FANTASY: You’re in charge of the West Coast Partnership Franchise what would you do?

[Jorge Da Silva]

If you were given the next West Coast Partnership franchise (including HS2) what would you do? Particularly the timetable post HS2. Could you add LNW services to the franchise?

 

[4-SUB 4732]

Interesting.

Well, the first thing that is likely is that the Pendolino fleet will be ‘less worked’. I’d have to plump for an hourly 9 car to Liverpool from Euston calling at Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone (SDO), Tamworth, Lichfield, Rugeley, Stafford, Crewe, Hartford, Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway, Lime Street.

The ‘normal’ Liverpool to stop Milton Keynes, Crewe and Runcorn.

Four Manchester services (whilst only HS2 Phase One is open to Brum) with 2 via Crewe and 2 via Stoke.

One very fast Stoke (Euston, Stoke, Stockport, Piccadilly), a ‘normal’ Stoke, a ‘normal’ Crewe and a ‘slow’ Crewe - Euston, Watford, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport and Piccadilly.

Scrap off the Voyagers on Chester and Holyhead runs; use the extra paths for two Anglo-Scots. 1 Express Glasgow (Euston, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, Motherwell, Glasgow) and 1 Semi-Fast Edinburgh (Euston, Milton Keynes, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Waverley).

West Midlands franchisee to operate one Brum - Liverpool to Preston instead to allow connections from Brum to Scotland; stops to include Hartford, Warrington, Wigan, Leyland and Preston. Could be extended to Blackpool with the assistance of TransPennine / Northern.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Interesting.

Well, the first thing that is likely is that the Pendolino fleet will be ‘less worked’. I’d have to plump for an hourly 9 car to Liverpool from Euston calling at Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone (SDO), Tamworth, Lichfield, Rugeley, Stafford, Crewe, Hartford, Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway, Lime Street.

The ‘normal’ Liverpool to stop Milton Keynes, Crewe and Runcorn.

Four Manchester services (whilst only HS2 Phase One is open to Brum) with 2 via Crewe and 2 via Stoke.

One very fast Stoke (Euston, Stoke, Stockport, Piccadilly), a ‘normal’ Stoke, a ‘normal’ Crewe and a ‘slow’ Crewe - Euston, Watford, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport and Piccadilly.

Scrap off the Voyagers on Chester and Holyhead runs; use the extra paths for two Anglo-Scots. 1 Express Glasgow (Euston, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, Motherwell, Glasgow) and 1 Semi-Fast Edinburgh (Euston, Milton Keynes, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington, Wigan, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Waverley).

West Midlands franchisee to operate one Brum - Liverpool to Preston instead to allow connections from Brum to Scotland; stops to include Hartford, Warrington, Wigan, Leyland and Preston. Could be extended to Blackpool with the assistance of TransPennine / Northern.

I like the first suggestion and the WM Franchisee suggestion.

 

[swt_passenger]

If you were given the next West Coast Partnership franchise (including HS2) what would you do? Particularly the timetable post HS2. Could you add LNW services to the franchise?

Transferring LNW services to WC was mentioned in the last WM franchise ITT, it’s why the WM locals and WCML bits of LM had to be split into separate business units, so yes you can because DfT have already set it in motion.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Transferring LNW services to WC was mentioned in the last WM franchise ITT, it’s why the WM locals and WCML bits of LM had to be split into separate business units, so yes you can because DfT have already set it in motion.

Thanks for the clarification! Explains a lot.

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Assuming the LNW franchise is merged with the West Coast
I would do the following:

LNW services

Commuter Services

• 1tph Northampton-London Euston
  • Roade, Wolverton, Milton Keynes Central, Bletchley, Leighton Buzzard, Cheddington, Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Watford Junction, Harrow & Wealdstone, Willesden Junction and London Euston
• 1tph St Albans Abbey-London Euston
  • Park Street, How Wood, Bricket Wood, Garston, Watford North, Watford Junction, Bushey, Harrow & Wealdstone, Wembley Central, Willesden Junction, Queens Park & London Euston
• 1tph Bedford-London Euston
  • Bedford St Johns, Kempston Hardwick, Stewartby, Millbrook, Lidlington, Ridgmont, Apsley Guise, Woburn Sands, Bow Brickhill, Fenny Stratford, Bletchley, Leighton Buzzard, Cheddington, Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Apsley, Kings Langley, Watford Junction, Bushey, Harrow & Wealdstone, Wembley Central, Willesden Junction, Queens Park & London Euston
• 2tph Rugby-London Euston
  • Weedon, Blisworth, Roade, Wolverton, Milton Keynes Central, Bletchley, Leighton Buzzard, Cheddington, Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Watford Junction, Harrow & Wealdstone, Willesden Junction and London Euston

Suburban services:

• 1tph London Euston-Blackpool North (replacing existing London-Crewe service)
  • Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Polesworth, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quays, Euxton Balshaw Lane, Preston, Kirkham & Wesham, Poulton-le-Fylde and Blackpool North

• 1tph London Euston-Liverpool Lime Street via Birmingham NS and Stoke-on-Trent (all stations) north of Wolverhampton replacing one Birmingham-London and one Birmingham-Liverpool service)
  • Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Birmingham International, Marston Green, Lea Hall, Stechford, Birmingham New Street, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Stone, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, Kidsgrove, Alsager, Crewe, Winsford, Hartford, Acton Bridge, Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street
• 1tph London Euston-Walsall
  • Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Tile Hill, Hampton-in-Arden, Birmingham International, Marston Green, Birmingham New Street & Walsall
• 1tph London Euston-Liverpool Lime Street
  • Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Hampton in Arden, Birmingham International, Marston Green, Birmingham New Street, Coseley, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway & Liverpool Lime Street

What's Changed?

• Existing St Albans Abbey-Watford Junction is extended to London Euston via Bushey, Harrow & Wealdstone, Wembley Central, Willesden Junction, Queens Park & London Euston
• Existing Tring service is extended to Rugby
• Existing Milton Keynes Central service extended to Northampton
• Existing Bedford-Bletchley service to London Euston via all stations
• 1 train per hour of the Birmingham service is extended to Walsall
• 1 train per hour of Birmingham to Liverpool service is merged with 1 train per hour of the Birmingham-London Euston service (same with the other Liverpool-Birmingham service)
• One train per hour between Crewe-London is extended to Blackpool North via Preston

EDIT:

HS2

2tph London Euston-Liverpool Lime Street

• Old Oak Common, Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street

1tph London Euston-Macclesfield

• Old Oak Common, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield

3tph London Euston-Birmingham Curzon Street

• Old Oak Common, Birmingham Interchange (2tph) & Birmingham Curzon Street

2tph London Euston-Sheffield/Leeds

• Old Oak Common, Birmingham Interchange (1tph), East Midlands Hub, Chesterfield (1tph) , Sheffield & Leeds (1tph)

1tph London Euston-Newcastle

• Old Oak Common, East Midlands Hub, York, Darlington and Newcastle

2tph London Euston-Leeds (fast)

• Old Oak Common, East Midlands Hub (2tph) & Leeds

3tph London Euston-Glasgow Central/Edinburgh Waverley

• Old Oak Common, Crewe (2tph), Warrington Bank Quay (1tph), Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, Motherwell/Haymarket and Glasgow Central (1.5tph)/Edinburgh (1.5tph)

1tph London Euston-Birmingham Curzon Street (peak only)

• Old Oak Common & Birmingham Curzon Street

3tph London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly

• Old Oak Common, Crewe (2tph), Manchester Interchange and Manchester Piccadilly

2tph Birmingham Curzon Street-Manchester Piccadilly

• Crewe (1tph), Manchester Interchange & Manchester Piccadilly

3tph Birmingham Curzon Street-Glasgow Central/Edinburgh Waverley

• Crewe (1tph), Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle & Glasgow Central (1.5tph)/Edinburgh Waverley (1.5tph)

1tph Birmingham Curzon Street-Liverpool Lime Street

• Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn & Liverpool Lime Street

1tph Birmingham Curzon Street-Leeds (fast)

• East Midlands Hub and Leeds

2pth: Birmingham Curzon Street-Sheffield

• East Midlands Hub, Chesterfield (1tph) and Sheffield

1tph: Birmingham Curzon Street-Newcastle

• East Midlands Hub, York, Darlington and Newcastle

InterCity West Coast

1tph: London Euston-Shrewsbury

• Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell and Dudley, Wolverhampton, Telford Central, Wellington and Shrewsbury

1tp2h: London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly (via Stoke on Trent)

• Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly

1tp2h: London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly (via Wilmslow)

• Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly

1tph: London Euston-Blackpool North

• Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quays, Wigan North Western, Preston, Kirkham & Wesham, Poulton-le-Fylde & Blackpool North

1tph: London Euston-Holyhead

• Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Rugby, Lichfield Trent Valley, Stafford, Crewe, Chester, Flint, Prestatyn, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead

1tp2h: London Euston-Wrexham General

• Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Rugby, Lichfield Trent Valley, Stafford, Crewe, Chester and Wrexham General

1tph: London Euston-Windermere/Barrow-in-Furness

• Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quays, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carnforth & Barrow-in-Furness
  
• OR (from Lancaster), Oxenholme Lake District & Windermere

1tph: London Euston-Glasgow Central/Edinburgh (via Birmingham)

• Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quays, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Penrith North Lakes, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell/Haymarket and Glasgow Central/Edinburgh Waverley

 

[The Planner]

Four Manchester services (whilst only HS2 Phase One is open to Brum) with 2 via Crewe and 2 via Stoke.

One very fast Stoke (Euston, Stoke, Stockport, Piccadilly), a ‘normal’ Stoke, a ‘normal’ Crewe and a ‘slow’ Crewe - Euston, Watford, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport and Piccadilly.

It doesn't open to Birmingham only, Brum is on a spur, it opens to there and on to the WCML at Handsacre.

 

[4-SUB 4732]

Assuming the LNW franchise is merged with the West Coast
I would do the following:

LNW services

Commuter Services

• 1tph Northampton-London Euston
  • Roade, Wolverton, Milton Keynes Central, Bletchley, Leighton Buzzard, Cheddington, Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Watford Junction, Harrow & Wealdstone, Willesden Junction and London Euston
• 1tph St Albans Abbey-London Euston
  • Park Street, How Wood, Bricket Wood, Garston, Watford North, Watford Junction, Bushey, Harrow & Wealdstone, Wembley Central, Willesden Junction, Queens Park & London Euston
• 1tph Bedford-London Euston
  • Bedford St Johns, Kempston Hardwick, Stewartby, Millbrook, Lidlington, Ridgmont, Apsley Guise, Woburn Sands, Bow Brickhill, Fenny Stratford, Bletchley, Leighton Buzzard, Cheddington, Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Apsley, Kings Langley, Watford Junction, Bushey, Harrow & Wealdstone, Wembley Central, Willesden Junction, Queens Park & London Euston
• 2tph Rugby-London Euston
  • Weedon, Blisworth, Roade, Wolverton, Milton Keynes Central, Bletchley, Leighton Buzzard, Cheddington, Tring, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead, Watford Junction, Harrow & Wealdstone, Willesden Junction and London Euston

Suburban services:

• 1tph London Euston-Blackpool North (replacing existing London-Crewe service)
  • Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Atherstone, Polesworth, Tamworth, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quays, Euxton Balshaw Lane, Preston, Kirkham & Wesham, Poulton-le-Fylde and Blackpool North

• 1tph London Euston-Liverpool Lime Street via Birmingham NS and Stoke-on-Trent (all stations) north of Wolverhampton replacing one Birmingham-London and one Birmingham-Liverpool service)
  • Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Birmingham International, Marston Green, Lea Hall, Stechford, Birmingham New Street, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Stone, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent, Kidsgrove, Alsager, Crewe, Winsford, Hartford, Acton Bridge, Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway and Liverpool Lime Street
• 1tph London Euston-Walsall
  • Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Tile Hill, Hampton-in-Arden, Birmingham International, Marston Green, Birmingham New Street & Walsall
• 1tph London Euston-Liverpool Lime Street
  • Watford Junction, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Leighton Buzzard, Bletchley, Milton Keynes Central, Wolverton, Northampton, Long Buckby, Rugby, Coventry, Canley, Tile Hill, Berkswell, Hampton in Arden, Birmingham International, Marston Green, Birmingham New Street, Coseley, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn, Liverpool South Parkway & Liverpool Lime Street

What's Changed?

• Existing St Albans Abbey-Watford Junction is extended to London Euston via Bushey, Harrow & Wealdstone, Wembley Central, Willesden Junction, Queens Park & London Euston
• Existing Tring service is extended to Rugby
• Existing Milton Keynes Central service extended to Northampton
• Existing Bedford-Bletchley service to London Euston via all stations
• 1 train per hour of the Birmingham service is extended to Walsall
• 1 train per hour of Birmingham to Liverpool service is merged with 1 train per hour of the Birmingham-London Euston service (same with the other Liverpool-Birmingham service)
• One train per hour between Crewe-London is extended to Blackpool North via Preston

EDIT:

HS2

2tph London Euston-Liverpool Lime Street

• Old Oak Common, Crewe, Runcorn and Liverpool Lime Street

1tph London Euston-Macclesfield

• Old Oak Common, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield

3tph London Euston-Birmingham Curzon Street

• Old Oak Common, Birmingham Interchange (2tph) & Birmingham Curzon Street

2tph London Euston-Sheffield/Leeds

• Old Oak Common, Birmingham Interchange (1tph), East Midlands Hub, Chesterfield (1tph) , Sheffield & Leeds (1tph)

1tph London Euston-Newcastle

• Old Oak Common, East Midlands Hub, York, Darlington and Newcastle

2tph London Euston-Leeds (fast)

• Old Oak Common, East Midlands Hub (2tph) & Leeds

3tph London Euston-Glasgow Central/Edinburgh Waverley

• Old Oak Common, Crewe (2tph), Warrington Bank Quay (1tph), Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, Motherwell/Haymarket and Glasgow Central (1.5tph)/Edinburgh (1.5tph)

1tph London Euston-Birmingham Curzon Street (peak only)

• Old Oak Common & Birmingham Curzon Street

3tph London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly

• Old Oak Common, Crewe (2tph), Manchester Interchange and Manchester Piccadilly

2tph Birmingham Curzon Street-Manchester Piccadilly

• Crewe (1tph), Manchester Interchange & Manchester Piccadilly

3tph Birmingham Curzon Street-Glasgow Central/Edinburgh Waverley

• Crewe (1tph), Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle & Glasgow Central (1.5tph)/Edinburgh Waverley (1.5tph)

1tph Birmingham Curzon Street-Liverpool Lime Street

• Stafford, Crewe, Runcorn & Liverpool Lime Street

1tph Birmingham Curzon Street-Leeds (fast)

• East Midlands Hub and Leeds

2pth: Birmingham Curzon Street-Sheffield

• East Midlands Hub, Chesterfield (1tph) and Sheffield

1tph: Birmingham Curzon Street-Newcastle

• East Midlands Hub, York, Darlington and Newcastle

InterCity West Coast

1tph: London Euston-Shrewsbury

• Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Rugby, Coventry, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Sandwell and Dudley, Wolverhampton, Telford Central, Wellington and Shrewsbury

1tp2h: London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly (via Stoke on Trent)

• Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford, Stoke-on-Trent, Macclesfield, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly

1tp2h: London Euston-Manchester Piccadilly (via Wilmslow)

• Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Lichfield Trent Valley, Rugeley Trent Valley, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport and Manchester Piccadilly

1tph: London Euston-Blackpool North

• Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quays, Wigan North Western, Preston, Kirkham & Wesham, Poulton-le-Fylde & Blackpool North

1tph: London Euston-Holyhead

• Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Rugby, Lichfield Trent Valley, Stafford, Crewe, Chester, Flint, Prestatyn, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno Junction, Bangor and Holyhead

1tp2h: London Euston-Wrexham General

• Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Rugby, Lichfield Trent Valley, Stafford, Crewe, Chester and Wrexham General

1tph: London Euston-Windermere/Barrow-in-Furness

• Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quays, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carnforth & Barrow-in-Furness
  
• OR (from Lancaster), Oxenholme Lake District & Windermere

1tph: London Euston-Glasgow Central/Edinburgh (via Birmingham)

• Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quays, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Penrith North Lakes, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Motherwell/Haymarket and Glasgow Central/Edinburgh Waverley

I’m not sure I can begin to unravel this...

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

I’m not sure I can begin to unravel this...

I basically revamped the entire ‘West Coast Franchise’ Timetable.

 

[4-SUB 4732]

And it wasn’t great

 

[Esker-pades]

I’m not sure I can begin to unravel this...

I basically revamped the entire ‘West Coast Franchise’ Timetable.

I'll have a go:

Commuter Services

• There has to be an even number of trains per hour
• What stock would you use for the Bedford to Euston service? What would draw people to that service rather than use Thameslink/East Midlands Trains? It is really, really slow.
• Rugby to Euston avoiding Northampton? Where will you find the paths to stop at Weedon etc.?
• Opening platforms on the WCML at Willesden Junction is not really a thing

Suburban Services

• Running non-stop through Wigan North Western is mad
• Stopping at Euxton Bulshaw Lane is mad
• Running a very slow service from London to Blackpool is mad
• Making the current Birmingham to Liverpool services slower is a bad idea. Whilst Stoke to Liverpool is a nice idea, it would have to be an additional service
• I'm still not convinced that tying London to Birmingham and Birmingham to Liverpool services is a good idea.
  
• A service to Walsall is a good idea

HS2

• I'm not going to try

InterCity West Coast

• There is a reason why ICWC services don't run via Northampton. It is really, really slow.
• Assuming that the two Manchester services run in the same hourly path, changing the stopping pattern would be bad for the timetable
• London to Blackpool via Birmingham? That's slowed everything down. If you want a Blackpool to Birmingham service, than that would be a good LNWR service.
• Good luck putting a Voyager on the Windermere branch. And good luck not reducing the overall service on that branch line. And not stopping at Kendal misses out patronage.
• The Wrexham General service should run with the Holyhead service as far as Chester. Or run each service every hour to Chester, then alternate Wrexham and Holyhead.
• Make services that don't have a direct HS2 service faster

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

I'll have a go:

Commuter Services

• There has to be an even number of trains per hour
• What stock would you use for the Bedford to Euston service? What would draw people to that service rather than use Thameslink/East Midlands Trains? It is really, really slow.
• Rugby to Euston avoiding Northampton? Where will you find the paths to stop at Weedon etc.?
• Opening platforms on the WCML at Willesden Junction is not really a thing

Suburban Services

• Running non-stop through Wigan North Western is mad
• Stopping at Euxton Bulshaw Lane is mad
• Running a very slow service from London to Blackpool is mad
• Making the current Birmingham to Liverpool services slower is a bad idea. Whilst Stoke to Liverpool is a nice idea, it would have to be an additional service
• I'm still not convinced that tying London to Birmingham and Birmingham to Liverpool services is a good idea.
  
• A service to Walsall is a good idea

HS2

• I'm not going to try

InterCity West Coast

• There is a reason why ICWC services don't run via Northampton. It is really, really slow.
• Assuming that the two Manchester services run in the same hourly path, changing the stopping pattern would be bad for the timetable
• London to Blackpool via Birmingham? That's slowed everything down. If you want a Blackpool to Birmingham service, than that would be a good LNWR service.
• Good luck putting a Voyager on the Windermere branch. And good luck not reducing the overall service on that branch line. And not stopping at Kendal misses out patronage.
• The Wrexham General service should run with the Holyhead service as far as Chester. Or run each service every hour to Chester, then alternate Wrexham and Holyhead.
• Make services that don't have a direct HS2 service faster

Thanks for the summary.

 

[Along the bay]

Interesting idea all I can realistically suggest is to extend the Chester terminators to Bangor with the same number of services to holyhead as at present.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It makes no sense to run fast to Barrow - missing out Grange and Ulverston would be missing out on most traffic, certainly a lot more than Carnforth. Similarly not calling at Kendal on the Lakes Line would be nuts.

 

[The Planner]

And it wasn’t great

Ive seen worse to be fair.

I agree with the Bangor idea too. Platforms on the slows at Willesden Jn isn't stupid either, it still keeps getting raised occasionally. Weedon, Blisworth and Roade will never see stations. Nothing wrong with a direct Windermere say at weekends, Voyagers I suspect will be binned for bi-modes anyway. Id extend the Shrewsbury to Wrexham and run the original proposal to Bangor as previously suggested. Id also expect Northampton to get back on the map too.

 

[krus_aragon]

Interesting.

...

Scrap off the Voyagers on Chester and Holyhead runs; use the extra paths for two Anglo-Scots.

Interesting.

Is it your intention to withdraw all direct services to Chester and North Wales? Given that the planned service pattern for the new W&B franchise keeps Chester-Crewe as a shuttle service, you'd likely be putting every station west of Chester two changes away from London for most of the day. Probably not a popular move...

 

[krus_aragon]

,Voyagers I suspect will be binned for bi-modes anyway. Id extend the Shrewsbury to Wrexham and run the original proposal to Bangor as previously suggested.

I believe Wrexham-Chester-Euston direct is quicker than Wrexham-Shrewsbury-Euston direct, but the current approach of coupling Holyhead and Wrexham services at Chester only works because of the short length of the Voyagers. If replacement bi-modes were significantly longer then you'd either have to alternate destinations west of Chester or send your Wrexham service along a different path.

Once W&B's new stock arrives, the Chester-Shrewsbury route is going to get a lot busier, particularly over the Chester-Wrexham single track, so serving Wrexham via Shrewsbury will make more operational sense. I think that a more frequent direct service along a slightly slower route will sell it for most passengers*; those that don't can still take one of the 2tph to Chester and change there. Plus there's the fact that Platform 3 is ideal for terminating Intercity services from the south, as shown by WSMR.

*I think is the same case to make for passengers along the North Wales Coast after HS2: assuming there'll be no classic-compatible bimodes the best we're likely to see are bi-modes along the WCML, probably with added stops. If so, I reckon giving a regular service throughout the day will sweeten the deal enough to satisfy most of the public.

 

[bussnapperwm]

I'd transfer the "Birmingham to London 350 services" taken over from LNW, and extend them as follows

• 1 per hour Rugley TV to London all stations (except Perry Barr, Witton, Aston) to Birmingham, Marston Green, International, all but Canley to Coventry then Coventry, Rugby, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Watford Junction and Euston.
• 1 per hour Bromsgrove, all stations to Birmingham, all stations to Coventry, Rugby, Long Buckby, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Watford Junction and Euston.
• 1 per hour Crewe all stations to Birmingham via SOT and Wolverhampton, then semi fast to Euston as per the xx33 ex New Street.

All three of these would replace an equivalent WMR journey.

 

[Agent_Squash]

Assuming the LNW franchise is merged with the West Coast
1tph: London Euston-Windermere/Barrow-in-Furness

• Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Birmingham International, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quays, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carnforth & Barrow-in-Furness
  
• OR (from Lancaster), Oxenholme Lake District & Windermere

Do you just put random stations together in a hope it will fit? Carnforth has a population of 5000, and is the closest station to Lancaster already - why does it deserve a stop over towns quadruple its size like Ulverston?