Quote:
Originally Posted by Rational Plan3
Well London to Newcastle (Conurbation 1 million) is roughly the same distance in the UK on a track that does not exceed 125 mph. That market can sustain a half hourly train, plus a few extra peak services. One an express with 3 stops (2 hours 50 minutes) and one calling at 7 stops ( 3 hours 10 minutes). Non of the cities between exceed 250,000 most are much smaller. Even a conventional train between those cities should be able to sustain an hourly train quite quickly.
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Let's review the respected city pairs population again....
Atlanta 6,162,195
Charolette 2,632,249
Subtotal 8,794,444
Number of cities along the route that Amtrak stops at presently is 6
Gastonia, NC 75,536
Spartanburg, SC 37,876
Greenville, SC 67,453
Clemson, SC 16,058
Toccoa, GA 8,412
Gainesville, GA 40,000
Subtotal 245,335
London 13,709,000
Newcastle 1,599,000
Subtotal 15,308,000
Number of cities along the route large enough to warrant a train station as reported by you is 7.
Per Wiki, 15,308,000
"The main line between London King's Cross and Edinburgh Waverley stations, via (1)Stevenage, (2)Peterborough, (3)Grantham, (4)Newark North Gate, (5)Retford, (6)Doncaster, (7)York, (8)Northallerton, (9)Darlington, (10)Durham, Newcastle, Morpeth, Alnmouth, Berwick-upon-Tweed and Dunbar."
There's 10 stations between London and Newcastle, I haven't the slightest idea which 7 the train stations your trains stop at, so let's subtotal all 10.
Stevenage 87,100.
Peterborough 183,631
Grantham 44,580
Newark North Gate 27,700
Retford 22,013
Doncaster 158,141
York 208,079
Northallerton 16,832
Darlington 105,564
Durham 65,549
Subtotal 749,189
If you can't see the difference between 8,794,444 and 15,308,000; and the differences between 245,335 and 749,189; you need to learn to count. In both the terminating cities, and the intermediate cities, your train in England runs through cities and towns with two to three times more population.
You have to look at all the different aspects of a rail line from all points of views when comparing the viability of different rail lines to one another.