London - Stockport: Protected, WHY?

[332 > 444]

Ive known this for a while but im wondering why this is? Actually i knows its due to a competition thingy set by Virgin, are they scared other TOCs can operate services commuters would prefer to take? Why put that protection on?

Due to this, Grand Union cant even think about running to Huddersfield/Bradford until 2011! Why dont Virgin propose to run services to these places, im sure they can take out one of their Man Pic services (possible?)

 

[Tom]

It was part of the contract for the WCML upgrade - the franchise in operation would have competition from competition.

 

[yorkie]

Because Virgin offered £100s of millions per year in premium payments (No, they're not bribes, honest! ) on the condition that no-one else could compete with them. Of course the premium payments never materialised, quite apart from the fact that they were unrealistic anyway (same with GNERs and, as we shall find out soon, SWTs!), Railtrack bodged up the WCML upgrade, meaning Virgin could never run their 140mph timetable. As a result, Virgin are now paid many millions of taxpayers money in compensation, however the unfair and possibly illegal "no competition" clauses remain in place.

It's all above board though, apparently

 

[paul1609]

Realistically I'm not sure that the use of paths on the WCML for a London to Huddersfield via Stockport service would represent the best use of scarce paths. If there is a social need for such a service wouldnt the Dft be better off paying a subsidy to the new East Coast TOC to start one of the leeds HST services from Huddersfield.

By the way are any of the Grand Central HST power cars finished yet?
Its the end of June and the service is supposed to start in Sept.

 

[yorkie]

Realistically I'm not sure that the use of paths on the WCML for a London to Huddersfield via Stockport service would represent the best use of scarce paths. If there is a social need for such a service wouldnt the Dft be better off paying a subsidy to the new East Coast TOC to start one of the leeds HST services from Huddersfield.

Maybe, but Huddersfield-Stockport-London should be quicker and is quite a bit shorter than going via Leeds. You also have more pathing problems on the southern part of the ECML, especially Hitchin and Welwyn viaduct.

 

[paul1609]

I dont think that via stockport would be faster;
Huddersfield to Leeds 19 mins,
Leeds pathing allowance and station stop 10 mins
London to leeds using existing hst path 2 h 20 mins
Total 2 hr 49 ish

Huddersfield to Stalybridge 20 mins
Stalybridge to Stockport 16 mins
Stockport pathing allowance station stop 5 mins
Stockport to London 2 h 10
Total 2 hr 51
This would require stock that could match the performance of a pendolino and would need tilt.

The HST would use an existing path over welwyn.

 

[Tom]

An existing path which will come from where Paul...?

 

[paul1609]

My suggestion was that one of the GNER HSTs was started back from Huddersfield.

 

[David]

Also, there isn't many paths available between Leeds and Huddersfield, unless it's daft o'clock in the morning, or stupid o'clock at night....

Another point to consider is that Huddersfield has got excellent connections to GNER at Leeds (every 15 mins to/from Huddersfield), and GNER now run every 30 minutes during the day, so there wouldn't be much of a market.