On 28 Feb, 12:27, "J. Chisholm" wrote:
BH Williams wrote:
The 'freight arc' doesn't need to reach directly from Southampton to
Felixstowe, but simply to allow access from either port to WCML and ECML.
WCML from S'oton is already available via Reading West Curve, though a
flyover here would be useful to avoid conflicts. I don't believe there is
more than one train per day from S'oton to the ECML, and this traffic could
easily pass via Birmingham/Derby.
Felixstowe to the WCML/North could be served by gauge enhancements to the
routes from the Haven Ports to Peterborough via Ely, and thence via
Leicester/Nuneaton. There is other, non-container,traffic from West London
to East London/East Anglia, but this could travel via the Tottenham and
Hampstead, I believe.

I believe as part of S106 agreements improvements to signaling, gauge
enhancements, loop lengths are already COMMITED from Haven Ports to P'bro
From P'bro to Nuneaton is supposed to being investigated, I believe.

Perhaps Ken can help with a pot of money as it is almost certainly the
cheapest way of creating extra space on North London Line(s)

Jim Chisholm

Felixstowe is increasingly busy. I think further double-tracking &c
that Hutchinson Ports wanted is subject to a public enquiry in March.

If Felixstowe traffic is to avoid London, wouldn't it reverse at
Ipswich? Avoiding this by adding a curve to the existing junction
would be nontrivial. At first glance there only seems to be room for a
*very* tight curve on the available land; any more and you have to
deal with the industrial park / residential area / supermarket to the
north... No?