Ben Nunn wrote:

They should keep the central part of it as planned with all existing
stops, but use the services to form part of a much bigger plan.

Crossrail services should couple to existing trains either side of the
central area, allowing for fast intercity routes.

E.g.

Norwich-Ipswich-Colchester-Stratford

Five minute wait, train divides into regular Liverpool street
intercity, and our sections hooks up to crossrail shuttle.

Call at all stations to Ealing Broadway.

Five minute wait, train divides, crossrail shuttle goes back, and our
section joins with an intercity out of Paddington.

Slough-Reading-Oxford-Swindon-Bristol-Cardiff


NOw what the **** is wrong with that? Basically express intercity
services, but running /through/ London and stopping within.

Southend to Birmingham.
Cambridge to Plymouth.
Ashford to Windsor.

Why the **** not?

'Cos it won't work for all sorts of reasons. For a start, you can't run a
12-trains-per-hour Crossrail service (Ealing and Stratford frequencies as
currently published) if you stop for 5 minutes to uncouple/reverse/couple or
whatever crazy manoeuvre you are planning at Ealing Broadway and Stratford.
An operational disaster if ever I saw one.

--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)