Where is the freight going to/from the new terminals? clearly its intermodal so to/from ports so its going to end up on the WCML heading south or E-W towards Southampton. I doubt a huge amount is going to go cross country to Felixstowe via E-W unless it is much quicker.
...and hasn’t it been discussed a few times before, most recently early this month?
Passenger service could be achieved much more affordably by reversing trains at Bletchley station, either at the new high or low-level platforms.
I think you're overplaying the extra time involved in a reversal, which might add only 3 or 4 minutes. A north curve, in addition to being very difficult to construct, would result in trains not being able to serve the existing station either, although an alternative far less convenient stop could be added at say Fenny Stratford or a new isolated platform on the new curve, although that would not provide the same convenient connections available to south and west at the main station, or could add significantly to journey time to achieve via MKC. MKC is an attractive place to serve by some means, not least for its longer distance connections to the Midlands and North West.
Why do you need three trains if a workable reverse move at Bletchley is possible? Freight is worth pennies unless it opens up more passenger paths by getting them out the way, a la Werrington.
For freight, it might be possible to create a new run-round/traction change yard facility alongside the Bletchley - Oxford line near Newton Longville. Looks like there's plenty of space but there'd no doubt be vociferous opposition from nearby housing.
Originally there was going to be a loop there, only Bletchley bound though with no crossovers. Got culled fairly early on.
Probably something that could be added fairly painlessly later if traffic demands, as long as some land is safeguarded. Conceptually a good idea for regulating any northbound intermodals from Soton about to join the busy WCML, if any were routed that way.
I'll point out that if required today, freight could be routed off the Marston Vale through Platform 5 and set back onto Bletchley Relief No.2, from where it can runround. It does involve the loco reversing on the Up Slow three times (once for the setback and twice for the runround), but given the likely demand for freight that's not going to cause any problems
. Running round involves a 2nd staff member, so building a loop on the far side of Bletchley will add a significant cost to operations for staff facilities/transfer. Bletchley already has the station, depot and yard for staff and facilities so it would be cheaper.Ipswich yard gets very busy with trains waiting for paths down the single line, or having to clear it before their path westbound is available. I also don't know if Ipswich Yard can take 775m trains - this would be another factor as the curve definitely can.
It won't be painless, by any stretch. The need to landscape, the impact on nearby housing's views over the countryside and the noise of Class 66s stood idling will cause significant headaches in the planning process. Especially as trains could hold on the connecting line between Denbigh Hall Jn and Bletchley High Level (although that probably can't take 775m length). A regulating point would be much easier to provide at Bicester, if required.
Felixstowe <> Daventry is a sizeable flow. It also could reduce pressure on Felixstowe <> Crewe/Trafford/Mossend through Leicester & Nuneaton, and open up a Daventry <> Doncaster/Teesport flow. However, the first on it's own wouldn't justify the costs of Cambridge-Ipswich let alone a whole new curve, and the other 2 are 'would be nice' territory rather than having any real operational or economic requirement. Felixstowe <> WCML already has via Stamford or London, and Daventry <> ECML can be done via London or the grand tour of suburban Birmingham to get to Burton avoiding New Street if anybody felt so inclined.
Agreed.
I was thinking via Cambridge tbh, but mainly using it as an example of how far outside the box you have to get to come up with ideas to make the chord useful...
the X5 has the advantage of calling at Bedford bus station, in the middle of town, and directly at MK Shopping district. Both Bedford and MK stations are somewhat removed from their respective town centres. (MKC is only really convenient for Network Rail and Santander offices, everything else is a stiff walk uphill). The train would have to be fast enough and cheap enough to compensate for the increased time to get to/from the stations and the inconvenience of walking or change onto bus at MK. There's also the missed revenue of providing another Bletchley-MKC service to consider.
