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Places that have potential to be major hubs

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pt_mad

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Coleshill Parkway has great road links but seems very underused. Better advertising needed?
 
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Eagle

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OK - that's kinda what I'm getting at. The wording in the thread title that I saw was "potential".

Okay, but Reading is more major as a node in the network, being as it's where the XC route crosses the GWML, both major intercity arteries, as well as being a connecting point for many suburban services throughout Berkshire and Surrey, and having good connections to the two major London airports.


--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Coleshill Parkway has great road links but seems very underused. Better advertising needed?

And upgrading the bus between Coleshill and Birmingham International (the 777?) to full Railair status, à la MK to Luton or Reading to Heathrow.
 

pt_mad

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Coleshill Parkway even offers free parking promotions for months on end sometimes but its still quiet. I would have thought it was good for commuting alone even without the airport?
 

AndyLandy

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I may be pedantic, but isn't Manors essentially in Newcastle city centre?

(not a "main" station, true)

Indeed. It was the "main" keyword that makes the difference. You'd never be in the situation where you'd arrive at Manors and have to walk/Metro to Central (or vice versa) to make your connection.

I'd forgotten that Manors was still a railway station, I thought was just Metro. On the other side of the river, Gateshead still has Heworth too. On an unrelated note, Pelaw sidings are a great place to snap GC HSTs. :D
 

PR1Berske

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So, as the title suggests.
First I'll go local. Preston will benefit from extra capacity during the Guild and with new trains coming through Preston (the first 350s) there will be more potential for services to Newcastle, Stalybridge, London stopper, Bristol, Bournemouth, Wrexham, Cardiff, Bangor, Llandudno, Cardiff, Milford Haven, Kyle, Glasgow Airport, and the list goes on if we get new trains.
Carstairs looks good too, it could become a major interchange where Virgin would stop, and new interchanges in general.
Keep the list going!



I've only just seen this thread, so sorry for going over old ground!


I think you're absolutely right to be enthusiastic for Preston. There's a lot of potential there, but many smaller things have to happen for the big things to work

I know TOCs hate small stations and Northern Fail in particular just plain hate running trains at all, but Preston needs to have at least one, if not as many as three, small stops within the council boundaries. Access to the railways is as important as services from the main station.

You're absolutely right to talk about links from Preston further afield - there's nothing but ambition stopping us from being a Lancashire interchange allowing people to run through us to Newcastle or Sheffield.
 

tbtc

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Completely tangential, but what's the largest settlement that's only served by one TOC? Evidently it's Walsall (although it might be Dudley, depending on how Dudley is defined), with Poole not far behind.

Ipswich and Swindon ought to be on any list.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Indeed. It was the "main" keyword that makes the difference. You'd never be in the situation where you'd arrive at Manors and have to walk/Metro to Central (or vice versa) to make your connection

Aye, but then you could say the same about Haymarket in Edinburgh
 

Eagle

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I don't know Edinburgh, but I'll take your word on that. Do all Haymarket services also call at Waverley?

As far as I'm aware, they do; and in fact all westbound services (except the sleepers) from Waverley call at Haymarket as well—albeit sometimes only to pick up/set down.

Given the geography of the lines round Edinburgh, Haymarket is actually a more useful interchange than Waverley.
 

VTPreston_Tez

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I've only just seen this thread, so sorry for going over old ground!


I think you're absolutely right to be enthusiastic for Preston. There's a lot of potential there, but many smaller things have to happen for the big things to work

I know TOCs hate small stations and Northern Fail in particular just plain hate running trains at all, but Preston needs to have at least one, if not as many as three, small stops within the council boundaries. Access to the railways is as important as services from the main station.

You're absolutely right to talk about links from Preston further afield - there's nothing but ambition stopping us from being a Lancashire interchange allowing people to run through us to Newcastle or Sheffield.

Lostock Hall, Bamber Bridge, and Leyland are all in the Preston Overground Network and Salwick, too possibly Croston are in the Preston area.
But in reality, there needs to be another station in Preston. I'd place a bet on re-opening Lea Road (possibly rename Preston Westleigh) as the Orbital goes past it and it's in close proximity to my estate, and a few others. It could be expanded on the fields behind it to make a four-platform WCML/ECML hub and with extra stations between Preston and Lancaster so services could go:
Blackpool-Poulton-Kirkham-Westleigh-Barton Grange Parkway-Garstang-Lancaster-Carnforth (maybe)-Oxenholme-Penrith-Carlisle-Hexham-Metrocentre-Newcastle-Sunderland operated by Northern 180s/get some 185s or maybe a new EMU set (maybe SE could give up some 395s after the Olympics?)
 

Ivo

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Northern 180s/get some 185s or maybe a new EMU set (maybe SE could give up some 395s after the Olympics?)

Most of this post is reasonable, if ambitious, but this is taking things too far. First, Northern's 180s are gone and are bound for the Cotswolds. Second, as stated repeatedly of late, 185s are struggling as it is and even after NTPE electrification will probably be used primarily to provide extra capacity on existing trans-pennine routes (including those not run by TPE, such as the "proposed" Blackpool to Scarborough service).

These two are highly unlikely but not impossible. Suggesting 395s however is just ridiculous. They were built to take advantage of HS1 and run almost to capacity during the peaks. The fact that they will be running much of the Olympic donkey-work is irrelevant here; given their new routes SE need their pride and joy units! And this is before the need to electrify the Tyne Valley...
 

MidnightFlyer

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I concur with various comments re: Blackpool-Sunderlnad using 395s. I actually laughed.

You can't go from Carnforth to Oxenholme.

If you're going to throw money at OHLE-ing the Tyne Valley line just for this service than you may as well go all the way and build platforms at Carnoforth too.

oh - still.................

(how do you know that)

Look at his profile.
 

DarloRich

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@ Ivo/ MattE2010 - I didn’t know you could do that!

@Ivo - I still maintain DIC is the way forward. Imagine the possibilities

@VTPreston_Tez - i apologise. I did not realise how young you were. Sorry.
 

LE Greys

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Let's at least have the platforms at Carnforth. It's yet another place where people have considered the needs of those going south, but not north. So if you want to do Grange-Over-Sands to Oxenholme, it leads to a diversion via Lancaster. A Liverpool-Carlisle service could cover this.
 

PR1Berske

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Lostock Hall, Bamber Bridge, and Leyland are all in the Preston Overground Network and Salwick, too possibly Croston are in the Preston area.
But in reality, there needs to be another station in Preston. I'd place a bet on re-opening Lea Road (possibly rename Preston Westleigh) as the Orbital goes past it and it's in close proximity to my estate, and a few others. It could be expanded on the fields behind it to make a four-platform WCML/ECML hub and with extra stations between Preston and Lancaster so services could go:
Blackpool-Poulton-Kirkham-Westleigh-Barton Grange Parkway-Garstang-Lancaster-Carnforth (maybe)-Oxenholme-Penrith-Carlisle-Hexham-Metrocentre-Newcastle-Sunderland operated by Northern 180s/get some 185s or maybe a new EMU set (maybe SE could give up some 395s after the Olympics?)


I'd wager Cottam will get a station before Lea, tbh. Put it near the canal/sports arena/Savick bit, got yourself a handy half-way house between Blackpool and Preston.

Not sure about turning round sets from Preston through Carlisle to Tyne & Wear, BUT, because I am just as ambitious as you are, I'd like to see more direct links to and through the Midlands and the East, and can't see ((many)) reasons why not....
 

Bakerbloke

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For several times a year I need to do Carnforth to Windermere - it seems pointless to head so far south in order to take a short journey north.
 

NSE

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Lostock Hall, Bamber Bridge, and Leyland are all in the Preston Overground Network and Salwick, too possibly Croston are in the Preston area.
But in reality, there needs to be another station in Preston. I'd place a bet on re-opening Lea Road (possibly rename Preston Westleigh) as the Orbital goes past it and it's in close proximity to my estate, and a few others. It could be expanded on the fields behind it to make a four-platform WCML/ECML hub and with extra stations between Preston and Lancaster so services could go:
Blackpool-Poulton-Kirkham-Westleigh-Barton Grange Parkway-Garstang-Lancaster-Carnforth (maybe)-Oxenholme-Penrith-Carlisle-Hexham-Metrocentre-Newcastle-Sunderland operated by Northern 180s/get some 185s or maybe a new EMU set (maybe SE could give up some 395s after the Olympics?)


I also don't see what Preston has to do with the ECML, I can't see Preston being turned into any form of hub related to trains on the KGX route at all.
 

PR1Berske

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I also don't see what Preston has to do with the ECML, I can't see Preston being turned into any form of hub related to trains on the KGX route at all.

Think of it as blue sky thinking

We had services to...Paddington, didn't we....and in my life time (32 next week :D)
 

VTPreston_Tez

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I'd wager Cottam will get a station before Lea, tbh. Put it near the canal/sports arena/Savick bit, got yourself a handy half-way house between Blackpool and Preston.

Westleigh recently suffered a major fire, there's opportunity to build a small hub there and just on the canal near the Cotty Brook, it's technically in both Lea and Cottam, maybe in Savick too! (That's why Lea Road existed, and Preston Westleigh would be like 200m west of where that was but would have more potential and whatnot.
Undoubtedly, Preston needs a second major station so you could rename the main one either "Preston Fishergate" or "Preston Franklin" and the other "Preston Westleigh" and that may work. Rename Salwick "Preston Nuclear" and Lostock Hall "Preston East" and maybe Bamber Bridge "Preston Bamber Bridge" but I'm not sure about the latter two.
 

Ivo

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Why does a city the size of Preston (remember its entire urban area, including Leyland, Chorley and others, never mind Preston by itself, is only slightly larger than the urban area around Aldershot) need two major stations? The station that exists now is more than sufficient for the city; it just so happens to be a major interchange on a major artery that inflates its patronage. If a city the size of Southampton should have one four-platform stationb, why should Preston have two that are far more prominent?

I know you're young, but maybe when you're a bit older and have seen more of the country you might realise that Preston does pretty well station-wise already.

P.S. "Preston Bamber Bridge" sounds ridiculous.
 

martinsh

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Westleigh recently suffered a major fire, there's opportunity to build a small hub there and just on the canal near the Cotty Brook, it's technically in both Lea and Cottam, maybe in Savick too! (That's why Lea Road existed, and Preston Westleigh would be like 200m west of where that was but would have more potential and whatnot.
Undoubtedly, Preston needs a second major station so you could rename the main one either "Preston Fishergate" or "Preston Franklin" and the other "Preston Westleigh" and that may work. Rename Salwick "Preston Nuclear" and Lostock Hall "Preston East" and maybe Bamber Bridge "Preston Bamber Bridge" but I'm not sure about the latter two.

Howe about renaming Squires Gate "Preston Airport" ?
 
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