FANTASY: Your Own Fictional Open-Access Operator

[XAM2175]

I'm using Mk5 as the standard design in much the same way that the MK1 to Mk3 designs were standardised so doesn't have to be CAF who manufacturers the rolling stock but it does have to work to the standard design.

That's fair. Personally at the very least I'd be looking to make a number of changes to the fitout before having more Mk 5s produced, but my preference would be to go to Siemens for coaches as close to the new Nightjet Viaggios as is possible within the C3 outline.

 

[cle]

Do you mean dual voltage or bi-mode?

Voltage!

The Grantham-Doncaster was an example. People get so flustered about certain demand between quite random places (see any two consecutive stations on a mainline) and yet Leicester and Derby to Manchester is two decent sized cities within 100 miles of the largest economic centre in the north, and yet without any service.

But can Darlington deal with only 2tph to London?!

 

[Iskra]

I would run a new network of services using 185's, on the following routes:

- Hull-Glasgow Central via Leeds, Settle & Carlisle, WCML. Not because Hull needs a direct link to Glasgow (although it could gain marginal ticket sales on that leg), but to simultaneously improve Hull-Leeds capacity and direct Leeds-Glasgow journeys at the same time.
- Nottingham-Glasgow Central via Sheffield, Leeds, Settle & Carlisle, WCML. Again this would provide a direct service between Nottingham and Glasgow, but also improve Leeds-Glasgow services.
- Hull-Barrow in Furness via Leeds, Calder Valley and Preston.

Hull and Nottingham-Glasgow services would alternate in each hour to use a consistent hourly path up the Aire Valley.
In the opposite hour to that in which the Hull-Glasgow runs, I would run the Hull-Barrow. This would provide an additional hourly service Leeds-Hull.

Trains would be 185's with 1st class in use and a refreshment trolley.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

When I was a teenager, I had loads of open access ideas. I think my most realistic were:

St Pancras-Derby-Manchester-Preston-Blackpool

Glasgow-Leeds-Nottingham-Harwich (I still thought Harwich was a busy port in 2010 or whenever)

Euston-Crewe-Manchester Victoria-Huddersfield-Bradford

Bath-Bristol-Birmingham-Man Vic-Huddersfield-Bradford-Sunderland

I envisioned class 222s to be run on most services, that or HSTs of course.

 

[zwk500]

When I was a teenager, I had loads of open access ideas. I think my most realistic were:

St Pancras-Derby-Manchester-Preston-Blackpool

Glasgow-Leeds-Nottingham-Harwich (I still thought Harwich was a busy port in 2010 or whenever)

Euston-Crewe-Manchester Victoria-Huddersfield-Bradford

Bath-Bristol-Birmingham-Man Vic-Huddersfield-Bradford-Sunderland

I envisioned class 222s to be run on most services, that or HSTs of course.

if these were your *most* realistic, what were the others?

 

[Sad Sprinter]

if these were your *most* realistic, what were the others?

To be fair, I think those proposals I already mentioned are pretty realistic and have some merit. Maybe not a Glasgow to Harwich service, but perhaps a Glasgow to Cambridge service.

I came up with a number of crazy Thameslink style routes; half hourly Birmingham to Brighton via the WLL with 319s for example. Branches to Dover and Ramsgate via the Redhill to Tonbridge line. Poole/Portsmouth to Bedford/Kings Lynn via the Thameslink core - that kind of stuff.

I was looking through my old maps I drew the other day. Some other good ideas I had; Birmingham to Bradford via Manchester, Birmingham to Sunderland via Crewe, Manchester and Leeds.

 

[Metrolink]

My Fantasy OAO would be a collection of semi-fast or express routes through Lancashire (including GM), Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, branded as the three county connect. The basis of my idea is to connect Lancashire towns to towns further east and vice Vera, to open up new connections between towns and cities across the north. My rolling stock would be a mix of 185s, 221s, 222s and 755s as most of the routes are diesel only. My livery would be a metallic green/ blue and the words ‘Three Counties Connect’ similar to the likes of EMR.

My services include:
Manchester Airport - Lincoln/ Skegness calling at Manchester Piccadilly (reverse), Huddersfield, Mirfield (for connections on the Calder Valley), Wakefield Kirkgate, Doncaster, Gainsborough Lea Rd, Lincoln, Boston (2tpd summertime), Skegness (2tpd summertime).

Blackpool North - Sheffield calling at Poulton-le-Fylde, Kirkham and Wesham, Preston, Accrington, Blackburn, Burnley Manchester Road, Hebden Bridge, Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, Rotherham Central, Sheffield.

Preston - Leeds/Hull calling at Bolton, Salford Crescent (1tpd), Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stalybridge (2tpd), Huddersfield (split), LEEDS PORTION: Ravensthorpe (2tpd), Dewsbury, Leeds. HULL PORTION: Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, Pontefract Monkhill, Knottingley, Goole, Brough, Hull.

Lancaster - York calling at Preston, Manchester Victoria, Stalybridge (2tpd weekdays), Huddersfield, Halifax, Bradford Interchange (reverse), New Pudsey (2tpd Weekdays) Leeds, York

Settle (summer only) /Skipton - Sheffield calling at Hellifield (summer only), Skipton, Steeton & Silsden (2tpd), Keighley, Shipley, Leeds (reverse), Wakefield Westgate, Rotherham Central, Meadowhall and Sheffield.

Timetabling:

Manchester Airport - Lincoln = 2hr 45min (5-car 222s) Manchester Airport Departures: 0945, 1215, 1445, 1645, 1930 Lincoln Departures: 0815, 1030, 1300, 1545, 1830, 2030
Manchester Airport - Skegness = 4hr 15min (5-car 222s) Manchester Airport Departures: 0945, 1215, 1445, 1645, 1930 Skegness Departures: 0530, 1000, 1225, 1440, 1625, 1900

Blackpool North - Sheffield = 2hr 45min (5-car 221s) Blackpool North Departures: 0700, 0900, 1100, 1300, 1545, 1730, 1930, 2200 Sheffield Departures: 0600, 0800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1630, 1830, 2030, 2230

Preston - Leeds = 1hr 55 min (excluding split/join at Huddersfield) (6-car 185s to Huddersfield, 3-car 185s to Leeds) Preston departures: 0700 0820, 0840 1000, 1030 1150, 1300 1420, 1515 1635, 1745 1905, 2000 2120, 2115 2235 Leeds Departures: 0805 0840, 1000 1040, 1235 1315, 1515 1555, 1745 1825, 1915 1955, 2045 2125
Preston - Hull = 3hr 5 min (excluding split/join at Huddersfield)(6-car 185s to Huddersfield, 3-car 185s to Knottingley and Hull) (Huddersfield arrival in bold) Preston Departures: 0700 0820, 0840 1000, 1030 1150, 1300 1420, 1515 1635, 1745 1905, 2000 2120, 2115 2235. Hull Departures: 0700 0845, 0900 1045, 1135 1320, 1415 1600 , 1645 1830, 1815 2000, 1945 2130


Lancaster - York = 2hr 45min (3-car 185s off-peak, 6-car 185 peak) Lancaster Departures: 0630, 0930, 1230, 1530, 1830 York Departure: 0700, 1000, 1300, 1600, 1900

Settle - Sheffield (summer service) = 2hr (5-car 222s) Settle Departures: 0930, 1130, 1330, 1530, 1730, 1930 Sheffield Departures: 0800, 1030, 1300, 1530, 1700, 1930, 2200
Skipton - Sheffield = 1hr 30min (5-car 222s) Skipton Departures: 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600, 1800, 2000 Sheffield Departures 0800, 1030, 1300, 1530, 1700, 1930, 2200



I know that’s a handful and I went off on a bit of a tangent there, but that’s my idea.


EDIT: Maybe should be a franchised operator due to the amount of services.

 

[Aictos]

The other open access operator I had in mind was one operating Harwich - Blackpool via Nottingham and Manchester Victoria as well as taking on the existing East Midlands Railway Norwich to Liverpool service.

Another Operator but more a full service operator was merging Cross Country and Trans Pennine Express under one operator which would cut down on duplicate routes but would also compliment each other.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Another idea I had is the remake the Brighton Belle using Wessex Electrics. I'd run three morning, two afternoon and three evening services using 2xclass 442s, all first class. With a dining car type carriage where one of the old buffets used to be. Non-stop Victoria (or London Bridge) to Brighton.

 

[zwk500]

Another idea I had is the remake the Brighton Belle using Wessex Electrics. I'd run three morning, two afternoon and three evening services using 2xclass 442s, all first class. With a dining car type carriage where one of the old buffets used to be. Non-stop Victoria (or London Bridge) to Brighton.

Sundays only or on weekdays as well? And would you insist on the dress code

 

[Sad Sprinter]

Sundays only or on weekdays as well? And would you insist on the dress code

Weekdays as well, maybe to London Bridge instead of Victoria.

For the dining car, yes.

 

[zwk500]

Weekdays as well, maybe to London Bridge instead of Victoria.

For the dining car, yes.

London bridge is worse than Victoria for capacity, not to mention the wrong side of london for the clientele of a 'Belle' service. however 8 services a day (so pretty much a standard off-peak hourly train) seems rather extreme, for a tourist ride.