north/south line

[nick dalton]

Does any body think that there should be a north to south freight line our do you think that there should make more paths avalible on the main line? If you do think there should be such a line do you have any ideas were.

[Ringoosmeg]

Let the passenger boys build their high speed TGV type railway, and let us freight chaps use the existing lower speed lines....

[andersley]

I am definitely in favour of a 'High Speed 2', for two reasons. Surely this would cut down the number people flying internally, and also to free up paths on existing lines for freight traffic.

Alan Curtis

[submarine]

I would think that the Great Central is the obvious choice as the original route was built to the Berne Convention loading gauge. If they wait long enough it will be built for them anyway!

[John H-T]

Originally Posted by andersley

I am definitely in favour of a 'High Speed 2', for two reasons. Surely this would cut down the number people flying internally, and also to free up paths on existing lines for freight traffic.

Alan Curtis

That just about sums it all up.

So hopefully the government will get up off their hands and get started!

[robbo]

There would be plenty of space for more freight on the settle /carlisle line if they made the sections smaller and add a couple of more loops. Some blocks on the line are going on for twenty miles in lenght - cut them down to say 5 miles and you could possibly triple the number of trains. Also make the trains longer and double head them if necessary and run most of them at night as well when passenger services arnt as busy.

Another possbility - Why dont they add a couple of coaches to freight trains for passengers to use - priced at a lower rate (slower trains / inconvieniance / fewer stops etc.)


going off the point slightly re wcml etc.

They spent billions of pounds electifing the line - so why so many dmu`s , cl 37 /cl 47 / cl 57 cl 66 /cl 67 etc using the line ? shouldn`t they be using traction which use the overhead wires ... and if its not cheaper to use it - then scrap the wiring .

[swisstrains]

Originally Posted by robbo

..........................
going off the point slightly re wcml etc.

They spent billions of pounds electifing the line - so why so many dmu`s , cl 37 /cl 47 / cl 57 cl 66 /cl 67 etc using the line ? shouldn`t they be using traction which use the overhead wires ... and if its not cheaper to use it - then scrap the wiring .

Good point Robbo. Before privatisation far more freights on the WCML used electric traction even if it meant changing locos before they could carry on to their final destination.
All the private companies want to do nowadays is use cost effective "go anywhere" locos such as the Class 66. Any attempt to make them use electric traction would probably result in them pulling out of the market and the freight going onto the roads. What a mess.

[Trev]

Originally Posted by swisstrains

What a mess.

Like I say, the true "Great Train Robbery".

[LesG]

run most of them at night as well when passenger services arnt as busy.


Speaking as a freight driver

Let the passanger trains run at night. Why the hell should we be the nocturnel ones all the time.
Anyway a lot of freight is moved thru the night. I reckon this country should be like the States and freight takes priority over passanger services.

Les

My head is now down with a steel helmet on waiting for the flak

[Gandalf]

Hi Les,
Many years ago when boys always wore short trousers I used to watch the long trains (usually 50 wagons) of coal being laboriously hauled along by a wheezing DubDee on their way from March into London and later the much speedier return empty although I seem to recall from a book by Richard Hardy that it was mostly downhill into London. Other freight trains carried things unknown but often wondered about. Passenger services were not very interesting as there was but one named train 'The Fenman' which was always a rush to see which engine was at the front but otherwise not interesting as it passed at what seemed a tremendous speed on it's way to Norfolk. Nowadays we have uninteresting, illuminated caterpillars taking up most of the time but still there are a few trains of containers to wonder about where they have come from or where they are going to. Perhaps we should take a lane of motorway from each side and put a freight track down with distribution depots every 25 or 50 miles and keep all the containers off the long distance routes.
Or is that going back to pre nationalisation days with those smaller 'containers' that still form garden sheds or workshops more than 50 years later?
John (G)