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Here, you'll find a table which lists the major components of the new line, a distance table for improved connections between various destinations, and a list of junctions formed by the proposed line.
| Section | Distance | Current Status and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Line to London also south and south west |
Existing passenger/freight railways. London should not be viewed as the major destination for the southern end of the line, which would also serve destinations that include Oxford, Bristol, Southampton, a new Wembley Stadium, Heathrow Airport and Gatwick. |
|
| Southern Great Central Trackbed | 63 Miles | Disused fast railway trackbed south of Leicester. Various obstructions require some slewing from the original route, minimising disruption to properties obstructing the line. Short sections require intensive engineering solutions to replace missing structures (eg Rugby viaduct or the M6 motorway crossing). Park and ride station access would require two new motorway road junctions and access roads. |
| Either Calvert or Banbury |
0.7 or 9 Miles |
New-build connection to proposed East - West railway, or reinstatement of Culworth - Banbury link, partly using dismantled line |
| Leicester Junctions | c.2 Miles | New-build connection between former Great Central and Midland Main line alignment. A number of route options exist, with the aim to provide a grade separated crossing of the existing Midland Main Line, along with an environmentally acceptable route through an area which has seen residential development since closure of local rail lines. The new line will involve alterations to the junctions at Wigston. The present layout is not well equipped to handle the traffic presented to it and remodelling could be carried out to improve the existing layout and accommodate the shadow crosscountry service in the process. |
| Leicester to Matlock | 50 Miles | Expand existing railway where necessary - with opportunity for four-tracking on existing railway land - no additional land take involved. Leicester station would need additional platforms to accommodate the new service. The Trent Junctions would benefit from the remodelling necessary to accommodate Shadow Crosscountry services. The 'Matlock Branch' is singled and requires redoubling. |
| Matlock to Great Rocks Junction | 18 Miles | Disused railway trackbed. A 5 mile section has been relaid as a single track and is in active use by a railway preservation group. Various lengths are in use as recreational paths. |
| Great Rocks Junction to Chinley | 6 Miles | Freight line |
| Chinley to Manchester Piccadilly | 16 Miles | Passenger/freight railway. Opportunity in places to extend within existing railway land boundary. A reopened 'Peak' line would present the rail system of central Manchester with capacity issues, and this may be the biggest single difficulty in reopening the line. |
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| 60 | |
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| 77 | 17 | |
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| 89 | 29 | 26 | |
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| 106 | 46 | 43 | 17 | |
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| 158 | 79 | 75 | 69 | 52 | |
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| 186 | 127 | 123 | 97 | 80 | 28 | |
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| 107 | 91 | |
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| 174 | 171 | 145 | 128 | 76 | |
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The shadow crosscountry line would provide new connections - some of those included in this table are longer than distances via existing lines. e.g. Bristol to Derby is 130 miles via the existing service but 174 miles via this proposal.
So Shadow Crosscountry would be 'The long way round'?
| Top |
The shadow crosscountry network would meet the current rail system at:
| Top | Shadow Crosscountry Home Page |
Rebuilding the West Coast Main Line?
Here are some more ingredients for success:
Matlock to Manchester
Southern Great Central
Aynho - Princes Risborough
Oxford to Bletchley.
One down: three to go ... and the West Coast Main Line is always going to need rebuilding ...