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

[coradiafan2000]

Fast service from London Kings Cross to Lincoln calling at Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford and Lincoln to give the city of Lincoln more direct London services - could make use of the Class 175s for this service once TfW replace their entire fleet!

Thought of a good way to use surplus EMUs - could use the 332s or 379s on a London Euston to Manchester Victoria service calling at Lichfield Trent Valley, Stoke-on-Trent, Crewe, Winsford, Hartford, Warrington Bank Quay, Earlestown, Eccles and Manchester Victoria to open up direct rail services between more towns/cities (e.g. Stoke to Lichfield, Hartford/Winsford to Manchester, Eccles to Warrington, Manchester to Lichfield, etc.)

Not sure if Lincoln needs another London service, now that LNER has a more regular service. Could be good for the population in Spalding and Sleaford however. Not sure about the use of 175s though. They're great units, but not suited to high speed expresses. How would you feel about 180s operating it? As they're essentially an express version of a 175.

Second one sounds very interesting. Both trains deserve more time on the railway before being thrown to the scrapheap. The service could take some of the strain off LNWR services, and as you say, open up better rail connections.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

I would opt for a Warrington-Preston stopping service running using a couple of class 323. Calling Pattern WBQ-Earlstown-NLW-Wigan NW-Euxton-Leyland-Preston. I would try to run hourly to ensure local connectivity.

How about Stoke-on-Trent to Preston via Alsager, Crewe, Winsford, Hartford, WBQ then onwards for your stopping pattern to Preston? Use a surplus 360 for that maybe?

I thought of a name recently that I simply had to use for something like this, so here's a basic idea for a OAO for Coventry, naturally called...

COVENTRAINS

The operator would run trains (1 per hour?) between Coventry and Reigate calling at Rugby, Milton Keynes Central, Bletchley, Tring, Watford Junction, Shepherd's Bush, Kensington Olympia, Sutton, Redhill and Reigate. I don't particularly care about the trains, but they'd have to be something dual-voltage. Class 377/5s would do, or maybe Coventrains could provide a home for the 360/2s?

Got some route ideas for Coventrains for using 5-car 802s:
Coventry to Bradford Interchange calling at Lichfield Trent Valley, Stoke-on-Trent, Warrington Bank Quay, Earlestown, Manchester Victoria, Rochdale, Halifax and Bradford Interchange
Coventry to Burnley Central calling at Lichfield Trent Valley, Stoke-on-Trent, Stockport, Manchester Piccadilly, Bolton, Blackburn, Accrington and Burnley Central
Coventry to Portsmouth Harbour calling at Banbury, Oxford, Reading, Wokingham, Farnborough North, Guildford, Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour

Not sure if Lincoln needs another London service, now that LNER has a more regular service. Could be good for the population in Spalding and Sleaford however. Not sure about the use of 175s though. They're great units, but not suited to high speed expresses. How would you feel about 180s operating it? As they're essentially an express version of a 175.

Second one sounds very interesting. Both trains deserve more time on the railway before being thrown to the scrapheap. The service could take some of the strain off LNWR services, and as you say, open up better rail connections.

Yeah 180 would be better for the first due to higher top speed and more carriages although since the 175s are spared up, I was thinking of a way to use them. Sleaford and Spalding would get a direct London service AND Peterborough to Lincoln have more connections between them! Got a good name idea for the second one? I'm thinking of a good one that sounds catchy, fits the route and is original! North Midland Express?

 

[The Ham]

Coventry to Portsmouth Harbour calling at Banbury, Oxford, Reading, Wokingham, Farnborough North, Guildford, Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour

That would certainly be attractive service to many people.

 

[coradiafan2000]

I think we need more cross London services. All we have at the moment are the Southern services from Milton Keynes to East Croydon.

The Coventrains idea sounds like a good start, but I'd like to go further. How about restoring a service from the Virgin XC days and have a TOC operating services from Brighton to Glasgow Central? It could call at Gatwick Airport, East Croydon (northbound only), Kensington Olympia, Watford Junction (southbound only) Milton Keynes Central, Stafford, (a few could go round via Birmingham and Wolverhampton), Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, and Glasgow Central. Not all trains have to run to Glasgow though. Perhaps a few could terminate at other major destinations, such as Edinburgh, Manchester Piccadilly or Liverpool Lime Street. Perhaps even Blackpool North in the summer, connecting two of England's most famous seasides.

They'd take the strain off the London Underground and London termini, while also better connecting the South with the Midlands and the North. I imagine the service using 7 or 8 coach Class 397s, fitted with third rail equipment as well as a pantograph. I'd rather not use Hitachi 80xs as I think we already have too many of them.

How does that sound?

 

[Doomotron]

I think we need more cross London services. All we have at the moment are the Southern services from Milton Keynes to East Croydon.

The Coventrains idea sounds like a good start, but I'd like to go further. How about restoring a service from the Virgin XC days and have a TOC operating services from Brighton to Glasgow Central? It could call at Gatwick Airport, East Croydon (northbound only), Kensington Olympia, Watford Junction (southbound only) Milton Keynes Central, Stafford, (a few could go round via Birmingham and Wolverhampton), Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, and Glasgow Central. Not all trains have to run to Glasgow though. Perhaps a few could terminate at other major destinations, such as Edinburgh, Manchester Piccadilly or Liverpool Lime Street. Perhaps even Blackpool North in the summer, connecting two of England's most famous seasides.

They'd take the strain off the London Underground and London termini, while also better connecting the South with the Midlands and the North. I imagine the service using 7 or 8 coach Class 397s, fitted with third rail equipment as well as a pantograph. I'd rather not use Hitachi 80xs as I think we already have too many of them.

How does that sound?

As an extension of Coventrains it is a bit much extending the service massively north, but as its own entity is a good idea (although I'd rather it stopped at Clapham Junction and there were no southbound/northbound-only stops).

 

[coradiafan2000]

As an extension of Coventrains it is a bit much extending the service massively north, but as its own entity is a good idea (although I'd rather it stopped at Clapham Junction and there were no southbound/northbound-only stops).

That could also work. My thinking was that northbound trains would stop at East Croydon as they don't get many trains north of London, and southbound trains would call at Watford Junction as they don't get many services south of London. I chose those two over Clapham Junction as they are both important suburbs, to the point they have their own separate communities. Although a stop at Clapham Junction could provide excellent connections with other services.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

I think we need more cross London services. All we have at the moment are the Southern services from Milton Keynes to East Croydon.

The Coventrains idea sounds like a good start, but I'd like to go further. How about restoring a service from the Virgin XC days and have a TOC operating services from Brighton to Glasgow Central? It could call at Gatwick Airport, East Croydon (northbound only), Kensington Olympia, Watford Junction (southbound only) Milton Keynes Central, Stafford, (a few could go round via Birmingham and Wolverhampton), Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle, and Glasgow Central. Not all trains have to run to Glasgow though. Perhaps a few could terminate at other major destinations, such as Edinburgh, Manchester Piccadilly or Liverpool Lime Street. Perhaps even Blackpool North in the summer, connecting two of England's most famous seasides.

They'd take the strain off the London Underground and London termini, while also better connecting the South with the Midlands and the North. I imagine the service using 7 or 8 coach Class 397s, fitted with third rail equipment as well as a pantograph. I'd rather not use Hitachi 80xs as I think we already have too many of them.

How does that sound?

Brilliant! Add that to my Brighton Citylink services; Brighton to Glasgow Central calling at Gatwick Airport, East Croydon, Watford Junction, Lichfield Trent Valley, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and Glasgow Central with a dual voltage 397; is it better to stop at Clapham Junction or skip it by the way?

Using a dual voltage 802, I would operate to Edinburgh via the MML to open up even more connections; how do you like Brighton to Edinburgh calling at Gatwick Airport, London Bridge, St Albans City, Leicester, Derby, Sheffield, Wakefield Kirkgate, York, Durham, Newcastle and Edinburgh? It would run between Wakefield and York via Castleford to bypass Leeds and provide St Albans with an intercity service!

 

[A Challenge]

is it better to stop at Clapham Junction or skip it by the way?

You can skip Clapham Junction (and in fact it is hard to not) from the West London Line to Wandsworth Road, but not to Wandsworth Common, which requires going through Platforms 16 or 17.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Another idea in order to give Stoke-on-Trent more direct destinations (and make more use of platform 3 there), say hello to Stoke-on-Trains:
Stoke-on-Trent to Edinburgh calling at Warrington Bank Quay, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and Edinburgh (Class 332 modified to 125 mph)
Stoke-on-Trent to Blackpool North calling at Alsager, Crewe, Hartford, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Euxton Balshaw Lane, Preston and Blackpool North (Class 379)

 

[Doomotron]

Another idea in order to give Stoke-on-Trent more direct destinations (and make more use of platform 3 there), say hello to Stoke-on-Trains:
Stoke-on-Trent to Edinburgh calling at Warrington Bank Quay, Preston, Lancaster, Carlisle and Edinburgh (Class 332 modified to 125 mph)
Stoke-on-Trent to Blackpool North calling at Alsager, Crewe, Hartford, Warrington Bank Quay, Wigan North Western, Euxton Balshaw Lane, Preston and Blackpool North (Class 379)

Good idea.

Also a better name than mine!

 

[aar0]

I would also run Cardiff >Newport > Gloucester > Cheltenham > Birmingham > Derby > Sheffield > Doncaster > York > Durham > Newcastle

Extend to Swansea and leave at 10pm with ex-Caledonian stock, maybe 4 sleepers, 1 lounge and 1 seats.

 

[Ayman Ilham]

Good idea.

Also a better name than mine!

Thanks I would also consider Stoke-on-Trent to Hull calling at Macclesfield, Stockport, Denton, Greenfield, Huddersfield, Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, Castleford, Selby, Howden & Hull (either Class 170, 195 or 755)

Extend to Swansea and leave at 10pm with ex-Caledonian stock, maybe 4 sleepers, 1 lounge and 1 seats.

Swansea to Edinburgh via Newcastle sleeper sounds like a plan, although which way would actually be better? Welsh Marches to Crewe then Huddersfield line via Stockport-Stalybridge line leading to ECML via York; Welsh Marches to WCML via Crewe; or CrossCountry route via BHM as proposed there?

 

[SussexLad]

Thanks I would also consider Stoke-on-Trent to Hull calling at Macclesfield, Stockport, Denton, Greenfield, Huddersfield, Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, Castleford, Selby, Howden & Hull (either Class 170, 195 or 755)

Swansea to Edinburgh via Newcastle sleeper sounds like a plan, although which way would actually be better? Welsh Marches to Crewe then Huddersfield line via Stockport-Stalybridge line leading to ECML via York; Welsh Marches to WCML via Crewe; or CrossCountry route via BHM as proposed there?

I've had this thought for a long time, in my oppinion route knowledge needs to be there for a diversion so both but the XC route is preffered as it serves greater populations. Maybe a bit earlier departure from Swansea, say 9PM would allow some sleepy Brummies to get the train too. As well as some from Glouster and Cheltnam

 

[Flying Claret]

East Lancs-London
A return to a service from the 60's from east lancs to london; picking up in some areas of south lancs.
If Mirfield and Brighouse can have direct services to London, then so can these:
Burnley Manchester Road, Accrington, Blackburn, Bamber Bridge, Leyland, Wigan, NLW earlestown, Crewe, Euston.

We can dream...

 

[Doomotron]

A while ago, I created an idea for Rye Trains that I'd like to revise since things have changed. Most details are the same from the original version but I have made a couple:

• There is a new stopping pattern. This would be:
  • Rye
  • Hamstreet
  • Ashford International
  • Tonbridge
  • Chislehurst
  • Clapham High Street
  • Battersea Park
    • This new stopping pattern would take advantage of various advancements, namely the regeneration of Battersea Power Station, the lack of fast trains between Ashford and Tonbridge and provide a new link for Chislehurst, avoiding stopping trains.
• The Class 169s (168/0s with Dellner couplers) would not be refurbished with new seats but would have a new seating arrangement. Airline seats would be kept around the doors with tables in the centre and far ends of each coach. Plug sockets would be provided. The 169s would also be Clubmans, with existing 168s becoming Turbostars.
• In the event service demand is high enough, RT would work with Network Rail to extend platforms to about 190m (8*23m coaches) where applicable and would gain the Class 171/2s and /4s from Southern (which would not go to EMR, instead the rest of the fleet would) which would be refurbished in a same way as the 169s and all reformed to 3 coaches, so trains can be run as 6, 7 or 8 coaches long. They would remain as 171s but would gain their original numbers from when they were 170s.
• Once the service is established, a questionnaire would be given to passengers with opinions on the service. Here are some of the questions:
  • Do you interpret this service as a commuter service or a 'intercity' service?
  • Would you like catering on these services? If the answer is yes, a semi-permanent buffet would be installed (it is essentially a place to 'park' a trolley and serve things on as Turbostars have no place to put a troller). This would likely be at the centre of a train.
  • Is Battersea Park a good terminus for this service? If the answer is no, moves would be made to reroute the service into London Blackfriars, as originally intended.
• The light blue will be changed to teal.
• Would you like a first class service? Up to this point, first class has been declassified but if the answer was yes, it would gain a new seat moquette (imagine the original IEP first class seat pattern with teal leather at the sides and a teal leather headrest. Free snacks would also be provided.

 

[popeter45]

two crazy ideas i had recently for open access operators

1. a UK wide sleeper operator running both the Scottish sleepers and great western sleeper under one brand but also a west coast sleeper that stars in Edinburgh, divides at Birmingham and then goes to both Cardiff/Swansea and Plymouth, also could use DMU's or EMU's for smaller routes like Euston-Holyhead, Swansea to Newcastle etc

2. a new monorail service on the WCML,GWML and ECML as well as a Kensington Olympia to channel tunnel connection service