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Royal Train movements

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Chris217

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Does any Royal Train movements show up on RTT ?

I suspect due to the high security in question,it probably doesn't?

The Train came to Cardiff this morning but couldn't find it?

I know when it used to arrive the station was evacuated.
Not sure if that still happens now though.
 
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Watershed

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Does any Royal Train movements show up on RTT ?

I suspect due to the high security in question,it probably doesn't?

The Train came to Cardiff this morning but couldn't find it?

I know when it used to arrive the station was evacuated.
Not sure if that still happens now though.
No. They don't even show on TRUST. You can see them in the live signalling feed, but they're not in any other open data.

There are still 'security arrangements' around the Royal Train, for example adjacent line blocks.
 

Taunton

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There are still 'security arrangements' around the Royal Train, for example adjacent line blocks.
These used to be quite extensive, for example when departing Paddington on the GW main line the Piccadilly Line had to be momentarily stopped between Ealing Common and North Ealing, where it crosses on an overbridge, while the Royal Train passed.
 

Omnishambles

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As previously stated, don’t even show on internal TRUST systems. Open source sites will likely show similar to freight services, admittedly I never looked today. Timings themselves are only distributed amongst the ‘need to know’ community such as signallers and controls in the main with the notice itself having to be signed for and signed back on return to the Traffic Office clerk in olden days. As a named ‘post’ holder on the distribution list I had to undergo a form of vetting about 10yrs ago.
Also remember getting an absolute roasting back in the 80s after faxing the notice to one of the outlying SBs as they had lost or not received theirs. Theses were the days when sending a fax left a red ’circle k’ on the document being sent….. Was worth the entrance money watching the Traffic Office Manager’s head implod. Thought I was going to the tower !!!
Changed now but each royal had their own headcode as well but that ended a long time back. X01 with HMQ onboard was always the one that had staff stationed pretty much everywhere, crossings closed 10” before the train and all sorts of belt and braces interventions. Dont know what if any additional measures nowadays for HMQ and X01 ?
 

JN114

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It’s not run as “nXnn” train description - regardless of who is onboard - for many, many years now
 

Omnishambles

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It’s not run as “nXnn” train description - regardless of who is onboard - for many, many years now
My understanding also. From my recollection of my last dealings it was 1Zxx with a completely random last 2 numbers regardless of who was on it. Hopefully still a copy of the Sporting Life delivered with all the morning papers if it’s still printed
 

221129

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Ran as 1Z49 yesterday and caused all sorts of delays to other trains as it sauntered through Wiltshire and Oxfordshire.
 

Prudhoe

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It reminds me of years ago when she was visiting Bedford. I was near the station and thought I would take a chance to get a photo of the royal train. I went to ask one of the police and he said no problem.
But then he said I would be wasting my time as she was coming in on a service train, not the royal train.

Another time, she was on a Jubilee tour and times were published in advance. I went to the old Rutherglen station, which was alongside the WCML. Unfortunately, a unit pulled into the station, blocking the view. I then got on the unit to Glasgow Central in time to see the back of the Duke of Edinburgh's head through the back window of their car. The nearest I ever got to seeing royalty. However you could then go onto the station to photograph the train.

A third time was at Paddington when I worked in London. The royal train was parked up in the old parcels platform during the evening rush hour and came into platform 1 around 18:30.
I was on the footbridge trying to photograph the train and a police man came up and asked me what I was doing. He asked me how I knew it was there and was satisfied when I told him.
He then escorted me along platform 2 so I could take as many photos as I wanted.

As long as you are sensible I have never had any problems getting near the train.
 

GordonT

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In olden times the Royal Train from the BR side was presided over by the appropriate Regional Operations Manager together with a couple of Senior Inspectors. The relevant (bowler hatted) Area Manager would see to the dispatching of the train on departure and his counterpart would be in attendance at the arrival station hoping that the train would stop at precisely the predetermined position on the platform. Which companies are involved now and which personnel carry out similar roles to the BR ones?
 

LOM

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In olden times the Royal Train from the BR side was presided over by the appropriate Regional Operations Manager together with a couple of Senior Inspectors. The relevant (bowler hatted) Area Manager would see to the dispatching of the train on departure and his counterpart would be in attendance at the arrival station hoping that the train would stop at precisely the predetermined position on the platform. Which companies are involved now and which personnel carry out similar roles to the BR ones?

DB Cargo provides drivers, Traction Inspector and travelling fitter
Alstom also provides a travelling fitter
Network Rail provides a Signalling Inspector (or equivalent Ops management) to travel on the train and they change over at Route boundaries. Bowler hats are no longer issued.
Network Rail also provides Ops staff at the departure station, overnight stops and arrival station.
The whole train is managed by the Royal Train Officer who has been doing it for decades but not sure who he works for.
 

GordonT

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DB Cargo provides drivers, Traction Inspector and travelling fitter
Alstom also provides a travelling fitter
Network Rail provides a Signalling Inspector (or equivalent Ops management) to travel on the train and they change over at Route boundaries. Bowler hats are no longer issued.
Network Rail also provides Ops staff at the departure station, overnight stops and arrival station.
The whole train is managed by the Royal Train Officer who has been doing it for decades but not sure who he works for.
Thanks. I've discovered via Google that the Royal Train Officer is a Nick Edwards: https://uk.dbcargo.com/rail-uk-en/metaNavi/careers/proud-to-be-DB/nick-edwards
 

ExRes

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Gloster

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I think that the Royal Train Officer who travels with the train is a recently retired manager, although he probably has a deputy in case he is indisposed. However, they must work for some part of the railway.
 

wellhouse

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What about the Red Carpet?

I know that in BR days it was kept at the Poppleton Railway Nursery. No idea how it was transported to where it was required

Who keeps it now?
 

ChiefPlanner

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A good number of now retired railway managers (self included !) , have a cornucopia of anecdotes about working "Royal" services ,and not just the proper train but journeys on service trains. Obviously varying levels of management attention depending on the occasion and the persons involved.

I remember being praised by a member of the protection team about having made a good effort , compared to a previous journey on Connex !
 

Omnishambles

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Great to hear about Nick Edwards, when I joined Res in 1995 he was our (can't remember his exact title) boss based down in Bristol, great bloke who always supported his staff and was never afraid to take on reasonable questions truthfully, the Royal Train is in good hands
Can also confirm he is indeed a top man having being the RTO for a number of years. Always a call just prior to departure with the ECS from both him and the Signalling Inspector who was travelling
 

Spartacus

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A few years ago the ‘Special Train’ was actually published and uploaded and it led people to be summoned to rather high up meetings with rather stern officials. This was possibly just before the advent of RTT, but I’ve no reason to believe it wouldn’t have been in there.
 

ANDREW_D_WEBB

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The Railway Magazine ran a couple of columns earlier this year about the memoirs of a Royal Train manager. Well worth the read.

I tracked the train earlier this year after The Queen visited Manchester. It appeared on the maps as 1Zxx (can’t recall the number) so watched it drop her home to Windsor and continue back to Wolverton on the same code. Photo taken as it passed Feltham
 
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