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Poll
Question: What do you think the line pairs should be called?  (Voting closed: January 17, 2017, 21:46:50)
Main and Relief - 29 (50.9%)
Fast and Slow - 17 (29.8%)
North and South - 0 (0%)
Isambard and Elizabeth - 1 (1.8%)
Intercity and Suburban - 2 (3.5%)
Bimode and Electric - 0 (0%)
Don't care (as long as they work) - 8 (14%)
something else (please post below) - 0 (0%)
Total Voters: 57

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Author Topic: Names of the lines  (Read 9058 times)
grahame
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« on: January 10, 2017, 16:31:21 »

From another thread ...

slow lines at Acton Main Line, Network Rail engineers have had to close the Reading-bound slow line to effect a repair.
They should know better  Grin Grin
W.E

As far as the passenger is concerned, what is the right name?  Should we still be using "main" and "relief" - they're hardly relief lines any more to me, as that term indicates they're the lines that will be used for the same trains as are running on the other ("main") lines but when those main lines don't have the capacity / availability.

So - what do you think should the lines be called?  Historic, or reflecting current or future use?
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bobm
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« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2017, 17:56:05 »

I'm surprised in these days of political correctness Fast and Slow lines are still allowed.  Grin
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patch38
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« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2017, 18:01:13 »

I have voted for my favourite... However, as far as the man on the Clapham omnibus is concerned - or perhaps the Reading train - it strikes me that Intercity and Suburban may be most logical.
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Richard Fairhurst
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« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2017, 19:00:22 »

Fast and Slow seems a bit ambitious. Slow and Slower?
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stuving
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« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2017, 19:30:44 »

From Paddington, one pair is obviously the Crossrail lines. Elizabeth Line lines sounds too silly, so I suspect Crossrail may well be used. There may be some who will say TfL» (Transport for London - about) lines, but not many. As for the other pair, probably main lines.
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Trowres
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« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2017, 19:31:46 »

With a slight accent, I would go for geographical names such as Acton up and Slough down

 Grin
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JayMac
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« Reply #6 on: January 10, 2017, 22:17:40 »

Main and relief.

Purely for tradition. Acknowledging that GWR (Great Western Railway) (the proper one, not the young pretender) did things differently.
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eightf48544
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« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2017, 11:20:24 »

I have been told that the reason they are called Main and Relief by the original GWR (Great Western Railway) was that the line speeds on the Reliefs were higher than other companies Slow line speeds. 

It's now 90 most of the way from Padd to Didcot on the Reliefs.

It would be wrong to call the Relief lines Crossrail or Lizze lines as it might give TFL (Transport for London) ideas above their station and think they've got exclusive use of them at expense of GWR and Rail friieght operators. To my mind giving exclusive use of 2 lines to one operator is very bad practice,

Besides which Crossrail are geared up to use the Main lines eg platform extension on the Main lines at West Drayton and Hayes.
 
Plus when necessary even being able, with he recent realignment and changes to signalling, terminate and turnround a train on the Up Main (Platform 2) at  Maidenhead. Similarly  GWR and Railfreight will need to use the Relief lines on occasions.

So will go with Bignosemac and vote Main and Relief.
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grahame
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« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2017, 11:57:42 »

It strikes me that "main" is good and logical, but "relief" is a mis-description.   And that all the alternative offered for the second pair of lines are also misdescriptions, with "relief" garnering wide support because of its historic nature, and because no better alternative has been offered - in other words, "relief" offers the least bad option rather than because it's a good description.

Options on the vote are limited (I could have put up a huge number of possibilities ... others could include
* Swindon and Oxford (based on where they go after the split at Didcot)
* Primary and Secondary (but again there's a subservient word)
* Main and Suburban
* Express and Thames
* These and Those
* Nonstop and Intermediate
and perhaps combinations?
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lordgoata
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« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2017, 12:45:17 »

Main line and Local line ? As in local stopping services. Relief never meant anything to me anyway!
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #10 on: January 11, 2017, 12:47:31 »

How about Faith & Hope? (.......not sure about Charity)
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grahame
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« Reply #11 on: January 11, 2017, 13:44:54 »

How about Faith & Hope? (.......not sure about Charity)

The Charity lines are the extra lines out to Old Oak Common ... hosting the charity case of one train per weekday up to Gerards Displeased or wherever it terminates this year.
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ChrisB
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« Reply #12 on: January 11, 2017, 14:03:22 »

Only the Ruislips these days
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Western Enterprise
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« Reply #13 on: January 11, 2017, 16:18:17 »

I have been told that the reason they are called Main and Relief by the original GWR (Great Western Railway) was that the line speeds on the Reliefs were higher than other companies Slow line speeds. 

It's now 90 most of the way from Padd to Didcot on the Reliefs.

It would be wrong to call the Relief lines Crossrail or Lizze lines as it might give TFL (Transport for London) ideas above their station and think they've got exclusive use of them at expense of GWR and Rail friieght operators. To my mind giving exclusive use of 2 lines to one operator is very bad practice,

Besides which Crossrail are geared up to use the Main lines eg platform extension on the Main lines at West Drayton and Hayes.
 
Plus when necessary even being able, with he recent realignment and changes to signalling, terminate and turnround a train on the Up Main (Platform 2) at  Maidenhead. Similarly  GWR and Railfreight will need to use the Relief lines on occasions.

So will go with Bignosemac and vote Main and Relief.


Or could it be when originally built, it was a two line railway, hence 'Main', and when doubled up (in the 1890' ish , about broad gauge abolition time ??) the doubled lines were the 'Relief'.
If you stand under the sounding arch at Maidenhead, the original bridge is seen which is much wider than the doubling extension part.
W.E
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Western Enterprise
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« Reply #14 on: January 11, 2017, 16:19:53 »

From another thread ...

slow lines at Acton Main Line, Network Rail engineers have had to close the Reading-bound slow line to effect a repair.
They should know better  Grin Grin
W.E

As far as the passenger is concerned, what is the right name?  Should we still be using "main" and "relief" - they're hardly relief lines any more to me, as that term indicates they're the lines that will be used for the same trains as are running on the other ("main") lines but when those main lines don't have the capacity / availability.

So - what do you think should the lines be called?  Historic, or reflecting current or future use?

The O.P was very firmly tongue in cheek..... Grin
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