The Anonymous Widower

The Long Platforms At Liverpool Street Station

I was on Liverpool Street station today and I took these pictures.

It got me thinking.

1. I was standing On Platform 1 and on Platform 2 was a pair of five-car Class 720 trains coupled together.
2. The pair of five-car Class 720 trains would be 244 metres long, which mean that the platforms could handle nine-car Class 800 or Class 345 trains.
3. There would appear to be plenty of platform space in Liverpool Street station.
4. In Azuma Test Train Takes To The Tracks As LNER Trials Possible New Route, I talked about how LNER were checking an Azuma train could use the route to Cleethorpes.
5. In London North Eastern Railway Runs Trial Train To Liverpool Street, I talked about how LNER had ran a train into Liverpool Street.

The general consensus seems to be, that points 3 and 4, are about several things.

Adding Grimsby and Cleethorpes to LNER’s list of destinations.

Possibly adding Spalding, Sleaford, Market Rasen  and Barnetby to LNER’s list of destinations.

Providing a faster service between London and Grimsby/Cleethorpes.

Providing a diversion route because of engineering or blockades on the East Coast Main Line.

Nearly twenty years ago, I used to play real tennis, with a guy, who was on a committee, that planned the future of the Cambridge region.

• One of the things he said was that Cambridge was full and there is not enough lab space, factories and housing.
• He felt that Peterborough would make an excellent satellite for Cambridge.
• However, transport links and especially the trains are not the best between Cambridge and Peterborough.
• I wonder, if Cambridge’s overcrowding is spreading the Cambridge Effect into Lincolnshire and the number of rail passengers between Lincoln and Cambridge is growing.

So have LNER taken the bull by the horns and are planning to run a London Liverpool Street and Cleethorpes service via Cambridge?

• It might perhaps run at least six trains per day (tpd) in both directions.
• Stops could include Stratford, Cambridge South, Cambridge, Cambridge North, Ely, March, Peterborough, Spalding, Sleaford, Lincoln, Market Rasen, Barnetby and Grimsby Town.
• Trains could be a five-car Class 800 train.
• The route is fully-electrified between London and Ely.

Note.

1. The London King’s Cross and Lincoln service could be discontinued.
2. Connection between Cambridge and Lincolnshire is much improved.
3. The developing energy powerhouse in North-East Lincolnshire gets a connection to Cambridge and London.
4. There could be same-platform interchange at Peterborough for passengers between Cambridge and the North.
5. By going via Cambridge, one less train needs to use the bottleneck over the Digswell viaduct.

LNER are trying to get the most out of the new December 2024 East Coast Main Line timetable and I do wonder if a London Liverpool Street and Cleethorpes servce is part of that exercise.

January 31, 2024 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Azuma Train, Cambridge Station, Class 345 Train, Class 720 Train, Class 800 Train, Cleethorpes Station, East Coast Main Line, Grimsby Town Station, Liverpool Street Station, LNER