(29 Oct 2023, 10:28 am)Storx wrote 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..
According to Nexus with the new trains (whenever that is likely to be), timetable enhancement would make it impossible for 'express' or limited stop services because of the signalling headway. The only possible way of changing that is cab signalling, which even then would reduce headways only by at best two minutes during the rush hour, given the intermediate Manors to Pelaw crush services. The cost of cab signalling is excessive to Nexus, and Network Rail won't install that on the Durham Coast. The structure of the timetabling is adequate.
Focus on support for extensions, the most plausible being Pelaw to South Hylton via Washington, which operated as up and down loop trains. That is within the fleet capability, more trains would be needed for any adventure into Dunston, which would need immense funding, well beyond anything available regardless of who is in power.