FANTASY: You are in charge of the timetable

[318266]

What would you do with it.

I would have added Glasgow - Ayr via Kilmarnock trains every hour calling at Dunlop, Stewarton, Kilmaurs, Kilmarnock, Barrasie, Troon, Prestwick International Airport, Prestwick Town, Newton-on-Ayr, and Ayr.

 

[HumberSprinter]

I would add an extra train or carriage to Lincoln from Grimsby in the evenings as they are overcrowded. In fact get rid of Newark Northgate EMT trains and have all through to Nottingham instead.

 

[InterCity:125]

More trains past avonmouth to Severn beach.

 

[ooo]

I would change timetables so routes have consistent stopping patterns with services at regular intervals

 

[Dr Hoo]

Deleted

 

[318266]

Extension of the xx13 trains off Glasgow

 

[DanTrain]

• Stop all South TPE at Dore & Totley and Chinley, whilst removing these calls from the peak time EMTs that make them.
• Remove Widnes and Alfreton calls from Liverpool - Norwich
• Add a Bedford call to the Sheffield EMT slows to enable northwards connectivity from TL
• Add a Welwyn GC call to one LNER service an hour (slow Leeds?) to enable connectivity for the south ECML
• Remove some LNER and XC stops from Darlington (much quicker to run by on the fasts, and Darlington seems over-served to me)
• Create an XC-Express service from Edinburgh to Plymouth, calling at Newcastle, York, Doncaster, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham NS, Bristol TM, Taunton, Exeter SD and Plymouth.

Obviously if I actually controlled the timetables, we’d see a catastrophe the likes of which even GTR/Northern customers have never seen before!!

 

[LOL The Irony]

Transfer Manchester Airport - Scotland to the WCP.

 

[gimmea50anyday]

Introduce an hourly NCL-EDB stopper calling at Cramlington, Morpeth, chathill, alnmouth, Berwick, Dunbar and musselburgh and stop all XC, LNER and TPEs at Berwick

Introduce sensible terminal turnround times appropriate to the stock and the route.

 

[Agent_Squash]

After getting the Northern Hub infrastructure upgrades finally completed, I'd sort out the Castlefield corridor. Freight would be rerouted via alternative routes, and new rolling stock would be purchased so that all stock operating the route has performance equivalent to the 185 or better.

15tph during the peaks, 12tph off-peak. 3tph all day for Styal line stations.

 

[DaiGog]

Four-track the core of the North TPE route as much as possible, and run four expresses per hour Leeds-Manchester (obviously with extensions at either or both ends), an hourly semi-fast doing York - Church Fenton - Garforth - Leeds - Morley - Dewsbury - Mirfield - Huddersfield - Marsden - Stalybridge - Guide Bridge - Piccadilly, plus hourly Man Vic - Huddersfield and Huddersfield - Leeds stopping services.

Retain the hourly Leeds - Calder Valley service but call at Cottingley, Batley and Dewsbury.

Reinstate the Wakefield Westgate service from Huddersfield, as the current timetable where it terminates it at Kirkgate severs the connection for London services. You could even extend it to Todmorden to give that area a direct service to Huddersfield and Wakefield.

 

[nw1]

OK, if this is complete fantasy, unhindered by practicalities of differing TOCs (I'm assuming one company runs all passenger services), and we're allowed to do small bits of infill electrification and introduce passenger service on freight-only lines - but we're not allowed to construct brand new lines or double/quadruple lines, then...

Electrify Eastleigh-Romsey and split the London-Eastleigh-Portsmouth at Eastleigh. 4 to 8 coaches to Portsmouth, 4 or 5 to Chandlers Ford and Romsey. Controversially, this would mean Chandlers Ford now gets a London service rather than a Southampton service, but as there's a bus every 15 minutes which is fairly fast, is this such a bad thing? Not sure.

Introduce an even 30 min S-bahn style even interval service from Eastleigh through to Totton. One of the two trains an hour would be the former Chandlers Ford service, starting at Eastleigh and diverted to a reopened Fawley branch (remember this is fantasy - but also there is apparently a housing development on the old power station site planned, so why not) and calling all stations. The other would be the existing London-Poole stopper. Adjust times so the fast Weymouths overtake at Eastleigh, so that long waits at Southampton Central are avoided.

To maintain two trains an hour SOU to Romsey and to cover Mottisfont/Dunbridge and Dean, introduce a Southampton to Swindon (via Melksham) hourly stopper, as per the TransWilts plan.

While we're on Swindon, and related to the other thread, introduce a Swindon-Birmingham New Street service via Worcester, combined with the Paddington Cheltenham to produce a 30-min service on that line.

Re-open selected smaller stops on the GWR main line (those close to substantial settlements e.g. Corsham, Wantage Parkway etc) and serve them with a re-introduced Bristol to Oxford.

Introduce the SOU-Portsmouth semi-fast planned by SWR. Time things at St Denys to give a reasonably even interval service (no more than 20 minute gaps) between the four services from there to Central.

Rework Reading-Birmingham to deal with overcrowding and speed up long distance journeys without excessively jamming the line. All XC-network services to be 8 to 12 coaches. One train an hour to call Reading-Oxford-New Street only. Another to call at major stops via Coventry, as now. A third, running immediately behind the 'express' and thus timed at the opposite side of the hour to the Coventry, would be the Paddington-Oxford fast, extended to Banbury where it connects to a Chiltern Line train. That Chiltern Line service to be diverted to New Street for better onward connections.

For pure railway enthusiast indulgence, bring back Portsmouth and Liverpool to the XC network
Have one proper IC-grade fast an hour Liverpool to Birmingham (i.e. South Parkway, Runcorn, Crewe, Stafford and Wolverhampton only).

Anyway, that's quite enough fantasy for now...

 

[Esker-pades]

I have created an entire set of timetables (Mon-Sat) for every railway line in the UK. Yes, it did take me 3 years. Yes, I am constantly changing it. The biggest differences with the current timetables are:

Thameslink:
Cambridge-Tunbridge Wells (2tph, slow then semi-fast)
Tunbridge Wells-Bedford (2tph, semi fast)
Bedford-Horsham (2tph, semi-fast)
Horsham-Cambridge (2tph, semi-fast then slow)
Peterborough-Hastings via Gatwick Airport (2tph)
Brighton-Kings Lynn (2tph, express)
Caterham-Stevenage (2tph, stopping)

SouthEastern:
Charing Cross to Rainham: Waterloo East, London Bridge, New Eltham, Sidcup, Dartford, Greenhithe, Gravesend then all stations
6tph Fast Charing Cross to Kent (2tph Hastings, 2tph Canterbury West, 2tph Dover with various extensions onwards to Ramsgate)
7tph HighSpeed (2tph Faversham & Margate, 2tph Canterbury West & Margate, 2tph Dover & Ramsgate, 1tph Maidstone)
Charing Cross to Maidstone: Waterloo East, London Bridge, Grove Park, Swanley, Maidstone East

Northern:
Manchester to Lincoln: Stockport, Hazel Grove, Chinley, Dore & Totley, Sheffield, Worksop, Retford, Gainsborough Lea Road, Lincoln
Manchester to Blackpool: Heald Green, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Salford Crescent, Bolton, Preston, Poulton-le-Fylde, Blackpool North
Manchester to Wigan: Salford Central, Salford Crescent, Hindley, Wigan North Western
Leeds to Carlisle runs hourly, alternating between all stations via the Settle-Carlisle line and calling only at Settle and Appleby
Manchester to Millom (semi-fast)
Re-introcude the fast Liverpool to Manchester Airport service (Newton-le-Willows, Oxford Road, Piccadilly and East Didsbury/Heald Green only)

Arriva Trains Wales:
Llandudno to Liverpool (via the Halton Curve)
Swansea to Manchester is much faster

Chiltern:
London to Birmingham Express (90 minutes): Bicester North, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Birmingham Moor Street

ScotRail:
Aberdeen express from Edinburgh, calling only at Haymarket and Dundee.
2tph Edinburgh to Perth (Haymarket, Stirling, Dunblane, Gleneagles (1tph), Perth). This would extend up the Highland MainLine every 2 hours.
1tph Inverness to Dingwall extending to Tain, Kyle of Lochalsh or Wick (each route every 3 hours)

CrossCountry:
Newcastle to Plymouth (1tph), with extensions either end every 2 hours to either Aberdeen or Penzance:
Stonehaven, Montrose, Arbroath, Dundee, Leuchars, Kirkcaldy, Inverkeithing, Haymarket, Edinburgh Waverley, (Berwick-upon-Tweed,) Newcastle Central, Durham, York, Leeds, Sheffield, Derby, Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Par, St Austell, Truro, Redruth, Cambourne, St Erth, Penzance
Manchester or Leicester to Bath Spa or Plymouth/Paington (the way the paths have worked out, they can't work Manchester-Plymouth/Paignton or Leicester to Bath Spa, so there has to be some asymmetry)
Nottingham to Glasgow Central (via Leeds, Newcastle and Edinburgh)

Virgin Trains:
Glasgow Express (calling only at Preston and Carlisle)

TransPennine Express:
Nottingham to Liverpool: Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Hazel Grove, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Warrington Central, Liverpool South Parkway, Liverpool Lime Street.
Manchester to Edinburgh: Huddersfield, Leeds, York, Darlington, Durham, Newcastle Central, any 3 of Morpeth, Alnmouth, Berwick and Dunbar, Edinburgh Waverley.
Liverpool to Edinburgh: Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Haymarket, Edinburgh Waverley.
Manchester to Glasgow: Pretty much as is, but with an additional stop at Carstairs

Greater Anglia:
2tph Norwich to Great Yarmouth (1 all stations, 1 non-stop)
2tph Norwich to Cambridge (1 with a varying stopping pattern, 1 express, which continues to Stansted Airport)
1tph Peterborough to Harwich International
4tph London to Cambridge (1 semi-fast, 1 stopping)

 

[uww11x]

I would introduce a Scotland to London service via Wales

 

[InterCity:125]

I would introduce a Scotland to London service via Wales

That would be very inefficient. Trains would have to run the long at round. Everyone would just take the more direct services.

 

[uww11x]

That would be very inefficient. Trains would have to run the long at round. Everyone would just take the more direct services.

Guess that's why it's only a fantasy thread then lol. Being honest though, travelling to Wales from the North is long winded and should be looked into by the powers that be.

 

[InterCity:125]

Guess that's why it's only a fantasy thread then lol. Being honest though, travelling to Wales from the North is long winded and should be looked into by the powers that be.

Wales to the north and vice versa is ok. But running London-scotland via wales is stupid.

 

[306024]

I have created an entire set of timetables (Mon-Sat) for every railway line in the UK. Yes, it did take me 3 years. Yes, I am constantly changing it. The biggest differences with the current timetables are:

Greater Anglia:
1tph Peterborough to Harwich International

Well it’s better than playing candy crush or whatever the latest waste of time is .

Harwich International? Make that Colchester and you’ll serve a much bigger catchment area. Nothing at Harwich International these days outside the times of the two Stena ferries.

 

[Esker-pades]

Well it’s better than playing candy crush or whatever the latest waste of time is .

Harwich International? Make that Colchester and you’ll serve a much bigger catchment area. Nothing at Harwich International these days outside the times of the two Stena ferries.

That's the sort of information that's useful. I'll see if the patching space allows it, or get another service (like Lowestoft) to get down to Colchester.

 

[Class 170101]

I would add an extra train or carriage to Lincoln from Grimsby in the evenings as they are overcrowded. In fact get rid of Newark Northgate EMT trains and have all through to Nottingham instead.

Newark Northgate to Lincoln EMT services I'd hand over to East Coast. I would like to see two trains per hour between Nottingham and Lincoln.
1tp2h to London and on the opposite 1tp2h a shuttle to connect with the 2 hourly York service
Extend Hourly East Coast from Leeds to Harrogate and the other to Bradford Forster Square.
Extend the 1tp2h York terminator to Middlesborough.

That's the sort of information that's useful. I'll see if the patching space allows it, or get another service (like Lowestoft) to get down to Colchester.

The franchise proposal had some Lowestoft services extended from Ipswich to London and Colchester to Peterborough services.

 

[Marton]

I have created an entire set of timetables (Mon-Sat) for every railway line in the UK. Yes, it did take me 3 years. Yes, I am constantly changing it. The biggest differences with the current timetables are:
...
Northern:
Manchester to Lincoln: Stockport, Hazel Grove, Chinley, Dore & Totley, Sheffield, Worksop, Retford, Gainsborough Lea Road, Lincoln
Manchester to Blackpool: Heald Green, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Salford Crescent, Bolton, Preston, Poulton-le-Fylde, Blackpool North
Manchester to Wigan: Salford Central, Salford Crescent, Hindley, Wigan North Western
Leeds to Carlisle runs hourly, alternating between all stations via the Settle-Carlisle line and calling only at Settle and Appleby
Manchester to Millom (semi-fast)
Re-introcude the fast Liverpool to Manchester Airport service (Newton-le-Willows, Oxford Road, Piccadilly and East Didsbury/Heald Green only)

Nothing for the Tees, Wear, or Tyne services

Extend the 1tp2h York terminator to Middlesborough.

MiddlesbROugh

 

[Esker-pades]

Nothing for the Tees, Wear, or Tyne services

I refer you to the phrase "biggest differences".

 

[nicolaboo]

I'd re-introduce the nightly mail trains that were much loved and used in their day.
0030 Man Picc to Euston – 2234 York to Shrewsbury – 2250 Shrewsbury to York. These were the local ones to me that got me going places, ready for an early start, but the other countrywide links like the overnight London to Liv/Man linked Bristol's 1S19 heading far north.
I'm sure others will have their favourite useful service they'd want resuming.

 

[Bletchleyite]

In principle I would aim to get as much as possible to full clockface with planned connections, Swiss style, on a half hourly base.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Reintroduce Birmingham New Street to Stourbridge calling at Rolfe Street, Rowley, Cradley and Stourbridge and interwork it with the Birmingham to Hereford service.

With a bit of track realignment I would amend the Abbey Flyer to it could continue to Euston from Watford during the peaks, removing the enforced change at Watford Junction

 

[Rhydgaled]

I would introduce a Scotland to London service via Wales

That would be very inefficient. Trains would have to run the long at round. Everyone would just take the more direct services.

Guess that's why it's only a fantasy thread then lol. Being honest though, travelling to Wales from the North is long winded and should be looked into by the powers that be.

Wales to the north and vice versa is ok. But running London-scotland via wales is stupid.

North Wales isn't all that far from the north (of England). Heading north from south-west Wales is slow though; have to go south to Cardiff before heading north! So, in fantasy land: double-track the Heart Of Wales line (all of it, except for single-track tunnels/viaducts that have no room for doubling) and raise linespeeds as high as the curvature will allow. Also, (re)build a line between Carmarthen and Llandeilo and fit unit-end gangways to the entire class 175 fleet (and probably build some more, or uprate 158s with new engines to 100mph). Then you can have 10-car trains out of Manchester every hour (four units in multiple) splitting at Shrewsbury, 5 coaches would go south to Cardiff/Swansea via Hereford, the other five along the Heart Of Wales calling only at the passing-loop stations. At Llandeilo, a 2-car unit would detatch for Carmarthen (alternating between Milford Haven and Tenby services) with the last remaining unit heading for Swansea with two or three intermediate stops. In between these trains a 156 would run a Swansea-Shrewsbury all-stations stopper, four or five services each way.

 

[duffers2324]

I would add additional services on the shotts line a further express and semi fast if possible so xx:03 services and xx:33 would be the expresses the xx:16 stopper would remain and possibly xx:45 or xx:50 for the semi fast although i do have a feeling the express xx:33 express would be slowed by the stopper at some point. Also try and open up new opportunities so for eg some sort of Helensburgh-Carstairs sort of service or at least a service that starts at a North Clyde line station but then terminates on the Argyle line at the other end and vice versa

Other examples include Helensburgh-Edinburgh via Yoker, Glasgow Central low level, Motherwell, Carstairs and Edinburgh
Balloch-Motherwell

even something like a Dumbarton-Newton service every hour