FANTASY: You're in charge of your own Open Access operator.

[mildertduck]

I would propose two services:

University Express

At the moment, getting from Cambridge to (really: anywhere in the North) is a real pain, and there is likely to be demand for it to link up with University cities like Leeds, York, Durham and Newcastle.

I would propose 1 tp2h running Cambridge - York - Durham - Newcastle, and 1 tp2h runnning Cambridge - Doncaster - Leeds - Manchester.

Note - all limited stop services to existing rail hubs.

Radically, I *wouldn't* extend these to London, as Cambridge to London is already pretty well served.
​

The XC flier

A new, limited-stop service on the Cross-country route - this would require careful timetabling to make sure it hits loops when all the other XC trains stop, but running Newcastle - York - Birmingham - Bristol as fast as possible. I suppose this route does primarily serve to extract revenue from... EasyJet. Who fill two / three planes a day on this exact route, probably because the XC route takes forever....​

 

[The Box Photter]

Growler Rail, running top and tail 37's from Sheffield to Brighton through the core, just because it's not allowed

Sign me up for a season ticket.

 

[centraltrains]

Birmingham to Norwich. I hate how Birmingham has no direct services to Norwich. Would I use it, no? Would I like the sound of it, yes.

It will be called Noringham Trains and use some newly built 172 turbostars which bombarider will make by overpaying them loads to force them into making them. Will run once every 2 hours. Certain trains at peak hours would be split at Ely for Ipswich.

 

[CheekyBandit]

I would propose two services:

University Express

At the moment, getting from Cambridge to (really: anywhere in the North) is a real pain, and there is likely to be demand for it to link up with University cities like Leeds, York, Durham and Newcastle.

I would propose 1 tp2h running Cambridge - York - Durham - Newcastle, and 1 tp2h runnning Cambridge - Doncaster - Leeds - Manchester.

Note - all limited stop services to existing rail hubs.
​

​

I'd start the rail service from Huntingdon (new platforms using the sidings just north with access from Ringo Car Park?) with a connecting express service to Bridge Street (just past the bus gate), using the busway without going round the houses, then Round Church Street/Park Street/Jesus Lane loop (using both stops) back to Bridge Street.

 

[OhNoAPacer]

Okay, noting the word fantasy, and imagining the words total and unrealistic in front of it, here goes
Operator: Egremont and Northampton Railway
Rolling Stock: Custom made DMU with luxury first class seating throughout with complimentary catering (comprising only of things that I like)
Livery: An airborne pig
Route: Direct non-stop service from Egremont* to Northampton and return
Frequency: Whenever I want to go from Egremont to Northampton or vice versa

*Now, I know that Egremont has no station nor even a rail line running to it, and that where the line used to run to the station is now the bypass, but, some of where the line used to run south is still present, and it is mainly open fields anyway, and any people having built on it will need to accept that the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many and accept that their houses are being demolished, and as the old station is not accessible then a new one could be built on the Bridge End industrial estate, which is more convenient for me anyway than where it was.

If, for any reason, I could not get backing for such an obviously useful service then maybe something like the old cross country Scotland to South Coast services via Birmingham, but I doubt that would pass any primary abstractive test.

 

[anti-pacer]

TransIrishRail
connecting the island of Ireland

1tp2h: Class 800: "CITY FLYER"
Belfast Central-Dundalk-Dublin Connolly

1tp2h: Class 800
Larne Harbour-Larne Town-Carrickfergus-Whiteabbey-Belfast Central-Lisburn-Portadown-Newry-Dundalk-Drogheda-Dublin Connolly-Dublin Pearse-Bray-Wicklow-Arklow-Wexford-Rosslare Europort

(Destinations in orange to be served by 3tpd, in addition to existing Translink and Iarnrod Eireann services)

FEATURES:

Electrified between Larne Harbour and Greystones, but switching modes at Bray for Rosslare services
Premier Class to include complimentary food/drink, including alcohol after midday 7 days a week
Standard Class access to buffet car and trolley service
Free Wi-Fi throughout
Larne and Rosslare services to connect with ferries
Through ticketing from UK railway stations and ferry terminals

 

[RJ21]

YRail

Bradford Interchange - Leeds - Garforth - York - Knaresborough - Harrogate - Castleford - Selby - Brough - (around the Hull loop) - Hessle - Goole - South Elmsall - Wakefield Kirkgate - Midfield - Brighouse - Halifax - Bradford Interchange

Using BREL York built Class 150s folk will see all hear all say nowt, sup all eat all pay nowt an if they ever do owt for nowt theys better make sure it for the sen.

Food, roast beef & Yorkshire pudding followed by rhubarb & custard. They can have Yorkshire Tea & Sam Smiths Bitter if they must.

Must be able to do a better loop solely in the old county of Yorkshire.

 

[CheekyBandit]

Food, roast beef & Yorkshire pudding followed by rhubarb & custard. They can have Yorkshire Tea & Sam Smiths Bitter if they must.

Bugger off. I want a plate of pie and peas.
A plate of pie and peeeeeeeaaaaasss.
(Scott Doonican/Paul McCartney)

It be useful if it connected with flights:

 

[backontrack]

1tph (BorderConnect): Edinburgh Waverley - Berwick - Alnmouth - Morpeth - Newcastle - Sunderland - Hartlepool - Middlesbrough
Operated using Class 800.

That's a nice idea.

 

[jonathan01n]

Operator Name: Lincslink (1) or Arroway (2) - Red Arrows county!
Lincoln Central- Liverpool Lime Street (-via Sheffield Lincoln line and Hope valley line, also the one Linking Manchester and Liverpool)
Stop. Lincoln---Sheffield---Stockport---Man.Piccadilly---Liverpool Lime St.)
Units : 185/170 (3 cars set/2 car for 170) (1tph)

Lincoln Central to Skegness-
Via Sleaford (1tph)
158/170 Normal Days
223/ HST for Summertime

Lincoln to Great Yarmouth
via Peterborough, Cambridge --(additional stops welcome)
158/170 (2tph)

Lincoln to Birmingham N Street. 170/158
Via Nottingham. Derby ...--Additional stops welcome (2tph)

Lincoln to Swansea - As follows +Worcester+Hereford +Newport
HST/223 (2tph)

Lincoln to Leeds via Retford and Doncaster
185/170/158 (1tph)

I want to go to York , Lancaster (My Dad did his Studies there), Carlisle ....
I think they will use 158/170/185 for those service .... (2tph)

 

[DarloRich]

My Open Access operation:

• Find most profitable long distance intercity route serving London
• mirror almost exactly franchised operator stopping pattern
• extend service to poorly served terminus station slightly off core franchised route
• service pattern to allow operation from one depot only
• Obtain cut price HST
• Bid aggressively for paths on long distance non stop basis
• include one intermediate station (helpfully just within commuting range of London) in bid which can be cut making it look like the franchise TOC has beaten you down but that you don't really want
• portray in media as David taking on Goliath
• use media spin to portray friendly personal service
• undercut fares

easy - this can then be rolled out to any number of lines. The locations don't really matter. I just need to stop at one big station and cream off the revenue share.

 

[HowardGWR]

Go-South Railways

Only these stops, 4 trains per day each way.

Clifton Down - Bath - Yeovil - Dorchester - Weymouth - Poole - Bournemouth - Christchurch. Add Saltford, if it opens. If First (GWR and SWR) start moaning, substitute Oldfield Park for Bath (or re-open Bathampton) and sub Branksome for Poole and Pokesdown for Bournemouth.

 

[L&Y Robert]

Operator name "Lancashire & Yorkshire". Livery the same as the old L&Y coaches. Route: Blackpool, Preston, Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley, Colne, Skipton (Yes, SELRAP is part of this proposal), Leeds. Then Leeds, Bradford, Halifax, Tod, Rochdale, Manchester Vic., Preston, Blackpool. Yes I know Northern do it, but my proposal alters that. And the other way round, of course. Stock - I'm not up with the different types of rolling stock, but something like the ones Chiltern are running - not the silver ones, the more regular ones. (I'm the same with cars - can't tell one from another!)

 

[jonathan01n]

Little bit of O.T. - If all these services are going to happen, then it must use more Loco/Units.
Where should the trains "park"?
Is it possible to have a multi storey building to store all the rolling stock and when they need to be used they can moved onto a machine and then use a crane to put onto the track? Then it can reduce the time / slots used by ECS and save land on sidings.

 

[Howezy_21]

Where should the trains "park"?
Is it possible to have a multi storey building to store all the rolling stock

Seeing as its a fantasy thread, perhaps all of the extra train stock could be stored using a system like the Japanese use for car parking as shown below.

 

[goblinuser]

Seeing as its a fantasy thread, perhaps all of the extra train stock could be stored using a system like the Japanese use for car parking as shown below.

Actually seems like a good idea. Like the 21st century equivalent of a loco turntable

 

[anti-pacer]

WalesRail/RheilfforddCymru

NORTH WALES services (not including Cambrian Coast) - replacing ATW

1T2PH: Holyhead-Bangor-Llandudno Junction-Colwyn Bay-Rhyl-Prestatyn-Chester (splitting for Crewe-Stafford-Wolverhampton-Birmingham NS / and also Runcorn East-Warrington BQ-Earlestown-Manchester Ox Road-Manchester Piccadilly-Manchester Airport)

IT2PH: Llandudno-Deganwy-Llandudno Junction-Colwyn Bay-Abergele & Pensarn-Rhyl-Prestatyn-Flint-Shotton-Chester-Northwich-Knutsford-Altrincham-Stockport-Manchester Piccadilly

1T2PH: Llandudno-Deganwy-Llandudno Junction-Colwyn Bay-Abergele & Pensarn-Rhyl-Prestatyn-Flint-Shotton-Chester-Helsby-Frodsham-Runcorn-Liverpool South Parkway-Liverpool Lime Street

1TP2H: Holyhead-all stops-Bangor-Llanfairfechan-Penmaenmawr-Conwy-Llandudno Junction-Colwyn Bay-Abergele & Pensarn-Rhyl-Prestatyn-Flint-Shotton-Chester-Crewe

1TPH: Bidston-all stations-Wrexham Central

1TP2H: Llandudno-all stations-Blaenau Ffestiniog

4TPD: Holyhead-Bangor-Llandudno Junction-Colwyn Bay-Rhyl-Chester-Wrexham General-Gobowen-Shrewsbury-Hereford-Abergavenny-Cwmbran-Newport-Cardiff Central

ADDITIONAL INFO:

All operated by new DMU's, with long distance services including First Class (Liverpool/Manchester/Birmimgham/Cardiff trains)
Additional services operated by VTWC between Holyhead/Chester and London, Northern Connect between Chester and Manchester, Northern between Chester and Warrington BQ/Chester and Manchester via Stockport, and WMR between Chester and Birmingham via Shrewsbury.

 

[LOL The Irony]

LMNR update #3
London Midland Northern Railway

It will use 25kv AC overhead/Diesel Bi-Mode versions of the Class 444 (Called Class 744). 110mph top speed Electric & Hybrid mode 100mph Diesel mode uses 4X MTU 12V 1600 R80L
Layout: A DMFW* B MSATW* C MSP D MSG* E DMS* *indicates carriage with Diesel engine.
No. to be built: 36 (744 001-036)
Detailed layout:
Coach A: Driving Motor First Wheelchair (C)(E) Northbound
Coach B: Motor Standard Accessible Toilet Wheelchair (E)(T)
Coach C: Motor Standard Pantograph (Quiet Zone underneath the panto recess)(QZ)
Coach D: Motor Standard Guard (GC)(T)
Coach E: Driving Motor Standard (C)(T) Southbound

2x 5 car mk3 sets with PRM upgrades & doors like the Chiltern ones (Not the awful IETesque pocket doors used by GWR) Top n' Tailed by 2 Class 90's. There will be 5 90's Sub-Leased from DB Cargo (90 022-025 & 027). These will be used on London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly & London Euston - Blackpool North services.
Layout:
Loco A Northbound
Coach A: First Open Whelchair (T)
Coach B: Standard Open Accessible Toilet Wheelchar (T)
Coach C: Standard Open Quiet Zone (QZ)(T)
Coach D: Standard Open (T)
Coach E: Trailer Guard Standard (T)
Loco B Southbound

There will be free super fast wifi a USB charger per seat and a plug per row. Tables will have 4 USB chargers, 2 plugs and a wireless charging pad. Seats will have a black leather (not pleather or e-leather, LEATHER!) headrest & purple moquette. First class will have a full sized table, USB charger, plug socket & wireless charging pad per seat. The seats will be black leather with purple alcantara centrepiece.

All units will be named.

Services:
London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly via Birmingham New St. - 1tph - 5 carriages Calling: Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Brimingham International, Biringham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport & Manchester Piccadilly
London Euston - Blackpool North & Windermere - 1tph - 5 carriages (Blackpool only) 1tp2h - 10 carriages (divides at Preston into a Blackpool & Windermere service) Calling: Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Tamworth, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Bolton, Chorley, Preston then Poulton-Le-Fylde & Blackpool North and Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme Lake District, Kendal & Windermere
London King's Cross - Manchester Airport & Preston - 1tph - 5 carriages (Manchester Airport only) 1tp3h - 10 carriages (divides at Hebden Bridge into a Manchester Airport & Preston service) Calling: Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage, Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark North Gate, Doncaster, Leeds, Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge then Rochdale, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport & Manchester Airport and Burnley Manchester Road, Blackburn & Preston
On summer weekends, 1 Blackpool service per 4 hours will consist of 10 carriages slpitting at Preston and Calling: Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley.

Northern Link Services:
Preston - LLandudno - 1tp3h - 5 or 10 carriages Calling: Leyland, Wigan North Western, Eccles, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Altrincham, Knutsford, Northwich, Chester, Flint, Prestatyn, Rhyll, Colwyn Bay, LLandudno Junction & Llandudno
Liverpool Lime St. - Windermere - 5tpd - 5 carriages Calling: Huyton, St Helens Central, Wigan North Western, Leyland, Preston, Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme Lake District, Kendal & Windermere
Liverpool Lime St. - Newcastle Central - 5tpd - 5 or 10 carriages Calling: Huyton, Newton-Le-Willows, Eccles, Manchester Victoria, Rochdale, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, Bradford Interchange, Leeds, York, Thirsk, Darlington, Durham, Chester-Le-Street & Newcastle

Livery is black, fading into a Retrowave style livery. The logo is also in the Retrowave style. The doors are a shade of purple inkeeping with the Retrowave asthetic. 744 031 will be named Siemens Desiro and will have Siemens branding on Coach C.

Logo (made here :https://m.photofunia.com/categories/all_effects/retro-wave)

Route map:

Northern Link map:

 

[backontrack]

LMNR update #3
London Midland Northern Railway

It will use 25kv AC overhead/Diesel Bi-Mode versions of the Class 444 (Called Class 744). 110mph top speed Electric & Hybrid mode 100mph Diesel mode uses 4X MTU 12V 1600 R80L
Layout: A DMFW* B MSATW* C MSP D MSG* E DMS* *indicates carriage with Diesel engine.
No. to be built: 36 (744 001-036)
Detailed layout:
Coach A: Driving Motor First Wheelchair (C)(E) Northbound
Coach B: Motor Standard Accessible Toilet Wheelchair (E)(T)
Coach C: Motor Standard Pantograph (Quiet Zone underneath the panto recess)(QZ)
Coach D: Motor Standard Guard (GC)(T)
Coach E: Driving Motor Standard (C)(T) Southbound

2x 5 car mk3 sets with PRM upgrades & doors like the Chiltern ones (Not the awful IETesque pocket doors used by GWR) Top n' Tailed by 2 Class 90's. There will be 5 90's Sub-Leased from DB Cargo (90 022-025 & 027). These will be used on London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly & London Euston - Blackpool North services.
Layout:
Loco A Northbound
Coach A: First Open Whelchair (T)
Coach B: Standard Open Accessible Toilet Wheelchar (T)
Coach C: Standard Open Quiet Zone (QZ)(T)
Coach D: Standard Open (T)
Coach E: Trailer Guard Standard (T)
Loco B Southbound

There will be free super fast wifi a USB charger per seat and a plug per row. Tables will have 4 USB chargers, 2 plugs and a wireless charging pad. Seats will have a black leather (not pleather or e-leather, LEATHER!) headrest & purple moquette. First class will have a full sized table, USB charger, plug socket & wireless charging pad per seat. The seats will be black leather with purple alcantara centrepiece.

All units will be named.

Services:
London Euston - Manchester Piccadilly via Birmingham New St. - 1tph - 5 carriages Calling: Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Coventry, Brimingham International, Biringham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport & Manchester Piccadilly
London Euston - Blackpool North & Windermere - 1tph - 5 carriages (Blackpool only) 1tp2h - 10 carriages (divides at Preston into a Blackpool & Windermere service) Calling: Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Nuneaton, Tamworth, Stafford, Crewe, Wilmslow, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Manchester Oxford Road, Bolton, Chorley, Preston then Poulton-Le-Fylde & Blackpool North and Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme Lake District, Kendal & Windermere
London King's Cross - Manchester Airport & Preston - 1tph - 5 carriages (Manchester Airport only) 1tp3h - 10 carriages (divides at Hebden Bridge into a Manchester Airport & Preston service) Calling: Welwyn Garden City, Stevenage, Cambridge, Ely, Peterborough, Grantham, Newark North Gate, Doncaster, Leeds, Bradford Interchange, Halifax, Sowerby Bridge, Hebden Bridge then Rochdale, Manchester Victoria, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport & Manchester Airport and Burnley Manchester Road, Blackburn & Preston
On summer weekends, 1 Blackpool service per 4 hours will consist of 10 carriages slpitting at Preston and Calling: Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme Lake District, Penrith, Carlisle, Lockerbie, Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley.

Northern Link Services:
Preston - LLandudno - 1tp3h - 5 or 10 carriages Calling: Leyland, Wigan North Western, Eccles, Manchester Oxford Road, Manchester Piccadilly, Stockport, Altrincham, Knutsford, Northwich, Chester, Flint, Prestatyn, Rhyll, Colwyn Bay, LLandudno Junction & Llandudno
Liverpool Lime St. - Windermere - 5tpd - 5 carriages Calling: Huyton, St Helens Central, Wigan North Western, Leyland, Preston, Lancaster, Carnforth, Oxenholme Lake District, Kendal & Windermere
Liverpool Lime St. - Newcastle Central - 5tpd - 5 or 10 carriages Calling: Huyton, Newton-Le-Willows, Eccles, Manchester Victoria, Rochdale, Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, Sowerby Bridge, Halifax, Bradford Interchange, Leeds, York, Thirsk, Darlington, Durham, Chester-Le-Street & Newcastle

Livery is black, fading into a Retrowave style livery. The logo is also in the Retrowave style. The doors are a shade of purple inkeeping with the Retrowave asthetic. 744 031 will be named Siemens Desiro and will have Siemens branding on Coach C.

Logo (made here :https://m.photofunia.com/categories/all_effects/retro-wave)

Route map:

Northern Link map:

No bad!

 

[LOL The Irony]

IT2PH: Llandudno-Deganwy-Llandudno Junction-Colwyn Bay-Abergele & Pensarn-Rhyl-Prestatyn-Flint-Shotton-Chester-Northwich-Knutsford-Altrincham-Stockport-Manchester Piccadilly

Looks familiar but I can't for the life of me think where I have seen such a fantasy service...

 

[700007]

My Open Access operation:

• Find most profitable long distance intercity route serving London
• mirror almost exactly franchised operator stopping pattern
• extend service to poorly served terminus station slightly off core franchised route
• service pattern to allow operation from one depot only
• Obtain cut price HST
• Bid aggressively for paths on long distance non stop basis
• include one intermediate station (helpfully just within commuting range of London) in bid which can be cut making it look like the franchise TOC has beaten you down but that you don't really want
• portray in media as David taking on Goliath
• use media spin to portray friendly personal service
• undercut fares

easy - this can then be rolled out to any number of lines. The locations don't really matter. I just need to stop at one big station and cream off the revenue share.

Legendary answer.

 

[MG11]

I'd remove all but 2 tables from each carriage and put high demsity seating in.

 

[MG11]

Little bit of O.T. - If all these services are going to happen, then it must use more Loco/Units.
Where should the trains "park"?

In a depot on private land that's fenced off away from graffiti 'artists'.

 

[adrock1976]

I'll have a go at this one here.

Intercity Celtic Connect

"The Red Dragon" Glasgow Central - Swansea via Preston calling at Motherwell, Carstairs, Carlisle, Preston, Warrington Bank Quay, Hartford, Crewe, Nantwich (optional), Shrewsbury, Hereford, Newport (Gwent), Cardiff Central, Bridgend, Port Talbot Parkway, Neath/Castell-nedd, and Swansea/Abertawe. The frequency would be every 4 hours to start with.

"The Shamrock" Edinburgh Waverley - Holyhead via Preston calling at Haymarket, Lockerbie, Carlisle, Preston, Warrington Bank Quay, Helsby, Chester, Fflint, Rhyl, Llandudno Junction, Bangor (Gwynedd), and Holyhead. This would connect with the ferries to and from Dublin.

"The Pirates" Glasgow Central - Penzance via Preston and Hereford calling at Motherwell, Carstairs, Carlisle, Preston, Warrington Bank Quay, Hartford, Crewe, Nantwich (optional), Shrewsbury, Hereford, Severn Tunnel Junction, Filton Abbey Wood, Bristol Temple Meads, Taunton, Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbott, Totnes, Plymouth, Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Truro, Redruth, Cambourne, St Erth, and Penzance. Frequency would be 1 train every 4 hours to start with.


Intercity Scottish Midland and Anglia Connect

Edinburgh Waverley - Cambridge via York calling at Morpeth, Newcastle Central, Durham, York, Pontefract Baghill, Rotherham Masborough (reopened), Killamarsh West (reopened), Chesterfield, Ilkeston Parkway, Nottingham, Grantham, Peterborough, March, Ely, Cambridge North, and Cambridge. Frequency every 4 hours to start with.

Glasgow Central - Leicester London Road via Appleby calling at Motherwell, Lockerbie, Carlisle, Appleby, Kirkby Stephen, Settle, Hellifield, Skipton, Keighley, Shipley, Leeds City, Wakefield Kirkgate, Rotherham Masborough (reopened), Killamarsh West (reopened), Chesterfield, Ilkeston Parkway, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough, and Leicester London Road. Frequency every 4 hours to start with.


Regional Midland and Anglia Connect

Birmingham New Street - Cleethorpes via Derby calling at Derby, Nottingham, Newark Castle, Collingham, Swinderby, Hykeham, Lincoln Central, Market Rasen, Barnetby, Haborough, Grimsby Town, and Cleethorpes. Frequency every 2 hours.

Birmingham New Street - Skegness via Leicester calling at Nuneaton, Leicester, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Nottingham, Sleaford, Boston, and Skegness. Frequency every 2 hours.

Birmingham New Street - Norwich via Leicester calling at Nuneaton, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Peterborough, March, Thetford, and Norwich. Frequency every 2 hours.

Birmingham New Street - Ipswich and Harwich Parkeston Quay calling at Nuneaton, Leicester, Melton Mowbray, Oakham, Peterborough, March, Ely, Bury St Edmunds, Stowmarket, and Ipswich. There would be extensions to and from Harwich Parkeston Quay to connect with the Hoek van Holland ferries. Frequency every 2 hours excluding the twice daily extensions.

 

[stut]

Let's have some cheap trains like Ouigo.

Stratford - 'Nam - Bish - Cambridge - Ely - Posh - Lincoln - Donny

Then Ponte - Cass and a new station in Hunslet.

Also Selby - York and the Durham Coast line as far as Heworth.

All on 142s.

I hate people.

 

[xotGD]

Let's have some cheap trains like Ouigo.

Stratford - 'Nam - Bish - Cambridge - Ely - Posh - Lincoln - Donny

Then Ponte - Cass and a new station in Hunslet.

Also Selby - York and the Durham Coast line as far as Heworth.

All on 142s.

I hate people.

Stratford to Cambridge via Bishop Auckland is a bit of an indirect route. And why not have the other 4 Spice Girls on the train too?

Oh, and slightly more seriously, extend the Heworth service to the MetroCentre (avoiding Newcastle) as people might actually want to go there.

 

[DarloRich]

Legendary answer.

I thank you. I will be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress

Seriously money need sot be made - that scuppers many ideas for Open Access. To my mind London is the key.

 

[700007]

I thank you. I will be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress

Seriously money need sot be made - that scuppers many ideas for Open Access. To my mind London is the key.

Do you carry those contactless readers? I am out of physical change.

 

[Flyingsprinter]

I’d have a Leicester-leeds-Carlisle-Glasgow regional style service using tpe’s 185’s that will be coming of lease in a few years. Would be fantastic. 1 train per 2 hours with an extra one thrown in at peak maybe.
Calling at Leicester, loughbourgh, East Midlands pw, Derby, Chesterfield, Wakefield wg, Leeds, Shipley, keighley (peak only) skipton, settle, Carlisle, Motherwell (peak only) and Glasgow central.
I’ve skipped Sheffield our due to pathing issues. If paths can be found I’d happily stop there.
A man can dream....

 

[HSTEd]

Class 153, running as many all stations round trips between Grantham and Nottingham as can be found.
If a station could be built at Grantham North, near Great Gonerby, this would enable more paths because it would allow trains to turn back short of the ECML.