Trivia: Unusual timetabled services?

[najaB]

Has this service been mentioned yet? The only direct train from Dunbar to Glasgow that I'm aware of.

There is this service on a Sunday.

 

[Kite159]

I think the last Salisbury service on a Sunday night from Waterloo is the only time a 159 is timetabled to call at Farnborough & Fleet.

 

[me123]

2E56 0723 Balloch to Edinburgh
The only North Clyde Line service to Edinburgh that doesn't start at Helensburgh Central.

Aside from the 2tph from Milngavie throughout the day... It is the only one from Balloch, mind. East of Airdrie, that service runs in the path of what would ordinarily be the 07:59 from Milngavie (that continues to Springburn instead for some reason, again another weird service being the only direct train between the two).

Lots of bizarre things in the North West of Glasgow in the morning peak; you've already mentioned the weird service from Oban earlier that calls at some local stations on the North Clyde Line - that originally started as a local SPT service originating at Arrochar & Tarbet to provide a commuter service to both there and Garelochhead. Bizarrely, the evening peak is much more straight-forward.

 

[kevconnor]

Service 1R23, the only scheduled southbound Virgin Trains Service to start from Manchester Piccadilly which goes via Birmingham New Street (and a whole host of other stations as well). But it suits me perfectly as it goes via BHI as well.

On the reverse there is also service 1H98 which is looks to be the only ATW service I can see to call at both BHM and MAN

 

[Class 170101]

I nominate the 2358 from Liverpool Street to Cambridge. Runs in the "slow" pattern- ie Tottenham Hale, Chesunt then all-stations.

Except it doesn't stop at Shelford, the last station before Cambridge. Never understood this. Shelford is only manned in the mornings, so it isn't a staffing issue there. the gates to the platforms don't get locked. So why not stop?

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y13702/2015/01/16/advanced

Its to do with drivers. The train has to arrive when it does to enable a book off time of 01:30. No signing off after 01:30 allowed.

 

[GWRjake]

The 0706 Didcot Parkway-London Paddington (Monday-Friday). Formed of a HST, calling at Cholsey, Goring & Streatley, Pangbourne, Tilehurst, Maidenhead and London Paddington. Interesting as it must be the only passenger working to pass through Reading without stopping and also the only HST to stop at the intermediate stations between Didcot and Reading!

 

[Kite159]

The 0706 Didcot Parkway-London Paddington (Monday-Friday). Formed of a HST, calling at Cholsey, Goring & Streatley, Pangbourne, Tilehurst, Maidenhead and London Paddington. Interesting as it must be the only passenger working to pass through Reading without stopping and also the only HST to stop at the intermediate stations between Didcot and Reading!

There are several other HSTs which skip Reading, in the peaks.

 

[Mag_seven]

There are several other HSTs which skip Reading, in the peaks.

Only 3 actually, 1P16 and 1L20 in the morning peak, and 1G60 in the evening.

 

[Marton]

Saturday Whitby to Newcastle. http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y56281/2015/01/17/advanced

Also summer Sunday services which usually have one to/from each of Newcastle, Darlington, Bishop Auckland

 

[Tony2215]

One of the morning weekday trains from Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester fails to call at Heaton Chapel but still calls at Levenshulme.

XC have a bizzare non stop service from Manchester to Congleton on the 17:27 (SO) to Bournemouth.

 

[TAS]

The only service to start at Ingatestone is the 15:58 to Colchester.

 

[nuneatonmark]

They really are all split journeys joined together.

The first is a positioning move from Nottingham to Peterborough to operate the early morning services between Peterborough and Spalding.

Similarly the last service above is the final Spalding to Peterborough service, and the train returning to base in Nottingham.

The third and fourth trains are joining up Newark-Lincoln and Lincoln-Peterborough services.

The last train
2R92 2100 Spalding to Nottingham
Are there any other services that go from Melton Mowbray to Nottingham missing our Leicester like this one. So far this gets my vote.

 

[Strathclyder]

Aside from the 2tph from Milngavie throughout the day...

D'oh! I knew I forgot something. Original post has been edited appropriately. Cheers.

 

[trentside]

Northern has a couple of unusual services in the Doncaster area. a 2S55 16.14 Adwick-Manchester Piccadilly via Sheffield..and a sundays only 2C76 Lincoln-Hull via Sheffield..

2C76 operates Mondays to Saturdays - used to be one of the few workings on the line booked for a 158, but now seems to be booked for a Pacer that stables at Hull overnight from what I've been told.

The strange Sunday working from Lincoln is 2L12 1515 Lincoln to Leeds, which is an amalgamation of a Lincoln service and a Leeds stopper. Far quicker to change at Retford for Leeds than ride it round via Sheffield. Usual traction seems to be a 3-car 144.

 

[Mag_seven]

XC have a bizzare non stop service from Manchester to Congleton on the 17:27 (SO) to Bournemouth.

According to RTT and table 51 of the NRT, this service calls at Stockport.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P30664/2015/01/17/advanced

 

[plastictaffy]

There appears to be a new London Midland Crewe - London service which is non-stop Crewe - Rugeley Trent Valley and then non-stop Northampton - Euston.

Yes, it's one of two that are non-stop Nortampton-Euston. One of them covers NMP-EUS in 46 mins, only a few minutes slower than the Virgin service in the morning.

 

[Stuwhu]

One of the morning weekday trains from Stoke-on-Trent to Manchester fails to call at Heaton Chapel but still calls at Levenshulme.

Think this might be the one stopping train per day that doesn't stop at Adlington (Cheshire),

 

[class303]

Yes, it's one of two that are non-stop Nortampton-Euston. One of them covers NMP-EUS in 46 mins, only a few minutes slower than the Virgin service in the morning.

what time do these run please?

 

[Deepgreen]

How about the 17:32 from London Bridge to Horsham and Tonbridge and Reigate? Must be the only service which divides at a single station (Redhill in this instance) to serve 3 destinations, all on different lines. This differs from Coastway services from Victoria which split at Haywards Heath, with the East Coastway dropping 4 coaches at Eastbourne, so these only serve 2 destinations.

Yes - not just unusual, but unique in the UK? I catch this train quite often and have previously wondered if there are any others with three destinations.

 

[Halsebee]

X Country have a service (SuO) from Plymouth to Manchester Picadiilly, which passes Taunton at 1408, the only X Country train of the week, and one of very few trains at all, that doesn't call at Taunton. This train also only seems to run on certain weekends, no obvious pattern to when it runs and doesn't from what I can see.

 

[louis97]

X Country have a service (SuO) from Plymouth to Manchester Picadiilly, which passes Taunton at 1408, the only X Country train of the week, and one of very few trains at all, that doesn't call at Taunton. This train also only seems to run on certain weekends, no obvious pattern to when it runs and doesn't from what I can see.

It depends on Engineering Works, mainly between Birmingham and Bristol. For example, it wont run if there is diversions via Severn Tunnel. Have done that train a few times, shame about the 20 minute wait in Bristol.

 

[tractakid]

Yes - not just unusual, but unique in the UK? I catch this train quite often and have previously wondered if there are any others with three destinations.

Caledonian Highland Sleeper.

 

[mm333]

The strange Sunday working from Lincoln is 2L12 1515 Lincoln to Leeds, which is an amalgamation of a Lincoln service and a Leeds stopper. Far quicker to change at Retford for Leeds than ride it round via Sheffield. Usual traction seems to be a 3-car 144.

I did that entire run a few weeks ago, just for the hell of it instead of waiting for an hour for a northbound service at Retford. I was pretty much losing the will to live by the time we got to Leeds.

 

[portervalley]

The difference is that AGA serve Great Yarmouth daily as do XC at Paignton whereas EMT only serve Scarborough at summer weekends.

How is that different to Abellio Greater Anglia running Saturdays only direct from Gt Yarmouth to Liverpool Street, or XC diverting certain Plymouth services to Paignton on Summer Saturdays?

EMT to Scarborough.

 

[43074]

The difference is that AGA serve Great Yarmouth daily as do XC at Paignton whereas EMT only serve Scarborough at summer weekends.

EMT to Scarborough is Summer Saturdays only, and similarly London to Great Yarmouth on DIRECT services (i.e. no change at Norwich) is Summer Saturdays only... I was referring to the fact that the EMT special was a Summer Saturday service as are the direct London to Yarmouth services which in timetable terms are unusual.

 

[berneyarms]

what time do these run please?

A quick look at the timetable will answer that for you - 0716 and 0742.

 

[12CSVT]

my nomination is 2P99 0325 Peterborough - Kings Cross via Hertford North using a 4 car 365

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L01079/2015/01/13/advanced

despite what Realtime trains says about it being a 317 its definitely a 365 went on it the other week as i needed hertford north for track coverage and refuse to use a 313

To counter this, the 18:18 Welwyn G. C. - Kings Cross is a pair of 313s, only calling at Hatfield, Potters Bar and Finsbury Park.

 

[transmanche]

How about the 17:32 from London Bridge to Horsham and Tonbridge and Reigate? Must be the only service which divides at a single station (Redhill in this instance) to serve 3 destinations, all on different lines.

There are a handful[*] of trains from Charing Cross which split at Ashford International, but where both portions continue to Ramsgate - one via Canterbury West and the other via Dover Priory. An example is 2R42 the 14:17 from Charing Cross to Ramsgate and Ramsgate.

Are there any other services which split en-route, but where both portions serve the same ultimate destination?

* 5 up and 4 down services, AFAIU.

 

[dvboy]

Some early morning LM oddities that all run through Birmingham New Street

2H51 0525 Shrewsbury to Rugeley Trent Valley
1F31 0618 Birmingham International to Liverpool Lime Street
1G92 0620 Crewe to Walsall
1F33 0701 Walsall to Liverpool Lime Street
2W06 0706 Coventry to Wolverhampton
2U10 0719 Wolverhampton to Four Oaks

 

[Daz28]

Are there any other services which split en-route, but where both portions serve the same ultimate destination?

1H94 Cannon Street to Hastings and Hastings

Since the faster service only arrives 12 minutes ahead of the slow service, and it takes 5 minutes to split them, I assume this arrangement is to accommodate short platforms?