If they went on the Birmingham services I wouldn't have a problem.
The Glasgow service would be 10 mins shorter, meaning it would be around 4h 20 mins, around the same as LNER to Edinburgh, and considering Edinburgh is closer to London that is an achievement.
Why ? - Rugby is another important station.
There is a huge amount of house building planned there, hence the plans for Rugby Parkway on the Northampton lines.Rugby will become more important if we continue to see reasonably large homebuilding in the area. Luckily some capacity exists to add some calls there. Post HS2 we can probably therefore expect to see further stops.
How is a Blackpool service going to stop at Lancaster?If they went on the Birmingham services I wouldn't have a problem. I would recommend they introduce an hourly service to Blackpool calling at Warrington Wigan Preston Lancaster, then the fast Glasgow could only call at Warrington Preston and Carlisle. Oxenholme and Penrith both get fast TPE trains, people headed for London could change at Preston. Warrington has an absurdly small amount of services for the Town it is, so that would benefit them. The Glasgow service would be 10 mins shorter, meaning it would be around 4h 20 mins, around the same as LNER to Edinburgh, and considering Edinburgh is closer to London that is an achievement.
There is a huge amount of house building planned there, hence the plans for Rugby Parkway on the Northampton lines.
How is a Blackpool service going to stop at Lancaster?
Possibly true, but mainly because not very many people live in "very remote places with no public transport" to start with.
Last week I spent a few days in Winsford, Somerset. Three buses a day, plus one more during school terms. I was talking to somebody who doesn't have a bike or any kind of motorised vehicle. If she needs to go to the doctor she has to catch the bus with a long wait in Dulverton before she can come back, or if she is lucky she may get a lift. A journey to London requires careful planning. In such situations talk about "choice" between modes of transport is unrealistic.
And they will have that option by taking a 3 minute journey changing at Rugby with Ive no doubt a substantial car park that Parkway will provide.Which many passengers who are 'time critical' will likely avoid as they'll be on a 350 with no trolley and worse facilities that goes round and probably stops at least everywhere to Leighton Buzzard with portions on/off at Northampton. They'd sooner, I'm sure, pay extra and get a train that takes them into Euston in 45 minutes flat...
Rugby will become more important if we continue to see reasonably large homebuilding in the area. Luckily some capacity exists to add some calls there. Post HS2 we can probably therefore expect to see further stops.
Would it make sense for the Euston-Chester services to call there (and possibly at Stafford too) once they are being run by the new bi-modes and therefore presumably have far better acceleration than the Voyagers that currently run them?
If they went on the Birmingham services I wouldn't have a problem. I would recommend they introduce an hourly service to Blackpool calling at Warrington Wigan Preston Lancaster, then the fast Glasgow could only call at Warrington Preston and Carlisle. Oxenholme and Penrith both get fast TPE trains, people headed for London could change at Preston.
Would it make sense for the Euston-Chester services to call there (and possibly at Stafford too) once they are being run by the new bi-modes and therefore presumably have far better acceleration than the Voyagers that currently run them?
Including Winsford, Hartford, Acton Bridge? on a Virgin Euston Glasgow?TBH, in my view all trains should stop at all stations (except Euxton and Leyland) between Crewe and Carlisle. Consistency of the Takt is to me more important than 5-10 minutes off for the relatively few people actually going to Glasgow.
Oxenholme is a major tourist destination including for people from London. Unless you were to change the branch service to run to/from Lancaster bays (which would also work) all London services need to stop there.
TBH, in my view all trains should stop at all stations (except Euxton and Leyland) between Crewe and Carlisle. Consistency of the Takt is to me more important than 5-10 minutes off for the relatively few people actually going to Glasgow.
Including Winsford, Hartford, Acton Bridge? on a Virgin Euston Glasgow?
Consistency for consistency's sake is pointless
Well you're right about adding 10 minutes in, as that is what putting Crewe and Oxenholme in on the Euston Glasgow will do.
Oxenholme is a major tourist destination including for people from London. Unless you were to change the branch service to run to/from Lancaster bays (which would also work) all London services need to stop there.
TBH, in my view all trains should stop at all stations (except Euxton and Leyland) between Crewe and Carlisle. Consistency of the Takt is to me more important than 5-10 minutes off for the relatively few people actually going to Glasgow.
It doesn't seem to have been announced from what's been said in the thread so far.With the new fleet has it been announced if it will be Tilt enabled? I would imagine it would be to take advantage of the higher speeds possible with tilting trains on the WCML.
All that's been announced is that there'll be 13 bi-modes and 10 EMUs. No announcements on their length or tilting capability.With the new fleet has it been announced if it will be Tilt enabled? I would imagine it would be to take advantage of the higher speeds possible with tilting trains on the WCML.
I will admit I am confused. I thought a great deal of money had to be spent on trackside upgrades when the WCML was modernised to allow for tilt operation, as well as the extra cost and weight and therefore operational cost of the trains themselves. If it is possible to carry out fairly simple upgrades to achieve sufficient 125mph sections to allow a non-tilter to hit the same timings as a tilter, what was the point in going for tilters in the first place?Its been briefed they will be non tilt, but that they are looking to clear sections for 125mph non tilt operation with test runs being conducted at the moment by a 397.
Its been briefed they will be non tilt, but that they are looking to clear sections for 125mph non tilt operation with test runs being conducted at the moment by a 397.
Its been looked at for HS2 as the classic compatible services would be losing time compared to existing services by not tilting once they were north of Wigan, but the new west coast franchise and TPE having 125mph stock available seem to have provided fresh impetus. From what ive heard they aren't looking to clear Pendolino but are looking at whether lighter stock (using 397 as a test vehicle) could do 125mph on currently 110mph non-tilt sections. Naturally this would be a little more uncomfortable for the passengers than a tilting train.
First-Trenitalia have apparently bid that the new EMU to replace the Voyagers would operate at 125mph on currently 110mph EMU limit sections if possible.