Agreed!
Too often on here, the minority make more noise than the majority, so we end up with inadequate provision for the bulk of passengers just so we can maintain a direct link that people might use once a year (e.g. maintaining links to a far away Airport).
re the above two comments - I don't know where would be more suitable for a split service (if the aim is to chop the Norwich - Liverpool service somewhere more suitable for the small number of passengers making end to end journeys)? I'm not sure that there's much space at Sheffield for long layovers (and only really one southern bay platform capable of taking a train of any length). But where else?
Sheffield will have to be remodelled sooner or later, but probably not for at least 5-10 years.
2c only takes 2 coaches so already becoming inadequate when Hope Valley stoppers become 4 car more frequently, as some already are. It could be lengthened by demolishing some platform buildings, but I doubt that would be easily allowed.
7 is sometimes used by the Liverpool-Norwich services, but more often to hold shorter St Pancras units.
Platforms 1, 2, 5, 6 and 8 are theoretically all able to hold a single train up to 16 coaches so a little bit more pointwork and signalling might open more possibilities there to use them for two shorter trains from both north and south ends - eventually.
There's also plenty of space in the centre roads to hold stock (they're well filled with Pacers on Sundays), but operationally that may be challenging. That said the ability to readily split Manchester Airport - Cleethorpes services might also come in handy too.
Which maybe brings us back to TPE taking over the Liverpool - Nottingham section with the same class of rolling stock offering further options.