may i also remind you that the diesel train between glasgow and birmingham is 100% under the wires.

In my mind, there are two different types of stock require. Firstly, something akin to the 319 / electrostar for the local services, and perhaps medium distance services such as Manchester Airport / Manchester Victoria / Liverpool Lime Street to Blackpool North, and other services running part of these routes but completely under the wires, for example the serivces from Manchester Victoria to Liverpool Lime Street, and from Liverpool Lime Street to Warringto Bank Quay.

For the longer distance services there should be different stock. If you are travelling say from Edingburgh/Glasgow to Manchester I think the class 319 proposal is not a good option becuase, 1) they are drafty with their 1/3 and 2/3 spaced doors and no doors or walls between the door vestibule areas and the seating area, and 2) with only 100mph non tilt capability they will not be making the most of the infrastructure improvements put in place on the West Coast main line, and may even ‘hold up’ pendelinos from Euston – Carlile – Glasgow.

I would suggest that a tranch of short formation Pendelino (5 or 6 cars)would be suitable – 1)They would be able to keep to maximum track speed causing minium delay and greater capacity on the northern end of the WCML
2)Journey times would be drastically reduced thus potentially easing more passengers out of their cars / plan journeys
3)Be in my view a more comfortable experiance than a class 319!

Could the tranch of small formation Pendelino be negotiated to be an add on to the current order for the extra Full formation Pendelino and extra cars to extend many of the current 9 car pendelino to 11 car, and thus reduce some costs? And if you considered into the bargin the services from Brimingham to Glasgow / Edinburgh for this stock too, it would make for good utilisation for all of the ‘Northern WCML services to be run by these trains. The displaced trains (220/1 Voyegers) could then strengthern other Cross Country services, and Class 185′s strengthening Trans Penine Express Services.

There would still be a need for the Services between Manchester Airport that go alternate hours to Windermete and Barrow in Furness to be class 185′s but there would be a huge improvement to miles under the wires by non Electric passanger trains!!!

Rumour has it too, that the class 319′s are promised to make the Paddington – Oxford, Reading, Newbury local services. And if there are spare for the other local services in the NW then they could be used to release the 323′s from the NW to go to the West Midlands to strengthen the servcies there.

I think that the line to Manchester Airport is already electrified, so it is only the Manchester-Euxton Junction link that needs to be electrified. After this, (and Blackpool North), the next obvious electrification step would be Bolton-Clitheroe, and at the same time the ridiculous single line sections between Bolton and Blackburn should be redoubled.

Dreaming a bit more, as you say, the Lytham-Blackpool South trains go via Blackburn along the East Lancs line to Colne. I’m a member of SELRAP (http://www.selrap.org.uk/), who would like to see the 9 mile missing link from Colne to Skipton reopened. (Incidentally, closure of this line was another ridiculous “rationalisation” that would not have happened in certain other English regions.) Anyway, if this line is reopened it would be logical for it and the rest of the East Lancs line to be electrified to join with the Leeds-Skipton electrified section.

As you also say, the looming cuts might do for even the Manchester-Preston scheme. I’ll put my pipe away now.