This from Leicester City Council:
https://news.leicester.gov.uk/news-articles/2021/may/proposed-new-east-midlands-rail-link-praised-by-region-s-city-leaders/

Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
> This from Leicester City Council:
> https://news.leicester.gov.uk/news-articles/2021/may/proposed-new-east-midlands-rail-link-praised-by-region-s-city-leaders/
>

The trouble is, Leicester station is hard to get to. Anyone commuting to
Coventry has to get themselves to the station in the first place. Car
parking js poor and the traffic is horrendous in the first place. Most bus
routes don’t go near it. Even if they speed up the rail journey time (at a
cost of £100 million!) it’s not going to be an attractive alternative to
driving.

In message <sat44n$a1j$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:46:15 on Tue, 22 Jun
2021, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:

>Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:

>> This from Leicester City Council:
>>
>>https://news.leicester.gov.uk/news-articles/2021/may/proposed-new-east-
>>midlands-rail-link-praised-by-region-s-city-leaders/
>
>The trouble is, Leicester station is hard to get to. Anyone commuting to
>Coventry has to get themselves to the station in the first place. Car
>parking js poor and the traffic is horrendous in the first place. Most bus
>routes don’t go near it. Even if they speed up the rail journey time (at a
>cost of £100 million!) it’s not going to be an attractive alternative to
>driving.

I agree that Coventry (and also Birmingham International) are very
difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
competing with a 3-lane motorway!!

A solution requires through-working from at least central Birmingham to
Nottingham, and picking off intermediate flows like Coventry-Leicester
is somewhat of a hostage to fortune of the tails from the stations at
either end.
--
Roland Perry

On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>competing with a 3-lane motorway!!

Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?

On 23/06/2021 11:29, Roland Perry wrote:
> In message <sat44n$a1j$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:46:15 on Tue, 22 Jun
> 2021, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
>
>> Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
>
>>> This from Leicester City Council:
>>>
>>> https://news.leicester.gov.uk/news-articles/2021/may/proposed-new-east-
>>> midlands-rail-link-praised-by-region-s-city-leaders/
>>
>> The trouble is, Leicester station is hard to get to. Anyone commuting to
>> Coventry has to get themselves to the station in the first place. Car
>> parking js poor and the traffic is horrendous in the first place. Most
>> bus
>> routes don’t go near it. Even if they speed up the rail journey time
>> (at a
>> cost of £100 million!) it’s not going to be an attractive alternative to
>> driving.
>
> I agree that Coventry (and also Birmingham International) are very
> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>
> A solution requires through-working from at least central Birmingham to
> Nottingham, and picking off intermediate flows like Coventry-Leicester
> is somewhat of a hostage to fortune of the tails from the stations at
> either end.

Birmingham-Coventry is congested, and Birmingham already has a better
service to Leicester or Nottingham via Nuneaton or Tamworth. There's a
case for extending the service to Birmingham International if it can be
fitted in, to easy journeys from Notts and Leics to the airport and to
whatever the NEC is called this week.

<MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info> wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>
> Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?
>
>

Outside of London, if you need to get to work you usually need a car. Apart
from shops (reducing) the only big employers left in city centres are
hospitals and universities. Everyone else has decamped to industrial and
business parks. Most are poorly served by bus routes and even if they are
it’s not going to be the same route as where you live.

In message <sav5c4$1206$1@gioia.aioe.org>, at 11:19:32 on Wed, 23 Jun
2021, MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info remarked:
>On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
>Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:

>>difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>>simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>>competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>
>Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?

No, but those who don't might also take a bus from Coventry to
Leicester.

However, the comparison here is mainly between the number of
vehicles/day on the motorway (50k perhaps) times the average occupancy,
versus the number of passengers on the self-confessed useless railway
link.

3% of 75k (to allow for both multi-occupancy and people using routes
other than the motorway) is 2,250 which seems a lot.
--
Roland Perry

In message <sav862$u13$1@dont-email.me>, at 12:07:30 on Wed, 23 Jun
2021, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
><MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info> wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>>> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>>> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>
>> Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?
>
>Outside of London, if you need to get to work you usually need a car. Apart
>from shops (reducing) the only big employers left in city centres are
>hospitals and universities.

And councils.

When I looked at the employment stats in Nottingham in around 2005, all
but one of the top ten was classic public sector. I think the exception
was "Next", and maybe they had a warehouse as well as their massive
outlet store adjacent to the railway but nowhere near a station (it
would make sense for warehouse and clearance not to be too far apart),
and the city centre mall shop.

>Everyone else has decamped to industrial and business parks. Most are
>poorly served by bus routes and even if they are it’s not going to be
>the same route as where you live.

Or particularly well served the times of day you need.
--
Roland Perry

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
> <MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info> wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>>> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>>> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>
>> Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?
>>
>>
>
> Outside of London, if you need to get to work you usually need a car. Apart
> from shops (reducing) the only big employers left in city centres are
> hospitals and universities. Everyone else has decamped to industrial and
> business parks. Most are poorly served by bus routes and even if they are
> it’s not going to be the same route as where you live.

Less true in Scotland, where the cities have retained much more residential
accommodation in the city centres.

Sam

--
The entity formerly known as Sam.Wilson@ed.ac.uk
Spit the dummy to reply

On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 12:07:30 -0000 (UTC)
Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
><MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info> wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>>> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>>> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>
>> Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?
>>
>>
>
>Outside of London, if you need to get to work you usually need a car. Apart
>from shops (reducing) the only big employers left in city centres are
>hospitals and universities. Everyone else has decamped to industrial and
>business parks. Most are poorly served by bus routes and even if they are
>it’s not going to be the same route as where you live.

Oh rubbish. Plenty of SMBs exist in city centres and their suburbs, only
larger firms or ones who need industrial facilities end up in industrial
estates.

On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 13:27:03 +0100
Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>In message <sav5c4$1206$1@gioia.aioe.org>, at 11:19:32 on Wed, 23 Jun
>2021, MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info remarked:
>>On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
>>Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>
>>>difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>>>simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>>>competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>
>>Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?
>
>No, but those who don't might also take a bus from Coventry to
>Leicester.
>
>However, the comparison here is mainly between the number of
>vehicles/day on the motorway (50k perhaps) times the average occupancy,
>versus the number of passengers on the self-confessed useless railway
>link.
>
>3% of 75k (to allow for both multi-occupancy and people using routes
>other than the motorway) is 2,250 which seems a lot.

Where are you getting these figures from?

In message <savd7r$m3f$1@gioia.aioe.org>, at 13:33:47 on Wed, 23 Jun
2021, MrSpook_0qqfaghy@d5883hc.biz remarked:
>On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 13:27:03 +0100
>Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>In message <sav5c4$1206$1@gioia.aioe.org>, at 11:19:32 on Wed, 23 Jun
>>2021, MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info remarked:
>>>On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
>>>Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>
>>>>difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>>>>simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>>>>competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>>
>>>Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?
>>
>>No, but those who don't might also take a bus from Coventry to
>>Leicester.
>>
>>However, the comparison here is mainly between the number of
>>vehicles/day on the motorway (50k perhaps) times the average occupancy,
>>versus the number of passengers on the self-confessed useless railway
>>link.
>>
>>3% of 75k (to allow for both multi-occupancy and people using routes
>>other than the motorway) is 2,250 which seems a lot.
>
>Where are you getting these figures from?

3% from the original article, 50k from a typical not very busy motorway,
occupancy more of a guess, but you can probably find some Dft figures on
car-sharing for commuting and other stats for family size (families
travel together between one city and another sometimes, too).
--
Roland Perry

Certes <none@nowhere.net> wrote:
> On 23/06/2021 11:29, Roland Perry wrote:
>> In message <sat44n$a1j$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:46:15 on Tue, 22 Jun
>> 2021, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
>>
>>> Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
>>
>>>> This from Leicester City Council:
>>>>
>>>> https://news.leicester.gov.uk/news-articles/2021/may/proposed-new-east-
>>>> midlands-rail-link-praised-by-region-s-city-leaders/
>>>
>>> The trouble is, Leicester station is hard to get to. Anyone commuting to
>>> Coventry has to get themselves to the station in the first place. Car
>>> parking js poor and the traffic is horrendous in the first place. Most
>>> bus
>>> routes don’t go near it. Even if they speed up the rail journey time
>>> (at a
>>> cost of £100 million!) it’s not going to be an attractive alternative to
>>> driving.
>>
>> I agree that Coventry (and also Birmingham International) are very
>> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>
>> A solution requires through-working from at least central Birmingham to
>> Nottingham, and picking off intermediate flows like Coventry-Leicester
>> is somewhat of a hostage to fortune of the tails from the stations at
>> either end.
>
> Birmingham-Coventry is congested, and Birmingham already has a better
> service to Leicester or Nottingham via Nuneaton or Tamworth. There's a
> case for extending the service to Birmingham International if it can be
> fitted in, to easy journeys from Notts and Leics to the airport and to
> whatever the NEC is called this week.
>

The NEC has been simply the NEC since it opened in 1976, AFAICT.

Other venues allow a much more accurate use of that phrase.

Anna Noyd-Dryver

On Tue, 22 Jun 2021 16:46:15 +0000, Tweed wrote:

> Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
>> This from Leicester City Council:
>> https://news.leicester.gov.uk/news-articles/2021/may/proposed-new-east-
midlands-rail-link-praised-by-region-s-city-leaders/
>>
>>
> The trouble is, Leicester station is hard to get to. Anyone commuting to
> Coventry has to get themselves to the station in the first place. Car
> parking js poor and the traffic is horrendous in the first place. Most
> bus routes don’t go near it. Even if they speed up the rail journey time
> (at a cost of £100 million!) it’s not going to be an attractive
> alternative to driving.

There isn't a business case for a new line, or underpass of the WCML at
Nuneaton. It is the Councils pontificating, when they know there isn't
money available for such links, and if there was, it would not built as
there was no business case for it.
I was in Bedworth (7 miles north of Coventry) for 4 hours, a few weeks
ago. 1 hour is too long to walk around there. So I thought I'd get the
train into Coventry. I didn't bother, as the service is so poor. And I
found out it just cannot compete with the bus service. Every 10 minutes
from Nuneaton to Coventry and vice versa. OK, the journey takes a hour
10mins, compared to 20 mins on the train, but, the train station is a
fair walk from the centre, whereas the buses drop you dead centre. Then
the fares, £6 return on the train, £3.50 on the bus.

Also, there isn't much interaction between Leicester and Coventry. They
are close, but in my 56 years of being in Leicester, I've only been to
Coventry maybe 6 times. It isn't a destination. If you want a day out,
you go to Birmingham or Nottingham, Coventry just isnt on the radar for
Leicester people.
There is a direct bus between Leicester and Cov., I doubt the train could
really compete, both time wise, and fare wise.
Add in the single line between Nuneaton and Coventry, and it seems an
awful lot of money for little benefit.

When it is all rejected, the local Councils will be indignant, and put
the blame on the national Government for denying them their big plans,
when really, they should be ashamed of wasting money researching
something that is not, and unlikely to ever be, required.

Now, if the central spine for freight is built, it could be an option to
upgrade and electrify that line, so freight from the south coast can have
access to the WCML and MML, bypassing the more congested southern
sections. But both North and South of Coventry will need to have many
multi millions upgrading the line, and possibly an extra running line put
in on the Chiltern.

<MrSpook_ov2t@ilc55aywu0u_dl5pv.edu> wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 12:07:30 -0000 (UTC)
> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>> <MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info> wrote:
>>> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>>>> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>>>> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>>
>>> Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Outside of London, if you need to get to work you usually need a car. Apart
>> from shops (reducing) the only big employers left in city centres are
>> hospitals and universities. Everyone else has decamped to industrial and
>> business parks. Most are poorly served by bus routes and even if they are
>> it’s not going to be the same route as where you live.
>
> Oh rubbish. Plenty of SMBs exist in city centres and their suburbs, only
> larger firms or ones who need industrial facilities end up in industrial
> estates.
>
>

Suburbs is exactly the point. Unless you happen to live in that suburb
public transport doesn’t help you much. Round here it is all radial routes
from the centre to the suburb.

On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 15:49:43 -0000 (UTC)
Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
><MrSpook_ov2t@ilc55aywu0u_dl5pv.edu> wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 12:07:30 -0000 (UTC)
>> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>>> <MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info> wrote:
>>>> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
>>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>>>>> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>>>>> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>>>
>>>> Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> Outside of London, if you need to get to work you usually need a car. Apart
>>> from shops (reducing) the only big employers left in city centres are
>>> hospitals and universities. Everyone else has decamped to industrial and
>>> business parks. Most are poorly served by bus routes and even if they are
>>> it’s not going to be the same route as where you live.
>>
>> Oh rubbish. Plenty of SMBs exist in city centres and their suburbs, only
>> larger firms or ones who need industrial facilities end up in industrial
>> estates.
>>
>>
>
>Suburbs is exactly the point. Unless you happen to live in that suburb
>public transport doesn’t help you much. Round here it is all radial routes
>from the centre to the suburb.

Where's here?

<MrSpook_c2tAht5@c7zi9y.gov.uk> wrote:
> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 15:49:43 -0000 (UTC)
> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>> <MrSpook_ov2t@ilc55aywu0u_dl5pv.edu> wrote:
>>> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 12:07:30 -0000 (UTC)
>>> Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> <MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info> wrote:
>>>>> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
>>>>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>>>>> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>>>>>> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>>>>>> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>>>>
>>>>> Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Outside of London, if you need to get to work you usually need a car. Apart
>>>> from shops (reducing) the only big employers left in city centres are
>>>> hospitals and universities. Everyone else has decamped to industrial and
>>>> business parks. Most are poorly served by bus routes and even if they are
>>>> it’s not going to be the same route as where you live.
>>>
>>> Oh rubbish. Plenty of SMBs exist in city centres and their suburbs, only
>>> larger firms or ones who need industrial facilities end up in industrial
>>> estates.
>>>
>>>
>>
>> Suburbs is exactly the point. Unless you happen to live in that suburb
>> public transport doesn’t help you much. Round here it is all radial routes
>> from the centre to the suburb.
>
> Where's here?
>
>

Not London and the South East.

Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
> <MrSpook_uf2T2njL@2f_gwu0p.info> wrote:
>> On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:29:26 +0100
>> Roland Perry <roland@perry.co.uk> wrote:
>>> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>>> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>>> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>
>> Do you think everyone in the UK owns a car?
>>
>>
>
> Outside of London, if you need to get to work you usually need a car. Apart
> from shops (reducing) the only big employers left in city centres are
> hospitals and universities. Everyone else has decamped to industrial and
> business parks. Most are poorly served by bus routes and even if they are
> it’s not going to be the same route as where you live.
>
>

I've lived in Salford and in Bristol city centre effectively without a car
(as in, I had one but it could go months without being used). Now living
out in the Bristol suburbs we're contemplating getting rid of my partner's
car since we both started cycling to work.

City centre offices are still being built here, so not everybody has
decamped; and I see dedicated contract bus routes to major employers (they
have the employer’s name or the business park name as their destination).

Anna Noyd-Dryver

On Wed, 23 Jun 2021 16:32:22 -0000 (UTC)
Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> wrote:
><MrSpook_c2tAht5@c7zi9y.gov.uk> wrote:
>>> Suburbs is exactly the point. Unless you happen to live in that suburb
>>> public transport doesn’t help you much. Round here it is all radial routes
>
>>> from the centre to the suburb.
>>
>> Where's here?
>>
>>
>
>Not London and the South East.

Wasn't asking for your address for heavens sake.

On 22/06/2021 17:46, Tweed wrote:
> Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
>> This from Leicester City Council:
>> https://news.leicester.gov.uk/news-articles/2021/may/proposed-new-east-midlands-rail-link-praised-by-region-s-city-leaders/
>>
>
> The trouble is, Leicester station is hard to get to. Anyone commuting to
> Coventry has to get themselves to the station in the first place. Car
> parking js poor and the traffic is horrendous in the first place. Most bus
> routes don’t go near it. Even if they speed up the rail journey time (at a
> cost of £100 million!) it’s not going to be an attractive alternative to
> driving.
>

Ignoring cars for the moment (improving rail services is intended to
lessen the use of cars), the problems with restoring a Leicester to
Coventry direct rail services are:

1. Using the current route involves a reversal at Nuneaton station,
which probably adds 5-10 minutes to the end-to end journey time. Also
there may be problems finding paths across the WCML (not unsurmountable,
as there are some gaps between WCML services, as cn be seen if you ever
wait at Nuneaton station)

2. Building a flyover (or diveunder) to by-pass the WCML at Nuneaton
would be mega-expensive, and probably unaffordable considering the
likely use by passengers.

Also, you would be unable to serve Nuneaton, (population 90,000) which
almost certainly generates far more traffic to Coventry than does
Leicester.

3. With Coventry station being some distance from the city centre,
Birmingham and maybe Nottingham are likely to be more attractive targets
for shopping trips, etc. (as mentioned elsewhere in this thread.)

On 24/06/2021 12:38, Bevan Price wrote:
>
> Also, you would be unable to serve Nuneaton, (population 90,000) which
> almost certainly generates far more traffic to Coventry than does
> Leicester.

I didn't think the plan was to reinstate the bypassing line, but to pass
from one side under the WCML to serve Nuneaton platforms on the other
side and then reverse to the destination, thus avoiding the WCML.

--
Basil Jet recently enjoyed listening to
Electromagnetic Steamboat.. The Reprise Recordings - The Fugs

On 24/06/2021 13:02, Basil Jet wrote:
> On 24/06/2021 12:38, Bevan Price wrote:
>>
>> Also, you would be unable to serve Nuneaton, (population 90,000) which
>> almost certainly generates far more traffic to Coventry than does
>> Leicester.
>
> I didn't think the plan was to reinstate the bypassing line, but to pass
> from one side under the WCML to serve Nuneaton platforms on the other
> side and then reverse to the destination, thus avoiding the WCML.

There's already an unused underbridge about half a mile up (SE) from the
station. It used to carry an avoiding line, but it might be possible to
connect the Leicester line to platform 1 (SW) without too much digging.

<https://maps.francisfrith.com/ordnance-survey/nuneaton-1901-1902_hosm34999.png>

On 23/06/2021 12:20, Certes wrote:
> On 23/06/2021 11:29, Roland Perry wrote:
>> In message <sat44n$a1j$1@dont-email.me>, at 16:46:15 on Tue, 22 Jun
>> 2021, Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> remarked:
>>
>>> Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
>>
>>>> This from Leicester City Council:
>>>>
>>>> https://news.leicester.gov.uk/news-articles/2021/may/proposed-new-east-
>>>> midlands-rail-link-praised-by-region-s-city-leaders/
>>>
>>> The trouble is, Leicester station is hard to get to. Anyone commuting to
>>> Coventry has to get themselves to the station in the first place. Car
>>> parking js poor and the traffic is horrendous in the first place. Most
>>> bus
>>> routes don’t go near it. Even if they speed up the rail journey time
>>> (at a
>>> cost of £100 million!) it’s not going to be an attractive alternative to
>>> driving.
>>
>> I agree that Coventry (and also Birmingham International) are very
>> difficult to reach from the Leicester/Nottingham area. So much so I
>> simply can't believe that as many as 3% of trips are made by train. It's
>> competing with a 3-lane motorway!!
>>
>> A solution requires through-working from at least central Birmingham to
>> Nottingham, and picking off intermediate flows like Coventry-Leicester
>> is somewhat of a hostage to fortune of the tails from the stations at
>> either end.
>
> Birmingham-Coventry is congested, and Birmingham already has a better
> service to Leicester or Nottingham via Nuneaton or Tamworth. There's a
> case for extending the service to Birmingham International if it can be
> fitted in, to easy journeys from Notts and Leics to the airport and to
> whatever the NEC is called this week.

Extending the existing Leamington Spa - Nuneaton service to Leicester or
Nottingham could be another option.

Roger