Kings Lynn - Stevenage

Discussion in 'Suggestions' started by alert-agency2, Feb 23, 2026.

  1. alert-agency2

    alert-agency2 Active Member

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    Heres 3rd phase

    Kings Lynn
    Wallington
    Downham Market
    Littleport
    Ely
    Waterbeach
    Cambridge North
    Cambridge
    Cambridge South (subject t clearance)
    Foxton
    Shepreth
    Meldreth
    Royston
    Ashwell Morden
    Baldock
    Letchworyh Garden City
    Hitchin
    Stevenage

    Great Northern 700 / 717 kings Lynn to Kings Cross
    Thameslink 700 Cambridge to Stevenage
    Cross Country 170 Ely to Cambridge South* Cambridge

    LNER Ai at Stevenage
     
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  2. Wivenswold

    Wivenswold Well-Known Member

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    I can't support these suggestions that propose weird segments of routes. This is a rather random and probably least appealing part of a frequently requested ECML network. What was your thinking behind this section of the East Anglian railway?

    DTG could do London Kings Cross to Cambridge and/or Peterborough or Cambridge to Kings Lynn, though the latter would still be a less popular or logical choice as comparatively few trains go all the way up to Kings Lynn meaning a very sparse Timetable. 1 train per hour off-peak.

    Some other issues;
    While it's all the same operator, GTR, under the "Great Northern" branding don't operate Class 700s or Class 707s.
    The Great Northern does have Class 717s but they don't go north of Stevenage.
    Thameslink services using Class 700s only go as far north as Cambridge.
    So if done realistically and staying faithful to your suggested traction there would be no trains in the Timetable between Ely and Kings Lynn.
    Kings Cross to Kings Lynn services are operated by Class 387s and, more recently, Class 379s.
     
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  3. ben#1349

    ben#1349 Well-Known Member

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    He just won't stop listing stations with no information. He's bombarding the suggestions forum with them.
     
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  4. Wivenswold

    Wivenswold Well-Known Member

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    I've linked the forum guidelines on another of their posts to nudge them in the right direction.
     
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  5. eMAyTeeTee

    eMAyTeeTee Well-Known Member

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    I don't know why OP (and other's too, to be fair) have to keep spamming lists of stations with almost no info attached. It's annoying to read, and it probably makes the people who actually have the power to turn suggestions into reality not bother to actually read suggestions, which really is kind of unfair on the people who actually take the time to make good quality, detailed suggestions.
     
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  6. alert-agency2

    alert-agency2 Active Member

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    Rail record - 04/03/2026

    2C42 _ Great Northern - 700011

    So they do have 700s.
     
  7. Wivenswold

    Wivenswold Well-Known Member

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    No, "they" don't.

    I spoke to my rail contact in the area and the correct and more nuanced situation is that a small number of GN paths are worked by Thameslink's 700s at the moment because they just happen to be stabled in convenient positions thus reducing the number of overall units needed to run GN services. Govia are trying to balance serviceable units between Southern and Great Northern at the moment, the withdrawal of the 313s and 455s and the 377 refurbishment has left them a bit short over the last few years. They are currently refreshing and deploying the ex-Greater Anglia Class 379s but even though they are fairly new trains and were "kept warm" while in storage they needed more work than was anticipated to get them back into service on the Great Northern. There's an interesting article about it in the most recent Modern Railways magazine I've read.

    It is incorrect to say that the Great Northern fleet comprises of Class 700s. However, you could make the wider point that both GN and Thameslink are run by Govia (along with Southern). But none of the 700s are branded for Great Northern as a quick look on Flickr would have shown and none of them are permanently allocated to GN. By some remarkable co-incidence I had 700011 from Kentish Town to Farringdon earlier this week....a Thameslink service.

    Your original route suggestion totally ignored any of the trains that make up the permanent Great Northern fleet; 379s, 387s or 717s.
     

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