lmsforever

The level of service will I think be of a low level as unless the normal trains north are stopped straight away whos going to spend a small fortune when normal services are available for a journey .

On 10/10/2023 at 15:20, Chris Turnbull said:

A few photographs from the East Coast Main Line (ECML) today.

 

 

On 30th July 2023 my wife and I visited Huntingdon, a station I had not been to before.  Here is 700118 forming the 08.24 Horsham to Peterborough.

 

 

LNER Azuma 801217 speeds through as the 06.50 Edinburgh to London Kings Cross.

 

 

700118 on the return service, the 11.23 Peterborough to Horsham, is in the platform whilst 801225 speeds past with the 10.02 York to London Kings Cross.

 

 

A couple of weeks later on 18th July 2023 we visited Hitchin.  Although I had trainspotted here in the 1960s I didn't have a camera then.  This is 387123 forming the 09.42 Kings Lynn to London Kings Cross.

 

 

180105 forms the 10.57 London Kings Cross to Bradford Interchange.

 

 

And, yes, there was some freight.  Here is 66702 Blue Lightning on 4L98 Masborough to London Gateway.

 

Chris Turnbull

Used to be at Hitchin in the 1970s,s to see the last Deltic hauled express go through always a couple of dozen there.

Another service provider will be good for the incumbent and for passengers if the new operator provides new destinations as well that can only be good for passengers, this is an interesting project. 

5 minutes ago, 62613 said:

Can I come out of the rabbit hole now?

No think I will be joining you

Why have mixed feelings about the bus pass ,its a wonderful means to keep traveling around your area and beyond  you have paid your taxes and this is an excellent benifit.If its an age thing dont worry no work plenty of time to do what you want when you want . I have been retired for fifteen years and life has been good of course there have been hiccups but believe me its better than being at work, One thing I would reccomend is to join your local U3A  plenty of interesting interest group,.monthly meetings with speakers and outinga .We joined our local one just after I retired and we have made good friends and have had continous fun so dont worry about retiring .

At least HS1  works as it was intended to, the local services are very useful for residents  shame it does not go across London and onto HS2 then maybe the white elephant would have enjoyed success.

Thanks for the Southend Pier photos those units were such an improvement on the old toast rack units  enjoyed the journey down the pier they were comfortable and the sliding doors made them so modern.

Add HS2 to every other project service in the UK  had a weeks post this morning  , this country of ours is a complete and utter disgrace and I cant any new government changing it .  I do not think that the public will like that no Euston is available and possibly will never be after all flats are a good thing to build there. HS2 is going to be multi million white eliifant project.

Maybe we should wait and see what the other parties are going to offer but dont hold your breath transport is at the bottom of their lists the NHS is number one and will always be.

As soon as you see leaf busters a realisation that the end of the year is on its way.

Another project bites the dust typical for Britain  how many have gone down after millions spent on them we are led by idiots who have no idea what is needed to get GB working again. Lets hope that money is spent on the northern network and people up there can see results as there is a great many works needed.

2 hours ago, black and decker boy said:

That’s in the independent anti-motorist state of Welsh Wales. Rishi doesn’t worry about transport policy in Welsh Wales and generally now seems just to do the opposite as he is “the friend of the (English) motorist”

And the Welsh govt is now trying to get money from Westminster ih Manchester is cancelled ,they are saying they have a right to a very large amount of cash which they will spend as they see fit.Perhaps they should have home rule and then we dont finance them.

That station building is an excellent bit of modeling  as is the rest of the layout good to see modern image  look forward to more pics.

In the second photo there are the remains of track coming in on the left , what were they and how different the yard looks today.

The unit in the Aventi livery  looks very good but I like the look of the grey liveried units .

This morning went to Wendover as usual , we had to divert from normal   route due to the line cutting through entrance road to village  . On the way we passed under the new brige for haul road outside Stoke Manderville , impressive and a large development a look to the left showed good progress on trackbed with visible work being carried out, When arrive at the end the bypass you have driven a desert of building works .  You wonder why so much land is being taken during the construction   at this point there seems to be at least three acres taken overand looks just like a desert .Any answers will be welcomed.

Lovely selection of photos thank you

The WCML to just beyond MK still has the original style of overhead structures from when it was first electrified .

16 minutes ago, corneliuslundie said:

Because of our politicians and political system which can only look up to 6 months ahead - like the City.

Jonathan

To true  our system is not suited to the future of the UK and the separate governments in Wales and Scotland add to the problems plus the DFT are totally anti rail so rail does not stand a chance 

Nice to see Black and Decker Boy posting again 

The furor over HS2 is very mixed those of us who can see the reasoning behind its construction are very unhappy at the way this project is controled by those in power. Politicians are showing their contempt for voters by without consultation they are threatening to cut the line back to a very short high speed section making it useless in its primary purpose .I noted the very pertinent problems being created by not being able to join trains for the north and above the border,at Milton Keynes at the moment this is a very important place to join your train .I personally have used this route many times and the thought of having to join a local train to Crewe gives me cause for worry.   But the biggest problem is a lack of Euston  this is almost criminal and is going to put many people using the services .But maybe this is what no 10  wants then they can announce that we do not need high speed  a very convenient way of diverting cash to more popular projects and that way the public will like them . Just how many trains will be required for a reduced service so more money saved  and once the works are completed all the  nay sayers will be quietened down until the next campaign is started. What a way to run a country.

1 hour ago, black and decker boy said:

There aren’t really enough towns / passengers in Bucks that could warrant the extra build costs of loops & stations.

 

since the south Bucks towns (Amersham etc) insisted the line be built 30m+ below ground, they really forfeit any opportunity and they have tube and mainline options already.

 

Aylesbury could have have a station as it’s big enough and both routes to London take about an hour. Towns further west such as Thame, Risborough and Wycombe already have fast services into Marylebone of 35-40mins so are reasonably well served.

 

You could perhaps justify a station at Brackley (F1 team hub) and Warwick/Coventry area but the HS2 route was picked to avoid built up areas.

 

all of these come with a capacity impact on HS2 through traffic which is what it’s original core brief was about.

 

That remains the key difference and reason that adding tracks & capacity to the existing mainlines (HS2 was to take off the high speed long distance trains from WCML, MML and ECML) - all of which pass through and have local stations in heavily built up areas. That is a huge amount of disruption to existing railway services, housing, local roads and businesses and would make HS2 look like a cheap and easy job by comparison. 

I am afraid that Aylesbury would not support an HS2 station the population is not interested in going north or going into London attitudes here are now very much looking inwards  a big change over the last forty years.

What a complete cock up  if the project is stopped its going to cost a fortune to restore areas around the works ,the Wendover works before the tunnells is a vast area of construction and cant be left as it is. The paying off of staff will be high and many companies set up to carry out works etc will be in serious trouble and  unemployment will grow something that is not wanted. Even if the money saved by cancellation  is there I bet that it will not be spent on our railways ie in the north the DFT will see that its spent on roads . All in all the UK is in a terrible state one I have not seen for many years and even with a change of leaders I cannot see any improvement on its way.

Went across the trackbed this morning outside Wendover ,were it runs alongsidthe e the Wendover Bypass  it has been cleared and is ready for the track bed to be laid ,outside Stoke Manderville where the line crosses the road to Risboro the bridge has been put  in place.This will be the haul road and will mean no traffic lights here, outside of Wendover where the road to Butlers Cross has been closed so as the line can cut through onwards north., .Work does not seem to be have slowed down and is progressing well. The new bypass just beyond Stoke hospital is at a standstill with no bridge over the railway I wonder if they are waiting for HS2 to build the bypass from the Thame road which they say wii be ready next year.also the work diverting the Risboro branch is making good progress. I think work has started on the viaduct behind Aylesbury but I cannot get here to find out .Thats it for now  more will follow

1 minute ago, phil-b259 said:

You miss the point - stop asking yourself if it is a good place today and put yourself in the mind of someone living in the 1880s. For example at that time there were no deep level tubes - just the steam worked met for onward travel.

Why  ?