This TfL rail line goes from Liverpool Street to Shenfield with class 345s and 315s. This line is very fast and is very good to drive.
The line from Shenfield to Liverpool Street sounds simple but isn't. This is one of the busiest commuter corridors in the country, indeed Stratford overtook Clapham Junction in COVID times as the most used railway station in the UK by passenger numbers starting, ending or changing trains there. The line is used by TfL Rail (Shenfield to Liverpool Street) and Greater Anglia (Liverpool Street to Essex, Suffolk & Norfolk) and has various classes including 321, 720, 745 etc and also class 66s running frieght from Felixstowe onto the North London / GOBLIN lines so the line would be pretty busy IRL. In game if you only had the 345s it would look pretty empty
There's also occasional c2c traffic on weekends too, plus the Underground traffic, Stratford is a very busy place for sure.
Underground isn't really worth it as it comes up, stops, goes back down again. DLR also has a stop there and runs along the southern side of the tracks, has one stop then veers off. Very busy indeed and probably more varied than Clapham which has a lot of the same stock running through it
It would be better extended to Southend Victoria with a Class 720 for more service variety, if the Greater Anglia branding can be used. Backdating it to the 1990's with a Class 315, a Class 321 and maybe some slam door AC EMUs would be a great alternative.
Personally I'd rather carry on down the mainline rather than branches, you'll get much more out of the content that way with longer freight and intercity services rather than than just more commuter service length. I definitely wouldn't say no to the being set around 1989-1991 though, would probably give the most diverse range of slam door units whilst still crossing over with the 315s and 321s.
I agree, this route would be easier to build in BR Blue days, even run Class 308s on it if you go back far enough.
Indeed but then we get some reworked silver roof Class 47s. If DTG or whoever built BML can do Victoria and Clapham Junction, surely they would relish the challenge.
I'd certainly love to see it, between that and Ilford it would be a very impressive sight to see the two filled with locos and old slam door units. I'll probably end up at Stratford tomorrow after my interview, imagining how it used to look. I'm also planning a trip to the Colne Valley Railway on Saturday to see their slam door EMU stock (1 307 car, 1 308 car and 2 312 cars) which'll be a first for me. Basically, I'm a big fan of my local main line and would love to experience some of the history of it. There's a reason the GEML in the sectorised era is right at the top of my most wanted routes list.
I've noticed you put in a fair few suggestions, maybe try adding a bit more information about locos, route lengths, rolling stock, passenger and freight operations? Potential timetables and how busy they are? Just helps people to visualise it and will get more support! They are definitely good suggestions though!
