Services to Northampton

[Bletchleyite]

I don't think an M25 Parkway station is a good idea for journey times.

New thread for that:

Parkway stations on HS2?

Should HS2 have had an M25 Parkway, taking the role of Watford Junction/MKC for people in north London, and providing competition with Luton Airport? It seems it will in Manchester in the form of the airport station, so why was this omitted?

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[cle]

Driving St Albans, Hatfield or Welwyn to Watford is *much* more of a faff than getting a train from the local station. The A414 is quite busy and the alternative is the M25. Watford Junction station is poorly sited and the parking isn't particularly good.

For the north London suburbs most have better connections towards central London than away from it with either tube or mainline, usually on "turn up and go" frequencies and connections onto the North London Line which will connect with Old Oak Common.

The only real bemeficiaries would be Watford and Hemel and that's not a great justification for further slowing down what will already be decelerated WCML services to the North West.

For Rickmansworth - Denham's easier and quicker to drivev to than Watford.

I grew up in North London in the period when Watford had such calls, and I can tell you that you are incorrect. It was in the 'zeitgeist' of where to get 'big trains' up to wherever. People did not go back into Euston, as nearly everything stopped there. They would get a cab or a lift to Watford. Not multiple trains. You're looking at maps and assuming, but this is the lived experience. I did it, a lot. And indeed, to Manchester - very frequently.

Denham does not have comparable service and is not closer than Watford. It's not even on the radar of people who live in Ricky, or Amersham etc etc. Do take the point on Watford Junction's parking and last mile (really a few hundred feet) road access.

 

[geoffk]

Bournemouth has a regular (hourly?) Service to Manchester calling at Reading, Oxford and Birmingham New Street, fast trains to London and slower trains to Southampton and Weymouth.
Which connectivity gaps do you think need filling?

With the benefit of hindsight, perhaps retention of the southern end of the Somerset and Dorset line, with a connection on to the GW line where the two crossed near Bruton, would have been a better option than keeping Yeovil - Dorchester. This would have offered a service to Bournemouth from Bristol and Bath while retaining a service to towns including Wincanton and Blandford. You would have upgraded the low level platform at Templecombe to cut out the time-consuming double reversal.

 

[Markuk]

Seems Northampton had an Avanti Euston to Liverpool make a planned call there this morning. Not sure why as the Weedon line was open. Was semi tempted to book a trip on it but they refused to sell a Standard Premium ticket online, only from Rugby. But next stop was Tamworth.

It's not timetabled on any other Sunday as far as I can see.

 

[Mgameing123]

Seems Northampton had an Avanti Euston to Liverpool make a planned call there this morning. Not sure why as the Weedon line was open. Was semi tempted to book a trip on it but they refused to sell a Standard Premium ticket online, only from Rugby. But next stop was Tamworth.

It's not timetabled on any other Sunday as far as I can see.

Maybe to assist LNWR with something?

 

[Markuk]

Maybe to assist LNWR with something?

Maybe. But it was timetabled and available to book on all the usual sites and apps in advance.
I note next Sunday they have a Eus/Edinburgh morning service calling there but the stop is unadvertised and unable to book by passengers. This is different to other services that pass through which have no stops booked.

 

[FlyingPotato]

A key question is,
How / could you speed up the Northampton branch so trains could serve Northampton without having a significant time penalty, that is without spending a fortune achieving it

 

[zwk500]

How / could you speed up the Northampton branch so trains could serve Northampton without having a significant time penalty, that is without spending a fortune achieving it

These two things are mutually exclusive.

You either spend a fortune rebuilding the branch, or you leave it as it is. Anything easy has already been done, and the interaction of freight and passenger makes anything else very complex.

 

[Merle Haggard]

These two things are mutually exclusive.

You either spend a fortune rebuilding the branch, or you leave it as it is. Anything easy has already been done, and the interaction of freight and passenger makes anything else very complex.

Do you know why it is slow speed ()75 max, I think)? It was built in late Victorian times with the advantage by then of compulsory purchase and seems to have a generally straight alignment - less twists and turns than the original, handicapped by landowner negotiations, route between Roade and Rugby.