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On Jan 1, 6:13*am, Robert Cox wrote:
On 2010-12-31 16:07:14 +0000, Bruce said:

Robert Cox wrote:

In the timescale you are writing about, it is highly likely that Oxford
will be re-connected to Cambridge using the old LNWR line in some
fashion.

Not in our lifetime, Robert. *Not a chance.

Oxford to Milton Keynes, probably. *Eastward from there, the X5 bus
looks about the best bet with the new A421 now open between the M1 and
the Bedford southern bypass, giving a fast dual carriageway for most
of the distance between the M1 and Cambridge.

I doubt that a reopened East-West Rail would ever go further east than
Bedford. *It will be difficult enough to justify reopening Oxford to
Milton Keynes.

This is what happens when one makes a post without thinking the whole
thing through!

Having thought some more about what I was trying to say, I have today
posted a fuller version of my reasons for thinking that running Bristol
to Norwich trains via the Crossrail tunnel was not a good idea as a
reply to v.meldrew's post dated 31/12/10.

The issue then becomes: if it can be shown that there is a latent
demand for through travel from 'The West' (by which I include all of
those areas such as Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and South Wales where the
traffic could be routed through Bristol as a suitable node) to Norwich
or, in practice, the whole swath of East Anglia from Harwich round to
Kings Lynn then what is a suitable route which does /not/ use Crossrail?

Of the existing routes those via both London and via Birmingham are
well off the direct line connecting these areas and are themselves
already congested. Of the potential alternatives that via Didcot,
Oxford and the old LNWR route to Cambridge offers the shortest distance
and is more or less existent as far as Bedford. As you say, things get
interesting east of here!

If we rule out the possibility of tipping passengers out of the train
at Bedford to continue their journeys by coach to Cambridge or points
east, then we have to look at running trains towards Cambridge or other
suitable railheads. A possibility would be to run the trains down the
old MR line to Manton from Bedford where they would reverse to gain
Peterborough or, preferably, Ely[1] which could then be used as a
railhead instead of Cambridge. This might well be a suitable first
phase - to see if demand really existed as it only requires rolling
stock and possibly some signalling changes at Manton. If the results of
Phase 1 are encouraging, a minor improvement (Phase 2?) would be to
save time by shortening the route and avoiding the reversal at Manton
by using some or all of the alignment of the old Market Harborough to
Stamford line from somewhere near Harrington to Luffenham where it
would rejoin the Phase 1 route.

I agree with you that re-opening the section of the old LNWR route to
Cambridge east of Bedford will be very difficult to justify as so much
of it has been lost. But, a big 'but' I will admit, if my Phases 1 and
2 show that a demand exists which can wash its face financially[2] then
consideration should be given to shortening the route to Cambridge as
it is the most important traffic generator in the area.

Stranger things have happened! One should at least start the New Year
on an optimistic note!

[1] This does not preclude running trains through to Norwich.

[2] This implies, inter alia, that more passengers would be carried by
this route than would make the journey if the only alternatives were
via Birmingham or via Paddington, LUL and Liverpool Street.

Great post, clear thinking. It is a long shot, but we can hope.

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