In article , Jon Crowcroft
writes

What surprises me is that there isn't more reverse commuute

Trains to Cambridge in the morning have appalling timekeeping. Even
people commuting from as close as Royston/Meldreth etc are only doing it
as a distress purchase.

I'm guessing that only the rather baroque residence
requirement of the University has stopped some of that
community taking that view

You entirely misunderstand the "boarding school" nature of education at
Cambridge, which takes places 7 days a week. It's simply not like most
other Universities. It suits people very well, and if it's not to your
taste then no-one is forcing you to go there.

This is rather an over-statement of the specialness of Cambridge
(especially given there's Oxford, Durham, and even UKC

Did I say it was unique to Cambridge? I just said "*most* other
Universities".

Um, my friend is an _academic_: You assume he commutes in the peak time,
but thats not a requirement, as he can go after (or before.

The cruisers don't run either before the morning peak or after the
evening one. Unless he's putting in 6 hour days, he can only use them at
most one way.

45 mins is the much faster journey time during the day on a non-stop
Cambridge Cruiser, which don't run in the peaks.

Yes, true - and thats reasonable given they have to stop so many times
so a faster train couldnt easily overtake. I wonder if they've looked
at this increase in demand and figured out if there's money in it
to improve that service yet?

The last I heard, WAGN wanted to cancel the Cruisers and rely on the
remaining semi-fasts (there is plenty of capacity as all these trains
run rather empty during the day), but were prevented from doing that
because the Cruisers are a franchise obligation.

I thouht the points were a big limiting factor between
Hitchin and Cambridge and at Hitchin too...but I am not
a Jarvis employee of course:-)

The points *at* Hitchin have to be taken slowly (it's also a quite
severe curve) but there's no similar restrictions I know of further
north until just outside Cambridge (where the junction with the LS line
is also a slow one).

If you look at GNER timings (and they run at well over 100mph) then
Hitchin would seem to be about 21 mins from KX (Stevenage is timetabled
at 19 mins as a stop; or dividing the KX-HIT-PBO distance equally into
45 mins you get 20 mins, but the southern end is always slower) leaving
only 14 mins for the remaining 25 miles! The cruisers do well to average
about 70 north of Hitchin (assuming they can also get to Hitchin in 21
mins, which is averaging just over 90).

Well I certainly remember reading about plans; I am fairly sure that
the problems are slwing for the various points and level crossings
like round Foxton. If there was a road bridge there (or road tunnel, although
it doesnt look easy to engineer that) that would obviate the
rather long slow down and speed up a train has to do.

Would have to do. The current trains don't slow down for Foxton.

I am guessing
that the 70mph is simply coz there's not enough run between these
places to make it worth getting up to 90 or 100 and then back down again
but you may well be right...

The track is very bumpy and poorly maintained. That's the main reason
for the limits. The line is basically three straight stretches joined
together with a curve each at Royston and Shepreth.

but imagine if it was 35 mins - you could be looking at
Cambridge-Paris by train in 2 years time in under 3 hours...

It's a dream. You'll never get the required 125 mph running on the line,
and even that won't help unless KX-Hitchin is improved (remember the 14
mins for 25 miles from the earlier sums), and that's *already* high
speed.
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