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

[700007]

I agree NE Lincs (formerly Humberside) does need new rail link to London long been campaigned for. Stock could be an Class 800 5 coach set and why did you not call at Barnetby (allows passengers from Scunthorpe to change on to the service).

A class 800 5-car definitely would do well, especially given it is a bi mode and will have greener credentials than a 222. Re Barnetby, I wanted to reduce the amount of stops the train made to aid reliability. However you raise a good point and I would like to revise that it stops at Barnetby. To prevent it from being a revenue raid on local operator East Midlands Trains, I would further propose that it only sets down, towards Cleethorpes, at Collingham, Market Rasen and Habrough. It only picks up in the opposite direction towards London King's Cross.

 

[cosmo]

Coming back to this.

Following on from my successful (it seems!) Newcastle-Carlisle-Glasgow service, I've come up with a new potential route for my pink-and-white clad operator, Cosmo Rail Group!

Building on the company's (short) legacy of providing direct trains to popular destinations, the idea has been had to create a new, direct service to follow "The Tyneside Executive Limited" NCL-GLC service - and give seaside farers a link between east and west.

I call it "The Lancashire Rose Limited"!

The route is as follows:

Sunderland - Newcastle - Darlington - Northallerton - York - Leeds - Lancaster - Morecambe

Reversal will be required at Lancaster to access the Morecambe branch line, but Lancaster has the facilities for this. If ECML paths are unavailable, use of the ECML could be avoided by starting at Newcastle and going to Northallerton via Sunderland and Eaglescliffe.

Again the route mixes electrified and non electrified track, so 5-6 car bi-mode units may be apt - or a more ambitious plan could be to use Stadler Class 93 locomotives with a Mk5 DVT and coaches... which would be a potential pathway to a long term goal of running premier services...

It may transpire that the 93s are unsuitable from Lancaster to Morecambe, so a possible terminus at Lancaster is a consideration.

 

[Entertexthere]

Alright, my operator would be named L&Y and would operate between Crewe and York via the Calder valley line. Funding would also be used it in place for electrification of the Manchester-Rochdale and sections of the Leeds-York line to aid with the high speed services. Services would be split into 2- high speed and commuter.

Commuter services would stop at every station on the line/important stations (e.g Rochdale, Leeds, Bradford, Stockport, Todmorden, ect.) and would utilise class 185 and class 175/1 albeit with minor modifications to make them more reliable.

High speed services would be operated by class 802 units. The livery would probably be mostly black with some red lining and the L&Y emblem. The line speed under electric would be 110mph and 90mph on diesel power.

 

[Roavin]

My operator would be called "NorthWestern" and would operate transpennine services to places not currently served by TPE. It would have a stock of 16 DMUs, consisting of 14 class 170s and 2 class 185s.

There would be two routes served: York - Leeds - Bradford - Dewsbury - Halifax - Manchester - Warrington - Liverpool - Birkinhead - Chester 14 times a day; York - Harrogate - Leeds - Shipley - Skipton - Lancaster - Morecambe twice a day.

 

[Doomotron]

CROSS LONDON TRAINS (XLT)
Yes, I know there already is an XLT, but that's the company who managed the Thameslink Program. Anyway, as this suggestion is definitely cross-London, I shall keep the name.

Anyway, there is a huge lack of east to west connections by train. Of course there's East/West Rail, but what if you lived in Kent? It's not like Crossrail is going to be very useful: Abbey Wood is a station that is so badly placed for me to use that I couldn't use it, Farringdon needs a change at St Pancras when I could get the Underground to Paddington... Blah blah blah. I'm going to make an operator that goes from east to west. Properly.

Please note that Route 1 is dependent on whether there is electrification to Swansea and that the link from the West London Line to the GWML is electrified with overhead wires, if it is in fact still possible. If they're not, just remember this is a fantasy thread. Route 2 requires High Speed 2 to be built, with a connection to HS1 allowing direct Old Oak Common - Stratford services.



BRANDING AND LIVERY
Although it shares the name with the company involved in the Thameslink Program, it is only referred to Cross London Trains (XLT) legally. Everywhere else it is simply known as XL. The name was chosen both because the OAO runs across London, but also because the initials (XL) shows the size of the network. The logo can be seen above, as well as the map detailing the route of services.

While the trains will be discussed later on, I will talk about the livery now. All trains will be painted in their route colours with metallic paint, with the secondary colour being the colour used for the limited service routes on the map.. For example, a train running on Route 3 will be light blue, with a baby blue stripe and doors. Logos will be kept to a minimum, with the simply 'XL' logo being largely painted at the ends of units (similar to the placement and size of the BR logo in the BR Blue days). The colour of the logo will be the secondary colour for each route.

The interior fittings will be train-dependent, but the colours can be talked about here. The seats will be grey moquette, with squares (which would be the route's main colour) dotted on the back precisely, down from the headrest along the centre to the bottom of the seat. Handrails will be painted in the route's secondary colour. The carpet would be black across all trains, with squares in the aisle. The squares will alternate between all four main route colours. These squares will not be placed randomly, and will make an even pattern.

The colour of the front of the train will be matte black (although near to grey).

SERVICES AND TRAINS
There will be 1tph on the main routes.

On Route 1, extensions to Swansea and Margate will run in Summer, with the frequency increased to 2tph when services to Eythorne are running (Eythorne will get 1tph, the rest of the train will divide at Dover Priory and continue to Margate). The extension to Eythorne will run along the East Kent Railway, as this service may help the line as I believe it may be suffering from financial difficulty. Some trains will not return to Swansea all the time, as some will instead operate a shuttle service between Eythorne and the EKR Sheperd's Well station. This extension will only run in Summer when the EKR is running. XLT will build the loop on the EKR in the tunnel (the tunnel was built for two tracks, but only one was ever laid) so trains can pass. For these services, Eythorne and Shepherd's Well (EKR station) will be extended to fit 6-coach trains of the same length as a Class 395). Route 1 will be operated by IEPs with third rail shoes added to allow running on the lines in Kent, but with diesel engines being removed, being replaced with batteries for Eythorne services. The trains will essentially be 'mini IEPs'. The coaches would be 20m long, with trains being 12 coaches. To allow use on Eythorne services (and also on a future OAO I'm going to make), the train can divide in the middle, with full driving controls in a cab in this centre position. There would be a buffet in each 'set' for symmetry, but only one would be used at a time. Doors would be at the end of the coaches, like the proper IEPs. The seats would be the same as the IEPs, but of course would have a lot more padding in them to make them comfy.

On Route 2, during peak hours, the amount of services will increase to 2tph, with one train diverting at Ebbsfleet to run a semi-fast service to Margate. Route 2 will use the same trains as the classic-compatible HS2 order, but with third rail shoes for services to Margate. The seats would either be the ones usually fitted to the new HS2 trains (if they comfortable). If they are not, it will be the same as the IEPs above. They will have a trolley service as the route is too short to warrant a buffet. The trains will be roughly 240m long.

On Route 3, Class 707s will be used. The trains will have a new interior fitted (with seats made to be similar to the old Compins seats used in the Connex Electrostars - you know, the nice ones). They would, however, have larger seat-back tables, lower armrests, bigger headrests and be slightly more supportive. Carpet would also be fitted. The units would also get new carriages built for them, increasing them to 9 coaches. A buffet would be added in coach 5, with disabled toilets in coaches 3 and 7. Normal toilets would be in coaches 2 and 8. Services would be extended to King's Lynn and Weymouth during peak hours (when the frequency is increased to 2tph - one train will run from King's Lynn to Portsmouth, with the other going to Weymouth).

On Route 4, Class 769s would be used (although they would be numbered as 319/9s as I don't like the classification of 769... It makes it look like they're new trains, which they're really not). The nine left in storage (according to Wikipedia) would be converted, but to a higher scale. The interior would be completely rebuilt, as would be the electrics (getting rid of the awkward stack in the motor coach). Air conditioning would be fitted. New suspension would be added to make the ride better. There would be carpet and the seats would be the same as the 707s. A buffet would be included in the motor coach (the disabled toilet would be in the other centre coach) - the trains would run as 4 coaches when possible, but when needed will be doubled up, and during this time, an extra crew would be on the train to run the other buffet. During peak hours and in Summer, all services will be extended to Barnstaple. At no point will the frequency of this service increase.

SPARE TRAINS
There may not be enough trains available, so some spare trains would be owned or hired. Spare trains are white and black.

• Class 442s: The six remaining units would be rebuilt, given the same seats as the 707s, and would be modified to run both as third rail units but also as push/pull units.
• Class 92s: 3 92s (including my personal favourite, 022) would be refurbished by Brush to be used on Route 1. They would have a system that allows the driver to change the train's gearing. When the train is being used for freight, the normal 87mph would be used, but for passenger services, the locos would run at 110mph.
• Class 387s: In the event the C2C 387s don't find a use, XL will take them on for use on Routes 1 and 3.
• Class 68: If there are not enough 319s available, the Class 442 sets would be coupled to a hired Class 68. However, it doesn't need to be 68s. Any suitable locos could be used.

 

[Doomotron]

TRANSMANCHE

An early idea for the Channel Tunnel was a service that went across the channel, stopping at local stations along the way. I thought this idea was good, but it never happened. Anyway, looking at how ridiculously expensive Eurostar, I've decided to combine this idea with another: budget train operators. What about a semi-fast international service stopping at some stations along the way? I decided to make my next OAO, Transmanche.



As you can see, there are two routes, London to Paris and Herne Bay to Paris. The latter may seem odd, but will be explained later.

THE TRAINS
In my last post, I talked about IEPs with cabs in the middle, so they could serve a short branch line. I said the idea would be used again, and guess what: it is.

Transmanche would use sixteen-car Hitachi AT400s (with the required safety equipment to be used in the tunnel). These could divide in the middle for safety. A new station before the Channel Tunnel portal called Cheriton International may be built, which would be an interchange station also served by Southeastern, and would be where the trains would divide..

A chord would be built so trains from the east can access the Channel Tunnel.

Inside the trains would be Fisa Lean seats (the same as the new Stadler train on the GEML). There would be a buffet in coach three of every five-coach half-set, although only one would be used at a time in each ten-coach set. The trains would be modified to go at 186mph only, but with much better acceleration.

SERVICES
There would be one train per hour between Paris and London. Trains to Herne Bay would wait until the chord and Cheriton International are built. If it is built, the service would stop at Thanet Parkway (not shown on map). The reason for the strange selections of stations on the Herne Bay service was for two reasons: average time between stations and spare platforms. Folkestone Central has an island that is abandoned. This could easily be used for Transmanche. Margate has got Platform 2, which is not used, and the space where there appears to have been a fifth platform. Either of the islands these platforms are on could be fenced off, with passport controls place in another building. Similarly, Herne Bay has got a space for a third platform, which could be fenced off. The unused subway could be used to connect it to a station building.

Stratford International would have the required parts added for international trains to stop there.

LIVERY AND BRANDING
The logo can be seen on the map. The whole logo includes the black circle and the word 'Transmanche', while the icon would just have the stripes.

The trains would have a base colour of white, but at the ends of the carriages would be the three colours in the logo in a pattern similar to the ends of the Pride-livery Class 700 (700155) and the 2001 Toyota Castrol Tom's Supra race car (pictured below - screenshot of Gran Turismo PSP by Polyphony Digital from IGCD.net).


The seats would have a dark red moquette with circles (the design is the same as the one in the logo) with in colours from the logo (except black) placed randomly. A seperate headrest (like in the IEP first class) would be on the seats, and would be black with the stripes logo in the centre, and 'Transmanche' written along the bottom in white.

The carpet would be purple with lines on it in a slightly lighter purple. The handrails would be light blue.

 

[Doomotron]

To be honest, I think I'm the only person keeping this thread alive at the moment. Anyway, new OAO...

RYE TRAINS
As part of the South Eastern franchise, high speed services via the Marshlink line were suggested. A great idea, I say. Rye has no direct service to London and Hastings to Victoria is far too long. My suggestion is for a service from London to Rye (Hastings might cause competition problems). This is a rough version of the logo made in Paint (a circle with and R and T):

And the map:


SERVICES
Rye Trains would operate one service, 1tph London Blackfriars to Rye, calling at London Bridge, Tonbridge, Ashford International, Hamstreet and Rye. In busy times like peak hours, services would also call at Orpington and Appledore. Rye station would be slightly resignalled to allow trains to terminate there without having to change platforms. At first, trains would be run as 4 coaches, but if needed, they will be extended to 8, with platform extension works at Hamstreet, Appledore and Rye.

TRAINS AND LIVERY
At the start, Rye Trains would use Class 168/0s from Chiltern Railways, but heavily refurbished. The seats would be modified versions of the ones for Class 375/8s (which albeit not sprung like the ones in the /6s are a lot more supportive and more comfortable IMO), but with larger headrests, lower armrests and slightly more upright. There would be no first class in the trains. However, a trolley service would be provided. In the centre of the train (the centre-end of coach 2 or 3), an area would be provided to 'park' the trolley and turn it into a static buffet - this is because Turbostars have no area to store a trolley, which is one of the reasons SWT got rid of them. They would have Dellner couplers fitted and be modified to fully work with Class 171s. The refurbished trains would be reclassified as Class 169.

The livery would be simple. Metallic silver base, with train ends in the same shade of blue as the line on the map. At the ends of the train would be a blue Northern-style end, and the name 'RYE TRAINS'. At the left end of the train, the RYE would be in the blue (the word would be silver) and TRAINS in blue on the silver. A the other end, the opposite: RYE on the silver, TRAINS in the blue. The logo would be placed in the centre of the coaches under the windows.

The seats would be the shade of blue from the map, with different shades of blue and black (///) in weird 'shard' shapes across the seats, except in the headrest, where there is no pattern and the moquette is dark blue (/) instead of light blue. The handrails would be lime green. The carpet would be black with light blue and lime green 'shards', albeit more randomly placed. Around doors, the floor would be lino with a grayscale geometric pattern similar to the cover of New Order's album Music Complete:

(of course, the real lino wouldn't actually be that pattern scaled up, it would be very small and repeat randomly)

In the event that the Marshlink line is electrified, the 5 Class 169s would be sent back to Chiltern and replaced with heavily modified Class 442s (the ones thatn were stored). They would undergo a Vivarail-level rebuild (albeit keeping the chugging noise and the covers at the front being readded so the trains could work with locos as Mark 3s and DVTs rolled into one).


Anyway, that's it for Rye Trains. I hope you like it.

 

[Mogz]

Great North Western Railway.

Routes:

West Country
South Coast
and Paddington

via

Reading
Oxford
Banbury
Leamington
Birmingham
Shrewsbury
Crewe
Chester

to a new Birkenhead Station beyond Rock Ferry at Wirral Waters.

Stock:

68 or 88+ 7 Mk5A coaches laid out as follows

Coach A (DT)- Standard Class all airline style seating.

Coach B Standard Class all table seating

Coach C Standard Class all table seating

Coach D Standard Class, half “family compartments”, (DB style), half open coach “guards van” with luggage, bicycle and pram space.

Coach E Standard Class all table seating

Coach F Composite - Half Standard Class airline seating, half First Class airline seating.

Coach G First Class - half table seating, half “business compartment” seating.

We can but dream...

 

[ilikehs1lolol]

Since this thread is still going and I love OAO's, I just happen to have an idea. Couldn't be bothered to make a map, sorry.
Name: NS (for North-South) Link (bit lame, i know)
Route: Edinburgh to Margate
Frequency: 4tpd both ways Monday-Sunday
Calling at:
Musselburgh (2tpd)
Newcastle
Durham
Darlington
York
Doncaster
Peterborough
Stevenage (2tpd)
St Pancras International
Farringdon
London Blackfriars
London Bridge
Lewisham
Sevenoaks
Tonbridge
Ashford International
Canterbury West
Ramsgate
Broadstairs
Margate

 

[Train man]

My company will be called: ScotLink. This will be a company competing against ScotRail's intercity services and on all Glasgow to Edinburgh services.

Fares will be off peak during including at rush hour also National Entitlement Card holders will get free travel on all services including at peak times. Trains have standard class seats only and trolley serving food and drinks is provided (Intercity services only) and free WiFi and USB and plug sockets.

Services:

• Glasgow to Inverness: Calls at Stirling, Gleneagles, Perth, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Kingussie, Aviemore and Inverness. Services leave every hour
• Edinburgh to Inverness: Calls at Haymarket, Inverkeithing, Kirkcaldy, Ladybank, Perth, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Kingussie, Aviemore and Inverness. Services leave every hour
• Glasgow to Aberdeen Calls at: Stirling, Gleneagles, Perth, Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, Stonehaven and Aberdeen. Services leave every 45 minutes.
• Edinburgh to Aberdeen Calls at: Haymarket, Inverkeithing Kirkcaldy, Cupar, Leuchars, Dundee Arbroath, Montrose, Stonehaven and Aberdeen services leave every 45 minutes
• GlasgowQS to Edinburgh via Falkirk H calls at Falkirk High, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 15 minutes.
• Glasgow to Edinburgh via Bathgate Calls at Glasgow QS low level, Airdrie, Bathgate Livingston North Uphall, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 30 minutes.
• Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts calls at Shotts West Calder Livingston South, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 30 minutes
• Glasgow to Edinburgh via Carstairs calls at Glasgow Central, Motherwell, Carstairs, Kirknewton, Curriehill, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 35 minutes
• Rolling stock for the intercity services will be the Railjet stock built to UK standards with 6 coaches loco will be a class 68.
• Glasgow Edinburgh services will be run by Class 379 and 387 (with no ironing board seats).

Can't think of a livery though.

 

[Stopper]

My company will be called: ScotLink. This will be a company competing against ScotRail's intercity services and on all Glasgow to Edinburgh services.

Fares will be off peak during including at rush hour also National Entitlement Card holders will get free travel on all services including at peak times. Trains have standard class seats only and trolley serving food and drinks is provided (Intercity services only) and free WiFi and USB and plug sockets.

Services:

• Glasgow to Inverness: Calls at Stirling, Gleneagles, Perth, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Kingussie, Aviemore and Inverness. Services leave every hour
• Edinburgh to Inverness: Calls at Haymarket, Dalmeny, Inverkeithing, Kirkcaldy, Ladybank, Perth, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Kingussie, Aviemore and Inverness. Services leave every hour
• Glasgow to Aberdeen Calls at: Stirling, Gleneagles, Perth, Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, Stonehaven and Aberdeen. Services leave every 45 minutes.
• Edinburgh to Aberdeen Calls at: Haymarket, Dalmeny Inverkeithing Kirkcaldy, Cupar, Leu, chars, Dundee Arbroath, Montrose, Stonehaven and Aberdeen services leave every 45 minutes
• GlasgowQS to Edinburgh via Falkirk H calls at Falkirk High, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 15 minutes.
• Glasgow to Edinburgh via Bathgate Calls at Glasgow QS low level, Airdrie, Drumgelloch, Bathgate Livingston North Uphall, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 30 minutes.
• Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts calls at Shotts West Calder Livingston South, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 30 minutes
• Glasgow to Edinburgh via Carstairs calls at Glasgow Central, Motherwell, Carstairs, Kirknewton, Curriehill, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 35 minutes
• Rolling stock for the intercity services will be the Railjet stock built to UK standards with 6 coaches loco will be a class 68.
• Glasgow Edinburgh services will be run by Class 379 and 378 (with no ironing board seats).

Can't think of a livery though.

Not sure what all the Dalmeny calls on the Inverness/Aberdeen services are about. Same goes for Ladybank. Ideally on EDB-ABD/INV services you wouldn’t want too many calls before Perth/Cupar (Haymarket aside).

Not sure why you’d call at Drumgelloch but not Coatbridge.

 

[Aictos]

CROSS LONDON TRAINS (XLT)
Yes, I know there already is an XLT, but that's the company who managed the Thameslink Program. Anyway, as this suggestion is definitely cross-London, I shall keep the name.

Anyway, there is a huge lack of east to west connections by train. Of course there's East/West Rail, but what if you lived in Kent? It's not like Crossrail is going to be very useful: Abbey Wood is a station that is so badly placed for me to use that I couldn't use it, Farringdon needs a change at St Pancras when I could get the Underground to Paddington... Blah blah blah. I'm going to make an operator that goes from east to west. Properly.

Please note that Route 1 is dependent on whether there is electrification to Swansea and that the link from the West London Line to the GWML is electrified with overhead wires, if it is in fact still possible. If they're not, just remember this is a fantasy thread. Route 2 requires High Speed 2 to be built, with a connection to HS1 allowing direct Old Oak Common - Stratford services.

View attachment 67897

BRANDING AND LIVERY
Although it shares the name with the company involved in the Thameslink Program, it is only referred to Cross London Trains (XLT) legally. Everywhere else it is simply known as XL. The name was chosen both because the OAO runs across London, but also because the initials (XL) shows the size of the network. The logo can be seen above, as well as the map detailing the route of services.

While the trains will be discussed later on, I will talk about the livery now. All trains will be painted in their route colours with metallic paint, with the secondary colour being the colour used for the limited service routes on the map.. For example, a train running on Route 3 will be light blue, with a baby blue stripe and doors. Logos will be kept to a minimum, with the simply 'XL' logo being largely painted at the ends of units (similar to the placement and size of the BR logo in the BR Blue days). The colour of the logo will be the secondary colour for each route.

The interior fittings will be train-dependent, but the colours can be talked about here. The seats will be grey moquette, with squares (which would be the route's main colour) dotted on the back precisely, down from the headrest along the centre to the bottom of the seat. Handrails will be painted in the route's secondary colour. The carpet would be black across all trains, with squares in the aisle. The squares will alternate between all four main route colours. These squares will not be placed randomly, and will make an even pattern.

The colour of the front of the train will be matte black (although near to grey).

SERVICES AND TRAINS
There will be 1tph on the main routes.

On Route 1, extensions to Swansea and Margate will run in Summer, with the frequency increased to 2tph when services to Eythorne are running (Eythorne will get 1tph, the rest of the train will divide at Dover Priory and continue to Margate). The extension to Eythorne will run along the East Kent Railway, as this service may help the line as I believe it may be suffering from financial difficulty. Some trains will not return to Swansea all the time, as some will instead operate a shuttle service between Eythorne and the EKR Sheperd's Well station. This extension will only run in Summer when the EKR is running. XLT will build the loop on the EKR in the tunnel (the tunnel was built for two tracks, but only one was ever laid) so trains can pass. For these services, Eythorne and Shepherd's Well (EKR station) will be extended to fit 6-coach trains of the same length as a Class 395). Route 1 will be operated by IEPs with third rail shoes added to allow running on the lines in Kent, but with diesel engines being removed, being replaced with batteries for Eythorne services. The trains will essentially be 'mini IEPs'. The coaches would be 20m long, with trains being 12 coaches. To allow use on Eythorne services (and also on a future OAO I'm going to make), the train can divide in the middle, with full driving controls in a cab in this centre position. There would be a buffet in each 'set' for symmetry, but only one would be used at a time. Doors would be at the end of the coaches, like the proper IEPs. The seats would be the same as the IEPs, but of course would have a lot more padding in them to make them comfy.

On Route 2, during peak hours, the amount of services will increase to 2tph, with one train diverting at Ebbsfleet to run a semi-fast service to Margate. Route 2 will use the same trains as the classic-compatible HS2 order, but with third rail shoes for services to Margate. The seats would either be the ones usually fitted to the new HS2 trains (if they comfortable). If they are not, it will be the same as the IEPs above. They will have a trolley service as the route is too short to warrant a buffet. The trains will be roughly 240m long.

On Route 3, Class 707s will be used. The trains will have a new interior fitted (with seats made to be similar to the old Compins seats used in the Connex Electrostars - you know, the nice ones. They would, however, have larger seat-back tables, lower armrests, bigger headrests and be slightly more supportive. Carpet would also be fitted. The units would also get new carriages built for them, increasing them to 9 coaches. A buffet would be added in coach 5, with disabled toilets in coaches 3 and 7. Normal toilets would be in coaches 2 and 8. Services would be extended to King's Lynn and Weymouth during peak hours (when the frequency is increased to 2tph - one train will run from King's Lynn to Portsmouth, with the other going to Weymouth).

On Route 4, Class 769s would be used (although they would be numbered as 319/9s as I don't like the classification of 769... It makes it look like they're new trains, which they're really not). The nine left in storage (according to Wikipedia) would be converted, but to a higher scale. The interior would be completely rebuilt, as would be the electrics (getting rid of the awkward stack in the motor coach). Air conditioning would be fitted. New suspension would be added to make the ride better. There would be carpet and the seats would be the same as the 707s. A buffet would be included in the motor coach (the disabled toilet would be in the other centre coach) - the trains would run as 4 coaches when possible, but when needed will be doubled up, and during this time, an extra crew would be on the train to run the other buffet. During peak hours and in Summer, all services will be extended to Barnstaple. At no point will the frequency of this service increase.

SPARE TRAINS
There may not be enough trains available, so some spare trains would be owned or hired. Spare trains are white and black.

• Class 442s: The six remaining units would be rebuilt, given the same seats as the 707s, and would be modified to run both as third rail units but also as push/pull units.
• Class 92s: 3 92s (including my personal favourite, 022) would be refurbished by Brush to be used on Route 1. They would have a system that allows the driver to change the train's gearing. When the train is being used for freight, the normal 87mph would be used, but for passenger services, the locos would run at 110mph.
• Class 387s: In the event the C2C 387s don't find a use, XL will take them on for use on Routes 1 and 3.
• Class 68: If there are not enough 319s available, the Class 442 sets would be coupled to a hired Class 68. However, it doesn't need to be 68s. Any suitable locos could be used.

Actually XLT don’t manage the Thameslink programme, they are important partners though - They’re responsible for the manufacturing, funding and upkeep of the Class 700s.

 

[ilikehs1lolol]

My company will be called: ScotLink. This will be a company competing against ScotRail's intercity services and on all Glasgow to Edinburgh services.

Fares will be off peak during including at rush hour also National Entitlement Card holders will get free travel on all services including at peak times. Trains have standard class seats only and trolley serving food and drinks is provided (Intercity services only) and free WiFi and USB and plug sockets.

Services:

• Glasgow to Inverness: Calls at Stirling, Gleneagles, Perth, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Kingussie, Aviemore and Inverness. Services leave every hour
• Edinburgh to Inverness: Calls at Haymarket, Dalmeny, Inverkeithing, Kirkcaldy, Ladybank, Perth, Pitlochry, Blair Atholl, Kingussie, Aviemore and Inverness. Services leave every hour
• Glasgow to Aberdeen Calls at: Stirling, Gleneagles, Perth, Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, Stonehaven and Aberdeen. Services leave every 45 minutes.
• Edinburgh to Aberdeen Calls at: Haymarket, Dalmeny Inverkeithing Kirkcaldy, Cupar, Leu, chars, Dundee Arbroath, Montrose, Stonehaven and Aberdeen services leave every 45 minutes
• GlasgowQS to Edinburgh via Falkirk H calls at Falkirk High, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 15 minutes.
• Glasgow to Edinburgh via Bathgate Calls at Glasgow QS low level, Airdrie, Drumgelloch, Bathgate Livingston North Uphall, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 30 minutes.
• Glasgow Central to Edinburgh via Shotts calls at Shotts West Calder Livingston South, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 30 minutes
• Glasgow to Edinburgh via Carstairs calls at Glasgow Central, Motherwell, Carstairs, Kirknewton, Curriehill, Haymarket and Edinburgh. Services leave every 35 minutes
• Rolling stock for the intercity services will be the Railjet stock built to UK standards with 6 coaches loco will be a class 68.
• Glasgow Edinburgh services will be run by Class 379 and 378 (with no ironing board seats).

Can't think of a livery though.

378s between Glasgow-Edinburgh?! That's really odd, and anyhow they wouldn't fit on that route.

 

[Doomotron]

378s between Glasgow-Edinburgh?! That's really odd, and anyhow they wouldn't fit on that route.

I think he meant 387s...

 

[ilikehs1lolol]

True.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Say hello to InterRegio by Ilham Travel LTD fully refurbished 170s (seats will have moquette base, but soft leather on headrests)

 

[Ayman Ilham]

I'm also thinking a faster way to get to the Scottish Highlands bypassing Glasgow via Cumbernauld! For day trains, either use a modified Class 802 with tilting mechanisms fitted or a Voyager/Pendolino converted to bi-mode (whichever is easier) to ensure maximum speed and of course, for night trains, you can't go wrong with the Mark 5 sleepers! Being original and starting from Manchester rather than London!

 

[Wirewiper]

I'm also thinking a faster way to get to the Scottish Highlands bypassing Glasgow via Cumbernauld! For day trains, either use a modified Class 802 with tilting mechanisms fitted or a Voyager/Pendolino converted to bi-mode (whichever is easier) to ensure maximum speed and of course, for night trains, you can't go wrong with the Mark 5 sleepers! Being original and starting from Manchester rather than London!
View attachment 69845

Back-project that to the West Midlands - possibly even Stratford-upon-Avon - and you could be on to a winner.

 

[bobbyrail]

I will be having two separate open access operations that will work collectively to reduce costs and increase customer flow through the two entities.

The first will be a London Euston - Manchester picc Pullman service cant think of a name just yet
Will be 1tph each way only calling at Stafford with no standard seating
It will be a 7 car Class 802 service set-up as follows
Coach A = Executive seating At seat silver service, plus services provided below, this carrage attended to by two stewards
Coach B = Kitchen Meals prepared and cooked on board to customers requirements
Coach C = Restaurant
Coach D = Seated (classic) Normal first class offering, access to restaurant if seating available
Coach E = Seated (classic) Normal first class offering, access to restaurant if seating available
Coach F = Seated (club) Guaranteed access to the restaurant, free wi-fi, papers, free drinks and snacks served at seat, quite coach, dedicated member of staff in this carriage
Coach G = Tm office, staff area, stores for seated club passengers freebies

I will also operate a sleeper service called Nightline
Manchester picc - Wick/Thurso
Class 802 9 car + 7 car
9 Car unit will terminate at Inverness
Coach A = Kitchen
Coach B = Lounge
Coach C = Seated
Coach D = Sleeper compartments (double rooms)
Coach E = Sleeper compartments (double rooms)
Coach F = Sleeper compartments (Single rooms)
Coach G =Sleeper compartments (Single rooms)
Coach H = Sleeper compartments (Single rooms)
Coach I - Tm office, staff use

7 Car unit continues to Thurso

As above but 1 double room coach and 1 single room coach less

Route will be Manchester - York - Newcastle - Edinburgh - Inverness - Wick / Thurso
Stops at selected other stations after calling at Edinburgh

Using the same stock on all routes will reduce operating cost and increase my bank balance

 

[The Ham]

I will be having two separate open access operations that will work collectively to reduce costs and increase customer flow through the two entities.

The first will be a London Euston - Manchester picc Pullman service cant think of a name just yet
Will be 1tph each way only calling at Stafford with no standard seating
It will be a 7 car Class 802 service set-up as follows
Coach A = Executive seating At seat silver service, plus services provided below, this carrage attended to by two stewards
Coach B = Kitchen Meals prepared and cooked on board to customers requirements
Coach C = Restaurant
Coach D = Seated (classic) Normal first class offering, access to restaurant if seating available
Coach E = Seated (classic) Normal first class offering, access to restaurant if seating available
Coach F = Seated (club) Guaranteed access to the restaurant, free wi-fi, papers, free drinks and snacks served at seat, quite coach, dedicated member of staff in this carriage
Coach G = Tm office, staff area, stores for seated club passengers freebies

I will also operate a sleeper service called Nightline
Manchester picc - Wick/Thurso
Class 802 9 car + 7 car
9 Car unit will terminate at Inverness
Coach A = Kitchen
Coach B = Lounge
Coach C = Seated
Coach D = Sleeper compartments (double rooms)
Coach E = Sleeper compartments (double rooms)
Coach F = Sleeper compartments (Single rooms)
Coach G =Sleeper compartments (Single rooms)
Coach H = Sleeper compartments (Single rooms)
Coach I - Tm office, staff use

7 Car unit continues to Thurso

As above but 1 double room coach and 1 single room coach less

Route will be Manchester - York - Newcastle - Edinburgh - Inverness - Wick / Thurso
Stops at selected other stations after calling at Edinburgh

Using the same stock on all routes will reduce operating cost and increase my bank balance

But necessarily aimed at your suggestion, but rather a note general point.

I've wondered if it would not be better to consider using sleeping pods like the Japanese have in some of their hotels. You would have to provide more seating. However with the ability to stack the pods 3 high and then only needing to be up to 1.2m wide you are likely to be able to fit more in. You could look at double pods being 1.8m wide, which would fit even more people in. I'm aware that these distances are wider than standard beds but you'd need some space for your stuff.

Those then in the seated areas would benefit as they would have access to more seats when the pods were occupied. In just below or just above 16m of coach length you could fit 39 single pods or 27 double pods (52 people). It's more likely that you'd have a mix of sizes so possibly 15 double pods and 18 single pods. That would allow you a fair amount of coach space for door as well as some loos and showers. Even if you needed to provide seats for all those people (51) that would still fit within additional coach, whilst over 2 coaches it would only be about 1/3 of the seating provision.

Pricing could be based of the following:
Seat only
Pod only (may sit in unused seats, which is likely to be easier at breakfast rather than in the evening)
Pod & guaranteed seat
Traditional berth

You'd probably only want 1 coach of pods, so on a 7 coach train you'd have 2 seated coaches, a of coach and then 4 of traditional berths (note that any kitchen provision would either be in the DVT or end coach of a MU)

 

[bobbyrail]

But necessarily aimed at your suggestion, but rather a note general point.

I've wondered if it would not be better to consider using sleeping pods like the Japanese have in some of their hotels. You would have to provide more seating. However with the ability to stack the pods 3 high and then only needing to be up to 1.2m wide you are likely to be able to fit more in. You could look at double pods being 1.8m wide, which would fit even more people in. I'm aware that these distances are wider than standard beds but you'd need some space for your stuff.

Those then in the seated areas would benefit as they would have access to more seats when the pods were occupied. In just below or just above 16m of coach length you could fit 39 single pods or 27 double pods (52 people). It's more likely that you'd have a mix of sizes so possibly 15 double pods and 18 single pods. That would allow you a fair amount of coach space for door as well as some loos and showers. Even if you needed to provide seats for all those people (51) that would still fit within additional coach, whilst over 2 coaches it would only be about 1/3 of the seating provision.

Pricing could be based of the following:
Seat only
Pod only (may sit in unused seats, which is likely to be easier at breakfast rather than in the evening)
Pod & guaranteed seat
Traditional berth

You'd probably only want 1 coach of pods, so on a 7 coach train you'd have 2 seated coaches, a of coach and then 4 of traditional berths (note that any kitchen provision would either be in the DVT or end coach of a MU)

I am fine with pods and i really do think that something is needed between a seat and a traditional berth. The single rooms i was thinking of for coach G would be in a sort of staggered style. The bed in room 1 would be above the bed in room 2, viewed from the side of the coach they would be like a square number 2 shape on a calculator screen. I reckon in 26m of length i could get 26 single rooms in a coach with each room having 600mm wide floor space leaving around 700mm for the bed and 100mm for a dividing wall.

So maybe Coach F en-suite, Coach G staggered beds (no toilet), Coach H Pods, the wick section would have to have either G or H or a special combi coach to keep it at 7 Cars

Totally agree on tiered pricing, but including cheaper advances

On the Pullman service the kitchen location is due to Lord & Lady Snooty not wanting riff-raff or staff constantly walking through their exclusive area, they will be paying very handsomely for that though so i would need to have a re-think if the kitchen had to be in an end coach.

 

[ariford113]

How about Heathrow - Birmingham and Manchester ? by Northern Intercontinental Railways!

Heathrow T5 - Heathrow T123 - Ealing Broadway - Wembley Central - Harrow and Wealdstone - Watford Junction - Rugby (split here - 4 coaches for Coventry, Birmingham International and New Street) - Nuneaton - Sandbach - Manchester Airport - Manchester Piccadilly.

Electrification needed Ealing - Wembley, I guess!

Take the slow WCML to Watford Junction, then cross to fast tracks. Slot in behind the xx30 Euston - Glasgow. xx40 Manchester overtakes at Rugby. xx43 Glasgow / Edinburgh also overtakes the Birmingham portion.

Like!

Less stops around London, please.

Then continue up WCML to Scotland, and over TransPennine to ECML and the North East.

I was thinking of an HST with a 90 or 91 at one end.

Get your tickets onto Skyscanner and Kiwi and they'll connect you to travellers travelling from UK cities to/from all over the world, and you're in business

Heathrow would be happy too, It's impossible to get to from anywhere but London they need more rail access for their capacity expansion.

 

[bobbyrail]

What is it with this everything has to go to Man airport thing????? Services into Manchester could be so much more efficient if the airport wasn't seemingly the capital of he north.

 

[43096]

increase my bank balance

Of course it will.......

 

[Esker-pades]

What is it with this everything has to go to Man airport thing????? Services into Manchester could be so much more efficient if the airport wasn't seemingly the capital of he north.

Again, where would services off the Castlefield Corridor go if not to the Airport?

 

[A Challenge]

Again, where would services off the Castlefield Corridor go if not to the Airport?

Presumably they wouldn't go through Castlefield at all, for example the TPEs used to run to Piccadilly via Guide Bridge but were changed to stop them from having to cross all the way across the station throat.

 

[PolyDriver]

More sleeper services going pretty much anywhere. Great way to travel.

 

[Doomotron]

NORTH/SOUTH EXPRESS

First are going to start a budget operator between London and Edinburgh. On the West Coast, there isn't one. With High Speed 2 presumably going to cause a rise in ticket prices, it's essential to begin a low-cost service on the route. Using a fictional brand from the video game Forza Horizon 4, I will run a variety of services on the WCML at an average price of £25, like East Coast Trains on the ECML. Services will not use High Speed 2 to reduce costs, but will stop at fewer stations than the current WCML services to hopefully keep the service's speed acceptable.



SERVICES

• 1tph London Euston to Glasgow Central (fast) calling at Preston and Glasgow Central.
• 1tph London Euston to Glasgow Central (stopping service) calling at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Rugby, Stafford, Crewe, Preston, Carlisle Citadel and Glasgow Central.
• 4tpd London Euston to Edinburgh Waverley calling at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Preston, Edinburgh Haymarket and Edinburgh Waverley. This train runs 4 times per day in each direction; two in the morning and two in the evening.
• 1tp4h London Euston to Glasgow Central (non-stop) calling at Glasgow Central only. This train runs every four hours in each direction with a more expensive fare.

TRAINS AND LIVERY
In Forza Horizon 4, there is a brand (presumably for the trains) called North/South Express. I always liked the branding, so I decided to use it for the operator (hopefully we'll get permission from Playground Games to use the name if the service beame a reality). The livery would most likely be (based on the in-game posters) light blue and orange with arrows pointing north and south. The trains would be painted in light blue and orange, alternating. For example, in a three-coach train, the first coach might be blue. At the end of the coach would be an orange arrow. On the next coach, there'd be a light blue arrow and the rest of the coach would be orange. The process repeats. An alternate idea would be for something very similar to the National Express East Anglia livery. The base would be light blue with a SWR-style verticle stripe like this (just pretend the slashes are attached): //////////////

Doors would be painted black The trains would receive new high-intensity headlights to allow for a black front, in the same shape as the yellow on the old Virgin livery. The roof would also be painted black.

The trains would be Pendolinos inherited from Avanti when the majority of services use High Speed 2, as most of them (maybe even all of them) will be displaced by the new trains. All of the trains needed would be used, with the rest going elsewhere. The interior would be based on the upcoming refurbishment, unless the new seats are uncomfortable. If they're nice seats like Grammer IC3000s, they'd say, but if they're Fainsa Sophias, thy'll be chucked out ASAP and replaced with something like the Grammer seats in Class 395s.* The interior would be blue and orange, like the outside (I know it's a bit too bright, but Ouigo has bright blue and pink and that was a huge success. On one side of a coach, all of the seats are orange, and on the other, they're light blue. Both colours would have a e-leather headrest with a darker version of the moquette on the seats. In the centre of the seat back and base, squares of the other colour compared to the seat's moquette would be placed. A change from the blue and orange, the seat backs, armrests, carpets and handrails would be painted black. In vestibules, there would be lino in, you guessed it, diagonal light blue and orange stripes. On the inside, doors would be painted black.

In coaches with big seats, the seats would be the old Virgin ones. In the event they cannot be obtained after the refurbishment of the 390s, first class seats from Project Mallard HSTs and Mark 4s would be used, or at least something of similar quality.

*Many people do not like the seast in the Class 395s due to there hardness. However, on a recent trip I went on, the bases in the seats had become ridiculously soft (softer than the sprung Electrostar seats). They were lovely. They are also quite thin, giving both good legroom and extra seats, like the AT300s, but without the Fainsa Sophias.

ONBOARD/TICKETS
Tickets can only be bought online. However, those with normal tickets can still use NSX.

Several ticket types would be available:

• Folding seats, such as those in the vestibules and around the toilets would be available for the cheapest price. These would only allow you to sit in these seats for the entire journey.
• Standard tickets are the usual tickets, and standard class ticket holders on the rest of the network will sit in these seats along with those who purchased NSX-specific tickets online. These are medium-quality.
• Big seat tickets are the equivalent of National Rail first class tickets. They are more expensive than standard, obviously.
• Standing tickets can only be bought 1 hour before a train leaves, in an auction on the North/South Express app. Prices start at £1. With these tickets, you can only stand in certain spots in the train like the vesibules.

When you're on a train, you are able to upgrade your ticket to a higher class for a fee ranging from half the original fare to one and a half times the original fare, depending on where you're upgrading from and where you're upgrading to.

Food, unlike other low-cost services, is available. The shop would be converted to a 'parking space' for a trolley that goes through the train sometimes. This would act as a permanent buffet location. Cooking equipment would also be provided here for the few services that have cooked meals. All non-stop services and early morning/late evening services would have these. Meals can only be bought in standard or big seats on non-stop services, and only in big seats on morning and evening services. All trains and all classes have access to the buffet and trolley to buy light snacks and drinks.

Alcohol cannot be drunk on any train, for passengers' safety and dignity.

An app would be available. With it, you can take part in auctions for cheaper tickets (and the ability to buy standing tickets), reserve seats, buy tickets directly (this also can be done on the website - although normal rail tickets can be used on NSX services, it is cheaper to buy them from NSX directly) and join a membership scheme that gives you 20% off any tickets you buy. The membership can be bought for £5 a month or can be obtained for free if your account on the app and website considers you a regular traveler.

Reservations are not available on any service.

 

[coradiafan2000]

This one is less a serious proposal and more a fantasy I had as a kid that I've developed slightly. I'm not sure if it would benefit many people other than me.

In order to provide the Welsh valleys better connectivity with England, I'd have a few trains per day running from destinations such as Merthyr, Bargoed and Treherbert to London Paddington via Bristol. The services from Merthyr would run non stop to Pontypridd, then non stop to Cardiff Central. This in itself could provide a faster journey from towns in the valleys to Cardiff to compete with the buses. Perhaps a few could also call at Trefforest to cater for uni students. The ones from Bargoed could maybe call at Caerphilly?

After Cardiff they would call at Newport before running to either Bristol Parkway or Temple Meads. Whichever would be the most useful for passengers and the most feasible. After that they'd run non stop to Paddington, perhaps a few could call at Swindon and/ or Reading.

The traction would consist of 180s displaced from Hull Trains and 222s displaced from EMR (I'm aware there may be clearance issues with these trains, but this is a fantasy after all). There'd also be the potential for services to double up at Cardiff or even Pontypridd, to provide a better rival to GWR.

As far as names I haven't thought of anything better than "Valleylink" or Valleys Express". I'd imagine the livery would be white, red and green to represent the colours of the Welsh flag.

Like I said this isn't a very serious idea I've had, and isn't anywhere near as detailed as some of the other excellent suggestions on here, but I thought it would be worth sharing

 

[Esker-pades]

This one is less a serious proposal and more a fantasy I had as a kid that I've developed slightly. I'm not sure if it would benefit many people other than me.

In order to provide the Welsh valleys better connectivity with England, I'd have a few trains per day running from destinations such as Merthyr, Bargoed and Treherbert to London Paddington via Bristol. The services from Merthyr would run non stop to Pontypridd, then non stop to Cardiff Central. This in itself could provide a faster journey from towns in the valleys to Cardiff to compete with the buses. Perhaps a few could also call at Trefforest to cater for uni students. The ones from Bargoed could maybe call at Caerphilly?

After Cardiff they would call at Newport before running to either Bristol Parkway or Temple Meads. Whichever would be the most useful for passengers and the most feasible. After that they'd run non stop to Paddington, perhaps a few could call at Swindon and/ or Reading.

The traction would consist of 180s displaced from Hull Trains and 222s displaced from EMR (I'm aware there may be clearance issues with these trains, but this is a fantasy after all). There'd also be the potential for services to double up at Cardiff or even Pontypridd, to provide a better rival to GWR.

As far as names I haven't thought of anything better than "Valleylink" or Valleys Express". I'd imagine the livery would be white, red and green to represent the colours of the Welsh flag.

Like I said this isn't a very serious idea I've had, and isn't anywhere near as detailed as some of the other excellent suggestions on here, but I thought it would be worth sharing

Honestly, it's not as 'mad' as some of the 'serious' suggestions we've had on this thread!