Great Western Coffee Shop

Written somewhat tongue in cheek ... score your favourite line:

Does it run to or from London - if so, 15 points.
Is it a recent DfT project - if so, 8 points
Is it electrified - all the way, 10 points. Some of the way, 5 points
Does it run (mostly) within Wales or Scotand - if so, 6 points
Are the trains running on it less than 20 years old - if so, 5 points
Does it serve marginal constituencies - if so, 2 points each
Does it run into Wales or Scotand with an English TOC - if so MINUS 2 points
Are there other local services all the way - if so, MINUS 4 points

So (examples)
London to Middlesbrough scores 15 + 8 + 5 + 5 + (2+2) - 4 = 33
London to Cardiff 15 + 8 + 10 + 5 + (2+2) - 2 = 40
Cardiff to Holyhead 6 + (2+2+2) = 12

How do I score the line nearest me?

It only runs to London when SWR feel like doing so. ???

And perhaps when GWR run through Melksham on occasions!

The whole thing is overloaded with problems of definition and sentiment.  And some of that sentiment is the sentiment of the TOC.  I am not convinced that the SWR managers actually want to run diesel trains into Waterloo, nor that the DfT are really keen either.  I look at their network running this week and wonder if it could be considered by some as a trial for the future. And so many of the scores are arguable.

I thought of Melksham when I started the thread - but I gave a somewhat jesting view over mainlines and for regional and local services the metrics would differ. 

At the risk of hijacking this topic  :o  ;D  There has been a process over the last quarter centaury to de-carbon transport in and into / out of London especially diesel due to the particulates.

So tongue  in cheek main lineis the former Maidenhead - High Wycombe mainline truncated at Bourne End.  Engineers Line Reference WBB which still quotes the entire line!!

It scores -4 (No 37 bus Maidenhead to High Wycombe which calls at all of the stations and former stations on the line )


 ;D ;D ;D

They have run trains today at 07:14 and 07:44 from Salisbury to Waterloo - I grant you that from stations further west you'll need to change at Basingstoke.   Return service at 17:23 and 18:25 from Waterloo, again as far as Salisbury with passenger headed further west needing to change.  In this form, no longer what I would call a main line.

Well, I happen to know that from April Porterbrook will have 19 hardly-used, recently refurbished 4 car bi-mode units available for hire. Could they (and DfT) be persuaded to swap them for those nice old 158/9s for Cardiff-Portsmouth use?  ;D ;D

I am not so sure that the internal arrangement, reliability or performance envelope under diesel power of the 769 would be appropriate for the line.  Perhaps our member from Templecombe would give his view on that?

Stadler FLIRTs now!