Today I will be suggesting the midland mainline prioritising high speed I am suggesting the 65 mile section from London st Pancras to Kettering or 70 miles to corby Now because of licensing and my own preferences, we could have a mixture of 4 different operators. EMT and FCC, EMT and Thameslink or EMR and Thameslink. High speed operator EMR/EMT depending on licenses but would most likely be EMT EMT Playable services 2tph 1tph to Nottingham (Kettering Furthest playable) stopping at Luton Airport Parkway , Bedford , Wellingborough, Kettering. 1tph to Corby stopping at Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering These services would be run be class 222s with the HST sets being unplayable fast services in service mode EMR Playable services 2tph intercity From St Pancras to Kettering directly Using 222s/180s potentially HSTs if not set in 2023/24/25 Airport express 2tph stopping at Luton Airport Parkway, Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering and corby Using class 360s First capital connect 2tph Sevenoaks via Catford to Kentish Town (off-peak) or Bedford (peak trains) St Pancras to Kentish Town 1 stop to Bedford can't find exact stopping pattern 4tph Bedford to Brighton– (2 semi-fast, 2 stopping) Flitwick, Harlington, Leagrave, Luton, Luton Airport Parkway, Harpenden, St Albans City, West Hampstead Thameslink and St Pancras International. 2tph Luton to Sutton (London) via Wimbledon Luton to St Pancras ( can't find seevice pattern) 2tph St Albans to Sutton (London) via Mitcham Junction (can't find service pattern) This gave a frequency of 10 trains between London Blackfriars and St Pancras which increased during peak hours to 18 These would be operated with class 319s and class 377/2s and /5s Thameslink 8tph 4tph St Albans City to Sutton via Mitcham Junction or Wimbledon 2tph Luton to Rainham 2 tph Bedford to three bridges 2tph Bedford to Brighton These services are more or less like the FCC ones These would be operated by class 319s, 377s, 387s and 700s depending on the year set it could be just 319s and 377s or 319s 377s 387s, all 4, just 700s. EMT and FCC route Class 377/5 and /2 alongside class 222 and Ai HST comes as base with class 319 being an add on. EMT and Thameslink route (Original GTR TL branding like the great northern one on all TL trains) Class 377s and 387s and 700s with class 222s as base with class 319 being an add on EMR and Thameslink route Class 222 and 700 as base Class 360 add on Class 180 add on potentially layer onto GWE and ECML Me just blabbering This route would provide a mixture of both high frequency commuter rail aswell as a long lasting high speed run. With the amount of operators that have ran these section within the last 10 years without the route changing much there is room with various timetables and add ons. Licenses around EMR could be resolved be a plain purple train which i wouldn't mind but there's the chance to bring FCC to the game alongside EMT FCC/Thameslink class 700/319/377/387 EMR class 360 EMT/EMR class 222/HST/180
I would be more than tempted to have this route set in a time where 45s still dominated the expresses, perhaps even an overlap with Valentas. However, I would also happily see the VP185 HST given a proper chance to stretch its legs and it would be a fairly rounded route with the HSTs, 700s and 222s. Not a bad suggestion mate.
Good suggestion! I’d have it set during the EMT period with the class 222 and HSTs running about and maybe even the crossover period between the 700s coming into service and the 319s and 387/377 being moved away from the core route. Best of everything then.
I do hope this happens especially since we have most of the stock already pretty much just the 319 needed and a /5 377
