(29 Oct 2023, 9:32 am)Aaron21 wrote How would an express variation of the metro even work. Its not like the east coast main line or any network for that matter where the metro could just overtake it. Its like here's a scenario
Your at Sunderland and you have a T&W Day Rover or explore. You decide you want to go to Newcastle and you have two choices
The metro or the northern. Your mind says Northern cause it quicker but in reality its the metro for the fact is the metro is in front of the northern and the northern is just gonna get stopped by the metro. Its happened to me where I've boarded the northern cause I've just missed the metro and the northern has been held up.
An express variation of the metro wouldn't work as what would you call express. Say Airport to South Hylton. What's your stops gonna be like. In reality here's what it would probably be
Airport, Regent Centre, South Gosforth, Haymarket, Monument, Central, Gateshead, Heworth, Pelaw, Stadium of light (match days only) Sunderland, Park Lane, South Hylton. That's what I'd class as a express metro
Regent Centre, Haymarket, Monument, Central, Gateshead, Heworth, Sunderland, Park Lane for bus connections
Pelaw & South Gosforth for train changes and Heworth, Central & Sunderland for Northern & Mainline trains
St James to South Shields would be
St James, Monument, Wallsend, North Shields, Tynemouth, Cullercoats, Whitley Bay, Northumberland Park, Four Lane Ends, South Gosforth, Haymarket, Monument, Central, Gateshead, Heworth, Pelaw, Jarrow, South Shields
Same reason above for Wallsend, Haymarket, Four Lane Ends, North Shields, Haymarket, Monument, Gateshead, Pelaw, Heworth, Jarrow for buses and local rail connections
Northumberland Park for when the Northern line opens
Tynemouth Cullercoats & Whitley Bay for the Coast
Sorry this is such a long read
The general idea is you'd have the 'express' service running 2 minutes in front of the slow stopper service.
Personally on paper I don't think it's a bad idea at peak times in a way.
You could have the 'express service' at say 8:18 in the morning from Monkseaton running
Monkseaton -> West Monkseaton -> Shiremoor -> Northumberland Park -> NON STOP -> South Gosforth -> NON STOP -> West Jesmond -> Jesmond -> All stops to Pelaw
Then you'd have the slow service running at 8:20 immediately after it stopping at everywhere. That express service would then catch up the 8.08 service by the time it gets to the West Jesmond area and run normally and save a good 8 minutes or so. The peak time Monkseaton service used to be slammed by the time it go to Northumberland Park anyway so would benefit everyone rather than massive dwell times while everyone is fighting to get on the train at places like Benton and a second train queueing immediately behind half empty.
The Metropolitan Line does it in London between Baker Street and the further routes. It's arguably better than having 2 services running 3 minutes apart duplicating each other..