working push-pull with mark 3 DVT (preferably NOT a Chiltern genset-fitted one) and mark 3 coaches (all standard class) with Chiltern-style plug-doors but ideally not the other Chiltern mods (removed toilets and vestible enlargement)
• some kind of locomotive working push-pull with mark 4 DVT and standard class mark 4 coaches

This would be timed to connect with the ferries to/from Rosslare at Fishguard Harbour. If using 158s/159s, the 2-car unit could be detached at Carmarthen with the 3-car unit continuing to Fishguard. If using 175s or LHCS, all five coaches would run through to Fishguard.

In terms of more-serious suggestions, I have far too many to type them all out here but the above is actually based on what I would do with the Portsmouth-Cardiff and Fishguard boat train if I was being serious. The changes I would make if doing it for real would be:

• the rolling stock could be as-above or new multi-mode units taking the best features from the class 444, 442, 175, 159 and 158 designs
• the service could remain as two seperate services with a change of train required at Cardiff Central, in which case west of Cardiff a single 3-car unit might be an option
  • depending on the number of coaches provided, the following additional calls would be added as long as this would not result in anyone needing to stand:
    • Port Talbot Parkway
    • Morriston Tawe Valley Parkway (new station on the Swansea District Line near junction 45 of the M4 (for B4603 / A4067))
    • Bridgend
• the Portsmouth - Cardiff would remain an hourly service
• the Portsmouth - Cardiff would only call at Cosham when heading towards Cardiff, and would not call at Fareham in that direction
• the Portsmouth - Cardiff would only call at Fareham when heading towards Portsmouth, and would not call at Cosham in that direction
• Cardiff-Carmarthen would run hourly, with the ferry connections continuing to Fishguard Harbour as above and one train about every two hours would continue to Milford Haven (in the hours it doesn't already have a service to/from Swansea) calling only at Whitland and Haverfordwest (Johnston optional, but if given an hourly service it should cease to be a request stop and all trains should call)

Can you imagine a Penzance to Wick service, on a pacer, calling at every single station along the way? I wonder how long that would take?

D'you know what if MI5 used this as a torture method it would be the most successful in history

Perhaps MI5 should replace the seats first. Class 195s or 800s would be suitable donors - Ian Walmsley says that "new trains are furnished with seats recovered from former Stasi interrogation centres".

 

[JKF]

Bramley (W Yorks) to Bramley (Surrey) via Bromley-by-Bow and Bromley South.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Bramley (W Yorks) to Bramley (Surrey) via Bromley-by-Bow and Bromley South.

Surrey??? It's in Hants! And close to the Berks border if anything.

 

[Purple Train]

I'd introduce a hourly LNWR Stourbridge to Euston service calling at all stations to New Street via Rolfe Street, then all stops to Euston... using 172s!

Run it from Stourbridge Town and use a 139

(And yes, I do know they're banned from the rest of the network, before anyone points that out!)

I'd also alter the Glossop Line service so that alternate services run clockwise and anti-clockwise around the triangle.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Bramley (W Yorks) to Bramley (Surrey) via Bromley-by-Bow and Bromley South.

Appley Bridge to Appleby, via Appledore; Pye (pie) Corner; both Bramleys; and the Golden (delicious) Valley line. Cider on tap in the buffet car, haulage by early-build unmodified class 31s!