Talk:Milton Keynes Central railway station

Buildings/Architecture
This article needs information on the buildings themselves. Planning, architecture, design and so on. This station is unique and should be explained in detail. I don't know enough to do it myself. 90.197.38.152 (talk) 03:11, 20 December 2007 (UTC)
 * We don't just make it up, somebody has to research it and write it up. Usually the person who asked the question!  So could I suggest that you try to find out what you can and make a start.  The Council at least should be able to tell you who were the architects and builders. Don't forget to cite your sources (when you find some info, keep a note of where you found it). --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 13:17, 20 December 2007 (UTC)

Original text of the development section, in case we ever need it again
Prior to completion of phase I, this is what the article reported On 4 December 2006, work began on both projects, with completion scheduled for December 2008. The overall effect will be to upgrade the present two fast lines and three slow lines to three fast lines and four slow lines.

In detail, (using the current numbering scheme which may change) the works will ;
 * extend the current track 1 to rejoin the slow line north of the station (converting platform 1 from a bay platform to a through platform)
 * insert a (reversible) track 1a for the Marston Vale Line service extension (and possibly a service to Oxford) and insert a new bay platform 1a by reshaping the current island platform 1-2.
 * convert the current (through) track 2 to reversible operation.
 * create multiple crossings between the tracks.
 * convert (fast) track 5 to two-way operation. This will allow more intercity trains in either direction to stop without blocking the line.
 * add a new fast track 6 and a new platform 6 for north-bound services.
 * add a new set of points south of the station.
 * to accommodate these extra lines, the gantries that carry the overhead lines are being replaced and reorganised.

Southern Service
There's no mention here of the new Southern service from MKC to Croydon or Clapham (which is it?) which is starting soon (as evidenced by the countless driver training runs in British Rail Class 377s). Could someone who knows more about the proposal than me add something? Thanks! Tom walker (talk) 22:38, 26 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Service was due to start early Jane 2009 but will not now start before 9 Feb. See http://www.southernrailway.com/news.php?id=217 --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 00:08, 2 February 2009 (UTC)

History
The article would be improved by a history section describing the design, construction and subsequent development of MK Central and its associated buildings up to the 2006 changes. Unfortunately I don't have the local knowledge to do this. --80.176.142.11 (talk) 12:45, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

Interchange section
We have too many generic platform pictures but none of the Bus interchange. Could someone add? --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 22:11, 8 April 2013 (UTC)

Future MKC - Bletchley - Bedford service?
I have added a 'citation needed' tag to the statement that an MK Central <-> Bedford service via Bletchley is 'planned after remodelling at Bletchley'. It is not obvious how this can be delivered. First, there is no chord between the WCML south-bound and the Marston Vale line east-bound. One could be built of course but to do so would mean (a) demolishing relatively modern buildings on St James Way, Bletchley and (b) the route would bypass Bletchley station by at least 200 metres to the north. Of course there is the option to reverse at Bletchley onto the WCML but for some reason, despite constrution 3 years ago of the new Platform 2A at MKC for such a service, this has not happened and we need a citation that says why not and what will change. And the proposed Bletchley High Level is not obviously relevant. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 23:37, 24 June 2014 (UTC)
 * The East-west-rail-link FAQ, Western section lists a number of proposed services. MKC to Bedford is not one, so I shall delete that claim from the article. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 10:07, 25 June 2014 (UTC)

What should go in the 'route' box of the Services table
I've opened a request for comment at Template talk:Rail line to see if there is a consensus on what info should go in the 'route' box. Is it just the TOC and the line name, or should we have the terminuses too? (example: the London Midland service via the WCML to Brum or Crewe; the proposed services via the EWRL). Please comment at the template talk. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 11:38, 15 September 2014 (UTC)

Platform 2A
Currently the article states " Platform 2A is currently used by a limited service to and from Euston". However from using this station quite a lot, from being my local one, also from general knowledge I know that the only ToC that uses 2A is Southern, which of course does not run to Euston. Every time I've seen a train there it's been a 4-car 377 going to South Croydon. I would make an edit to the article, however it's possible that London Midland do use this platform at times, however with the length of their trains I do not think they are cleared to use it. Crazy sam10 (talk) 17:05, 14 October 2014 (UTC)
 * Southern only use it exceptionally too. (A four-car LM train could, and very occasionally does, use it - though I've only ever seen it once). Southern always waits at platform 2. But then again, LM trains starting from MKC do too - so there must be occasions when, due to an unplanned delay, one of them is going to get bumped to 2A. But in the normal timetable, there is no contention. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 22:54, 15 October 2014 (UTC)
 * I use that station quite commonly, and every time I've seen a 4-car Southern train it's terminated in platform 2A. The only time I've seen Southern trains in platform 2 is when they are 8 car trains. Furthermore, I've never seen a LM train in platform 2A, they always stop in platform 2. Crazy sam10 (talk) 23:27, 15 October 2014 (UTC)

LM's Crewe - Euston service pattern for service summary table
According to http://www.londonmidland.com/your-journey/timetables/, the weekdays service named crewe-stoke on trent-tamworth-northampton-london euston does not call at Northampton or Watford when it calls at MKC (specifically at hh:14 southbound and hh:19 northbound). Yes, it does call additionally at these places at weekends, but that is outside the scope of the table as it has been defined in all rws articles for many years. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 17:22, 18 December 2014 (UTC)

Possible future termination of WCML commuter services at Old Oak Common rather than Euston?
It may well go the way of all such Grand Improvement Schemes but, for the convenience of some future editor, it is worth keeping a copy here of the text we had when the idea was first floated: . --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 15:53, 27 August 2016 (UTC)
 * Network Rail's July 2011 London & South East Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS) recommended diverting West Coast Main Line (WCML) services from stations between London and Milton Keynes Central away from Euston, to Crossrail via Old Oak Common, to free up capacity at Euston for High Speed 2. Doing so would provide a direct service from the WCML to the Shenfield, Canary Wharf and Abbey Wood, release London Underground capacity at Euston, make better use of Crossrail's capacity west of Paddington, and improve access to Heathrow Airport from the north. 

External links modified
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External links modified (January 2018)
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified one external link on Milton Keynes Central railway station. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20070206193818/http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/wcml/westcoastmainlineprogressrep3458 to http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/rail/pi/wcml/westcoastmainlineprogressrep3458

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Proposed template giving map of lines in the Milton Keynes area
Comments welcome at Template talk:Milton Keynes railway map. I'll leave a week before putting it live. --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 16:17, 4 April 2018 (UTC)