Back to the original question-
1 - Electrification -
(a)-complete the "stalled" projects to reach Oxford, Bath, Windsor & Henley branches and Swansea.
(b)-Undertake and publish report on what went wrong with GWML▸ project so far. Do not delay 1 (a) while doing this, and make sure those involved with electrification of ECML▸ and Norwich and Caambridge/King's Lynn take a leading role (not the usual management consultants/accountants/economists!) who can bring their experience to bear on the exercise. Use it to provide a template for future projects.
(c)-start planning a 10 (?) year programme of completing electrification of all remaining main lines in GW▸ network in stages (suggest start with Newbury-Exeter, Bristol-Exeter and Westbury-Bath and Swindon).
(d) -third rail for Wokingham - Ash Junction, Shalford Junction- Reigate, and fit the pick-ups to the bars on the bogies of the Electrostars so they can run as bi-mode electrics on the North Downs line - and connect (say) Oxford to Gatwick if 1 (a) implemented
2 - Rolling Stock-
(a) - refurbish Turbos for their new duties - new interiors with 4 across seating throughout, based on Electrostar fittings. We are probably stuck with them for the rest of their lives. If this is not economic, please let us passengers know asap and plan alternatives!
(b) - I'll leave others to battle for and against Hitachis
(c) - XC▸ to procure 5 coach bi-mode Hitachis to replace 4 car Voyagers, which are cascaded to long distance cross country routes of GWR▸ such as Cardiff - Portsmouth
3 - Franchise
(a) - Customer satisfaction to become an important factor in awarding franchises
(b) - Look at the whole franchising model - perhaps remove rolling stock procurement and managing stations, and simply have them doing the customer facing end, so that DfT» /ORR» come out from behind the screens, and are directly responsible (and answerable) for properly planned national rolling stock procurement and allocation.
4 - Timetables
A project to take a fundamental look at the whole basis of timetable setting - giving priority to connections at the main interconnecting nodes in the country - Reading, Oxford, Guildford, Swindon, Bristol TM‡ and Parkway, Cardiff Central, Exeter St Davids in GW territory.
A strategic overview of transport use, demands and needs to be undertaken, to establish current unmet need or potential demand, and this to be a criteria in timetable setting
5 - Network
Real progress in implementation of East-West link - unlikely to be anywhere near complete!
If HS2▸ proceeds (I hope it does!), secondary infrastructure planning to be implemented so that those of us in the SW third of the country can link into it conveniently.
That's enough "blue sky thinking" for one evening!
I very largely agree.
The only point with which I disagree is the suggestion to order more 5 car Hitachi units, whether for cross country or indeed for anyone else.
With capacity a growing problem, it seems to me that ALL new trains should be full length, 9 or 10 car.
I fully appreciate that many routes and services can only justify shorter trains, but in my view such needs can be met for many years by cascading EXISTING short trains to where shorter trains will suffice.
Voyagers will be around for many years yet, and 5 car
IETs▸ are still nearly new, and other short trains exist.
One example would be to build more 9 or 10 car Hitachi bimodes for use on long distance GWR or XC routes, cascading the existing short units to secondary routes or services.
