New CrossCountry and GWR Franchises, Bristol to Birmingham

[whole diary]

[Chris125]

There is still a need for extra capacity to Birmingham, and connections onto other areas.

There is already a plan being advanced, the 'Midlands Rail Hub', which could allow this.

Such a scheme would reinstate the fourth platform at Snow Hill, freeing up the bays at Moor St for new and re-routed services via the Camp Hill line accessed via new chords at Bordesley. Not a new idea but Moor St's proximity to HS2^▸ (The next High Speed line(s)) at Curzon St makes this especially attractive now.

See pages 58-60 of the West Midlands & Chilterns Route Study

[ChrisB]

Which is pretty close to being out of date & superceded soon.

No one wanting More BRI^» (Bristol Temple Meads - next trains)-BIrmingham services won't want a slow journey, so going via local Birmingham stations to Snow Hill will not be sensible use of a paths

[TonyK]

Has XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise)) thought about running 8xcarriage trains from Bristol to Birmingham, and split at New Street as needed?

Almost without doubt. They will have also wondered where to get the extra stock.

[brompton rail]

The overcrowding between Bristol (& further west) and Birmingham is replicated between Birmingham and Yorkshire (Sheffield, Doncaster, Leeds and York) and Birmingham and Oxford /Reading, and probably Birmingham and Stoke / Manchester too.

The overcrowding is intense at morning and evening peak times. XC^▸ (Cross Country Trains (franchise))'s plan for December 2017 which uses most of their HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train (Inter City class 43 125 units)) and turns back Torbay services at Exeter is an attempt to go some way to alleviate the problem with the rolling stock they have.

The acquisition of more rolling stock for a future letting of the franchise would be a matter for the DfT^» (Department for Transport - about), but could lead to the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) paying a lower premium, or even require a subsidy.