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How about St Pancras - Huddersfield via Sheffield and Barnsley? Or to slow to ever be used.
Presumably you'd use a 4-car 222, only chance of intermediate calls would be if they have SDO. It'd have to use 4b at Huddersfield as the dedicated Penistone line bay is too short. With a slight tweak of the timetable (and assuming the signalling allows it) it could leave just ahead of the local and cross the down service at Penistone. Though depending on the weight of 222s they might be restricted to 10mph over Longroyd Bridge/Paddock Viaduct*. Don't think the curve at PNS would be a deal-breaker as 158s are okay- though 222s wouldn't be grandfathered-in of course.It'd work as a single daily return, one out and one back to fit around the Northern stopper.
I wonder if there's space for it to stop at Brockholes (for Holmfirth), or both Honley and Brockholes since there's only two minutes between the stations. Penistone would be entertaining since its on a curve.
I think this would be good. Huddersfield deserves a direct service to London and currently there are no train companies besides East Midlands Trains operating on the Midland Mainline North of Bedford so it'd be good if someone was competing against them, even if its just one two or three services each day.
More pressing is an increase in frequency- 2tph from 0700 to 1930 and a later last service leaving both ends. Of course that needs a new loop though.I believe Huddersfield is getting a direct service from 2019 from whoever is running the East Cost service then. But I'd love a quicker service from Huddersfield to Sheffield - the time it takes now is abysmal.
More pressing is an increase in frequency- 2tph from 0700 to 1930 and a later last service leaving both ends. Of course that needs a new loop
For a fast service from HUD to Sheffield the Horbury curve should be the answer, as then you avoid the detour to get to Barnsley.
EDIT: Whichever was done, it all costs £££s... and there'd be no help from WYITA because Leeds is the centre of the universe!
Huddersfield to Horbury Junction can currently be done in 18 minutes and Horbury Junction to Sheffield in about 32. If the western side of the Horbury triangle was re-instated then take 5 off that so probably about 45 minutes if only calling at Barnsley and Meadowhall. In the late 70s there used to be a summer Saturday 0850 Sheffield - Llandudno went that way, about 4 coaches long, attached to a Leeds - Llandudno at Huddersfield. It was slow then though, one day when the Sheffield portion was cancelled all the passengers were put on the 0908 Huddersfield via Penistone DMU and still caught up with the Leeds portion at Huddersfield.Roughly how long would the journey take via horbury?
Thanks for looking that up, I got as far as looking up the timing of the Huddersfield to Wakefield as far as Healey Mills B before life intervened!Huddersfield to Horbury Junction can currently be done in 18 minutes and Horbury Junction to Sheffield in about 32. If the western side of the Horbury triangle was re-instated then take 5 off that so probably about 45 minutes if only calling at Barnsley and Meadowhall. In the late 70s there used to be a summer Saturday 0850 Sheffield - Llandudno went that way, about 4 coaches long, attached to a Leeds - Llandudno at Huddersfield. It was slow then though, one day when the Sheffield portion was cancelled all the passengers were put on the 0908 Huddersfield via Penistone DMU and still caught up with the Leeds portion at Huddersfield.
Yes, back then the DMU took 23 mins to Penistone and 30 more to Huddersfield, including the reversal at Nunnery. It was an exciting ride, a power twin 101 or a 3 car Calder valley unit would be doing 70 by Neepsend, even when fully loaded, and held that uphill continuously to Barnsley Junction at Penistone. Coming downhill to Sheffield was even better... but that digresses from the topic into nostalgia...Thanks for looking that up, I got as far as looking up the timing of the Huddersfield to Wakefield as far as Healey Mills B before life intervened!
Bear in mind that the aforementioned stopper via Penistone may have been quicker than today due to being routed via Deepcar rather than via Barnsley, even with the reversal and run through the closed Victoria station. Though I assume linespeeds have risen since then through both jointed track being replaced, and through realignment when most of Penistone to Huddersfield was singled in the mid-80s. There's also one extra stop at Berry Brow. If the same arrangements were applied today, the Penistone line service would struggle to meet the Leeds portion!
Do the 222's stable at Neville Hill or Etches Park (or both)?
Huddersfield to Horbury Junction can currently be done in 18 minutes and Horbury Junction to Sheffield in about 32. If the western side of the Horbury triangle was re-instated then take 5 off that so probably about 45 minutes if only calling at Barnsley and Meadowhall. In the late 70s there used to be a summer Saturday 0850 Sheffield - Llandudno went that way, about 4 coaches long, attached to a Leeds - Llandudno at Huddersfield. It was slow then though, one day when the Sheffield portion was cancelled all the passengers were put on the 0908 Huddersfield via Penistone DMU and still caught up with the Leeds portion at Huddersfield.
That service ran for the last couple of years that the two sides were in the same division (possibly to resume next, but I hope not!), at least in part due to complaints about non-football passengers being unable to board the hourly Pacer. Yes it reversed at Kirkgate but presumably nobody was permitted to board or alight.Thanks. I'm pretty sure there was a 'football special' last year which took the sheff weds fans home from Udders via horbury. Would that need to reverse at kirkgate?
Would that need to reverse at kirkgate?
I would think STP - Derby - CHD and so on would be better, Leicester already has 4 tph from London and trains have to slow down severely to negotiate the junction south of Derby anyway, so it eould make sense to stop at DBY instead.Yes if it went St Pancras - Leicester - direct to Chesterfield, Sheffield,Huddersfield it maybe could get there in 3 hours and be competitive.
I would think STP - Derby - CHD and so on would be better, Leicester already has 4 tph from London and trains have to slow down severely to negotiate the junction south of Derby anyway, so it eould make sense to stop at DBY instead.
That service ran for the last couple of years that the two sides were in the same division (possibly to resume next, but I hope not!), at least in part due to complaints about non-football passengers being unable to board the hourly Pacer. Yes it reversed at Kirkgate but presumably nobody was permitted to board or alight.
Interesting. Which route would be quickest?HUD > SHF via Hare Park Jn & Moorthorpe Jn would negate the need for reversing at Kirkgate.
Do Northern crews sign that route though?HUD > SHF via Hare Park Jn & Moorthorpe Jn would negate the need for reversing at Kirkgate.