Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has given the go-ahead to the elctrification of the rail line between Selby and Hull.
I'm sure it's a good thing, but why? As I see it, the trains can only travel so fast, and they can only operate so many trains at a time. It's not just a case of dropping extra services in, as they main lines are shared with branch lines, so a rejig of the timetable's far from straight forward. What am I missing?
The rest of the network has been electrified, but we were left with old unreliable diesel trains that couldn't link up with the rest of the network.
Connection with East Coast main line; Trans-Pennine through trains, linking to Leeds, Manchester and Liverpool.
Hull trains have been operating a fleet of 6 sets that operated on the Paddington to Wales line. Great western got rid because they were unreliable. Since they have had them Hull Trains have had nothing but trouble with them. Its a fact that electrified trains have a much better operating record, they are faster and much more reliable. Its great news for the City.
As a commuter who has been on the Brough - Leeds service for 8years, I cannot get excited about electrification unless it brings with it 50% increase in carriages. I hardly ever get a seat from Leeds to Brough and the train leaving Brough if full at Brough leaving the Howden / Garforth and Selby passengers standing. The main issue for trains not arriving / cancelling is signalling issues around York and Leeds, followed by diesel units breaking down. By far the worst things is a cpl of 'Revenue Protection' people. All I can say is that is it a darn good job they dont have 'Customer' in their title!!
http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/Hook...-given-ahead/story-20832366-detail/story.html "First Hull Trains had originally expected to hear before Christmas whether its £94m scheme to electrify the 70 miles of track between Hull and Selby would get the go ahead from Government." So by my reckoning, that 10 metre track in my loft is worth about £8,400. I'll get on the phone now!!
the trains are quieter, more economical, accelerate faster. but just watch, you will get old units being cascaded from other lines while they get the shiny new ones.
The two recent programmes about London and the rest of Britain was very interesting. They were saying that the UK doesn't have a substantial enough second city to stop the monopoly of London. The best thing to do was to treat Liverpool to Leeds (and possibly Sheffield) as an "inverted" second city with open spaces inside the "city suburbs" rather than outside. Transport links would then join the "suburbs" together. It makes sense for the transport links to go all the way to Hull.
i had a train set when i was a kid . . . it was **** . I upgraded to that TVR ? the Scalectrix type thing that allowed you to cross lanes -
