Travel time to London via train

Posted by StraightSky7809@reddit | miltonkeynes | View on Reddit | 23 comments

Currently the quickest train to Euston from CMK takes around 32 minutes. Is there any future you can imagine where we might have frequent trains to Euston taking less than 30min?

Maybe HS3? Is something like this even feasible by 2040?

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nsx-y@reddit

why do i remember them being 28 minutes

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Freedom-For-Ever@reddit

HS2 has been built from scratch, designed for high speed trains. You cannot simply run high speed trains on the West Coast Mainline.

HS2 was announced in 2009, formally started in 2019, and is not scheduled to be completed until at least 2033.

To do an HS3 from MK to London would either mean closing the West Coast Mainline for the period of construction (15 to 20 years), or building a completely different track.

Therefore I don't think it will be upgraded/built as a separate line in my lifetime...

If you want to reduce your commute to London, the quickest/simplest way would be to move closer to London...

As others have said, 30 min is not too bad for a commute...

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Contact_Patch@reddit

For the 48? Ish miles it is from MKC to Euston it's already pretty damn quick for what is effectively a Victorian track alignment.

Without massively re-engineering some of the curvature out, it won't go any quicker.

Then, once you've done that, you'll need to consider space in the time table to run faster, any other equipment upgrades (OLE, ETCS).

OR.

Build a new railway and pull some of the non-stop London-Manchester services off WCML...

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As a regular commuter, I'd like more trains that arrive on time and that leave Euston on time. That would be a bigger improvement than shaving 10 mins off the journey time. Cost and reliability are the biggest issues. Slightly quicker trains would do nothing for me.

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Necessary-Nobody8138@reddit

When I used to travel regularly from MK to Euston 30 mins was the quickest and it was pretty reliable. I left MK 10 years ago, the fast services were 3 per hour but ran at strange clock face intervals. Two within 5 mins and not another for 55 or so… can’t exactly remember! - 30 /32 minutes is quick enough!

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Notagelding@reddit

Stay off the drugs

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PresterJonny@reddit

I thought the Virgin Trains used to take 25 minutes 20-25 years ago?

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darybrain@reddit

Speed restrictions from crashes still apply

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FiveUperdan@reddit

Yes. Ironically it's not the future that OP needs to look to, it's the past

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SquashyDisco@reddit

It goes 125mph? You want it to go faster?

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darybrain@reddit

Double would be nice. Even 5-10mins shaved off a regular journey makes a big difference

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StraightSky7809@reddit (OP)

In EU high speed trains can go up to 180-200 mph. HS2 trains are supposed to reach around 220mph so theoretically it's possible, though I doubt MK will see those trains in the next 30 years

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SiteTraditional6418@reddit

Yes but it's a train going into central London, not across the French country side.

Trains are really heavy, you'd peak at 200mph for a minute or so, it's pointless.

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RockRage--@reddit

The OLE can’t support it, certain sections of the route wouldn’t be able to accommodate extra trains currently, let alone faster more demanding ‘HS3’ as you put it, also infrastructure is not equip to handle it, lots of renewals needed, are the HS3 trains gauged for the route? Again more money to solve the issue for what? 3/4 minute journey improvement?

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Lopsided_Poetry807@reddit

This is a dumb post

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StraightSky7809@reddit (OP)

Then down vote and move on. By commenting you are increasing the engagement on the post.

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bennymk@reddit

There won't be new lines, I mean, 32 minutes is already perfectly fast enough

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darybrain@reddit

Nope, we should have bullet train speeds by now

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StraightSky7809@reddit (OP)

Half of the time i travel to London, train reaches Euston around 10 minutes late. For the people commuting to London everyday it will save a lot of time cumulatively.

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Mahzes@reddit

I travel to London every week. Most weeks I file for Delay Repay.

Granted the trip itself usually does take about 35 minutes but the train is almost always late getting to MKC.

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