> So we would have an express lane in one direction and a stopping lane in the other? Why is that a good thing?
Simulate it and see...
Turns out that despite most users needing to make more changes, they will complete their journey far faster. The few journeys that are not completed faster (eg. taking the tube one stop) tend to either be walking distance or have an equivalent bus.
Combine it with the fact there are multiple routes from A to B and there are many people who can take the fast train in both directions.
For the railway operator, the trains are a big capital and operational cost. If you can make the trains run faster, you can get better utilisation of the seats, and therefore extra capacity/revenue. That more than outweighs the extra maintenance and electricity costs of going faster.
Simulate it and see...
Turns out that despite most users needing to make more changes, they will complete their journey far faster. The few journeys that are not completed faster (eg. taking the tube one stop) tend to either be walking distance or have an equivalent bus.
Combine it with the fact there are multiple routes from A to B and there are many people who can take the fast train in both directions.
For the railway operator, the trains are a big capital and operational cost. If you can make the trains run faster, you can get better utilisation of the seats, and therefore extra capacity/revenue. That more than outweighs the extra maintenance and electricity costs of going faster.