Strangest Diversion

[EltonRoad]

A few years ago when living in Bristol I took a diverted Virgin Voyager from Bristol Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads routed via Avonmouth and Clifton Down. That was different!

 

[RayB]

First posting, but been lurking for a time.

I used to regularly get the sleeper from Penzance to Paddington. On one occasion I can remember being routed through Weston-Super-Mare which I thought was a bit odd geographically - as far as I know it was not the norm.

 

[Martin_1981]

A few years ago when living in Bristol I took a diverted Virgin Voyager from Bristol Parkway to Bristol Temple Meads routed via Avonmouth and Clifton Down. That was different!

Funnily enough, I was just about to mention that diversion! My parents were diverted that way once as well on the way to Plymouth from Birmingham. Think it was around 2004/5. The train manager apparently gave a virtual guided tour over the PA system!

 

[NIMBUS]

One of mine was entirely unintentional. A charter from Swindon to York, back in the mid-80s. On the return, we sailed straight past Standish Junction on the Bristol line, instead of taking the Golden Valley route through Stroud. I was window hanging at the front vestibule and, when we got a red light at Westerleigh Junction, the driver came back and asked ME where the train was going, as the box had no idea what train he was!

Eventually we were routed forward via Filton, Dr. Day's Junction and Bath Spa, back to Swindon! Nothing particularly rare track-wise but certainly an unexpected diversion!

 

[Badger]

Probably not particularly odd, but when Nuneaton to Leicester was closed for a bit all Sunday trains went to Derby via Tamworth, then reversed and went all the way down to Leicester. Added a fair amount to the journey time.

Bah the most excitement I get is when Wolf-Brum trains are sent around Bescot Stadium and along the Walsall to Birmingham lines. That actually brought in an interesting situation. We have a train from Wolverhampton to Walsall, via Birmingham and all intermediate stations. When the one part was closed, the train went from Wolverhampton to Walsall along a disused line, i.e. it's timetabled terminus, and then did all the intermediate stations.

 

[12CSVT]

I once had a Preston to Euston diverted via Edge Hill (Liverpool), quite unusual as the Windsor Link had been built.

Was that August bank holiday weekend 1991 ?

WCML services were being diverted via both Edge Hill and Manchester that weekend.

 

[Whistler40145]

I am not sure.

I was going to Euston to do a Railtour with a 56 from Waterloo to Bedford via Oxford & the Bletchley Flyover, returning to Euston.

 

[Sceptre]

As far as I'm aware, the next train in on Westgate's 1 after the Grand Tour pulls in is the xx05 from Leeds (which would arrive before Eureka at about xx18). As Eureka has moved that back about ten minutes, and as I'm sure there's a train in 2 at around quarter past, I think it's better for it to go into 1.

 

[RPM]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Chiltern London - Birmingham trains that get diverted via Amerhsam and Aylesbury every now and again. Travelling between the UK's two largest cities via a substantial length of London Underground infrastructure has got to count as fairly strange!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

WCML - Rugby - St Pancras via Bletchley and Bedford - dragged over the branch by a 47or even a pair of 25's - pan up BDM and the electric went into St Pancras.

Thats not going to happen again ......

 

[eastwestdivide]

Leicester-Bedford-Bletchley-Euston on a service train in the early 80s: engineering work south of Bedford meant a 45 all the way to Euston. Unfortunately slow line on the WCML, so no great speeds.
And also early 80s, there was a serious derailment somewhere south of Rugby, and WCML stuff was being taken from Nuneaton via Wigston S curve and up the Midland, mostly with 47/4s. They removed the electric locos (at Nuneaton I guess).

 

[button_boxer]

Probably not particularly odd, but when Nuneaton to Leicester was closed for a bit all Sunday trains went to Derby via Tamworth, then reversed and went all the way down to Leicester. Added a fair amount to the journey time.

Sunday before last I was walking down London Road in Derby over the railway bridge and saw an EMT London service going under the bridge in the Burton direction. Any idea what that was about? Would it have reversed at Stenson Junction to get to Trent or would it have had to go all the way to Water Orton/Coleshill Parkway and reverse towards Leicester?

 

[Whistler40145]

button_boxer, if Derby to London trains are unable to travel via the normal route, they would reverse @ Stenson Junction & travel via the freight only line to Sheet Stores Junction to Trent.

 

[delt1c]

Think it was around 1975 Edinburgh - Glasgow Queen Street sewrvice diverted via Bathgate , Airdrie and in to Queen St low level, continued west io a cross over and returned. This was the days of push pull 27'2 MkII and when the Bathgate line was freight only.

 

[Crossover]

We have a train from Wolverhampton to Walsall, via Birmingham and all intermediate stations. When the one part was closed, the train went from Wolverhampton to Walsall along a disused line, i.e. it's timetabled terminus, and then did all the intermediate stations.

The line you refer to isn't disused but is, on the whole, freight only. It is used by a single service a day from Walsall to Wolverhampton and used to be used by te WMDR services to get to Tame Bridge Parkway.

 

[paul1609]

Football Special from Fratton to Huddersfield on the same day as the Bradford City disaster. The class 45 loco failed in Derby Station on the return where we stood for 2 hours. by the time we returned to the Southern region both the Portsmouth direct and the Eastleigh route had closed for engineering works. we were diverted via laverstock curve and Southampton to arrive 5 hours late in the early hours. Compensation for coastway customers? We were allowed to sleep in a 4 cig in the low level station until the first train next morning!

 

[NIMBUS]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the Chiltern London - Birmingham trains that get diverted via Amerhsam and Aylesbury every now and again. Travelling between the UK's two largest cities via a substantial length of London Underground infrastructure has got to count as fairly strange!

I guess that, as a local, I tend to regard them as nothing out of the ordinary! As you say, others would probably find them quite interesting.

OTOH, I tend to get quite (sadly) excited when a Met route service gets diverted non-stop via Wycombe!

 

[Tomonthetrain]

saw a picture of a Chiltern 168 Online doing a marylebone - kidderminster service...diverted to run via birmingham new street!

 

[Whistler40145]

In pre Virgin days, were any Euston to Wolverhampton or CrossCountry services ever been dragged from Nuneaton to Walsall or Bescot via Sutton Park avoiding Birmingham New Street?

 

[gary47]

About 4 years ago,I remember getting an early Monday morning train,from stafford to manchester. That went straight through Stoke without stopping,then went through Alsager to crewe. Then Wilmslow, Stockport and Manchester, no mention about diverts or railworks

Coming back from Liverpool to Stafford before,we had to divert through Manchester.Being towed by a diesel engine as there was no electrification, between Manchester and Liverpool.

 

[jha4ceb]

Went around the Ely West Curve once on a westbound Norwich-Liverpool train that *wasn't* avoiding Ely: i.e. it stopped at Ely, ran up to the junction, then reversed onto the loop and went onwards towards PBO. Not sure why.

 

[12CSVT]

13th July 1989

Departed Glasgow behind 86255 (1M40 1820 to Manchester if my notes are correct), took a right turn at Bridge Street Jct and proceeded to Shields Jct where the 86 came off, and 87016 worked the train via West Street Tunnel, rejoining the WCML at Larkfield Jct.

 

[Whistler40145]

I expect some interesting locos hauled InterCity services from Glasgow Central to Shields Junction when the line to Polmadie was closed.

I can here a throaty rasp from a 25, 26 or 27.

 

[Whistler40145]

I wonder if any Liverpool to Euston services have been diverted via St Helen's Central & the freight line @ Bamfurlong?

 

[ronshirt]

About twenty years ago travelling between New Street and Newcastle on a dark winter Sunday afternoon we went through Nunthorpe.

I don't understand either.

 

[ReverendFozz]

I've seen a reasonable amount of the bits of the rail network not witnessed by many regular passenger trains over the last couple of years, primarily courtesy of Crosscountry services.

I've done the Stllington line from Ferryhill to Stockton (Freight only normally) while en route to York.

I've been on a Voyager routed direct from York to Sheffield via Sherburn-in-Elmet and Pontefract Baghill. It took me months to fathom out what had gone on there: I recall passing a depot filled to the brim with withdrawn 56s (Turned out to be Ferrybridge) and remember seeing the "Pontefract" station signs as we passed through.

I've been round the "old road" from Sheffield to Chesterfield via Beighton and Barrow Hill a couple of times: Once on a railtour, and once on an XC service that was bypassing an EMT service that had failed around Dronfield.

I've also been on one of the XC services that was diverted from Wichnor Junction to Lichfield on the freight only line through Alrewas, and then down the Cross-city line into Birmingham.

Finally, I boarded a southbound Wrexham & Shropshire service at Tame Bridge Parkway that traversed the Hamstead chord between Perry Barr and Soho Junctions. Nothing too unusual about that, as that is the route taken by LMs' Chase Line services, but there was a difference: It was a mid-winters day and was snowing heavily, and the train was already running over an hour late by the time it reached Tame Bridge Parkway (It had been touch and go for a while as to whether it would run via Tame Bridge at all, or whether it would take the more direct route via Sandwell & Dudley and bypass us altogether to make up time). Shortly after we had boarded it was announced that there was a non-functioning windscreen wiper and the train would have to be turned at the earliest opportunity so that the "good" cab was leading. This was effected by bringing the train to a halt beyond Perry Barr South Junction, and then reversing our direction to run over the usually freight only chord between the South and West junctions onto the Hamstead Chord to continue our journey.

I was on a Stillington Diversion about 12 years ago, one thing that stuck in my mind was coming to a standstill at Stockton and some fella wanted to get off the train, as he lived somewhere like Billingham or Thornaby, but his ticket was to Durham...

I have also done a Durham Coast diversion a couple of times, once was unintentional, a BTP Officer was adamant the train was going to Durham, he had not told me about the diversion, both him and me did not know about it.

Another Diversion I think I remember seeing although I was very young at the time, was a passenger train on the line through Murton, and from what I think I remember it was heading towards Hartlepool from the direction of Sunderland, like I say I was very young, and I may possibly be mistaking it for the Leamside Line

 

[callum112233]

Not a diversion but not exactly standard routing. Manchester Victoria-Manchester Piccadilly on a TPE class 185. You get to Salford Cresent and stop on the avoiding line. Then, if you watch, you see the driver walk by the window as he/she changes ends, then you continue on to Piccadilly.

Quite amusing first time you see it for some reason

 

[ReverendFozz]

Not a diversion but not exactly standard routing. Manchester Victoria-Manchester Piccadilly on a TPE class 185. You get to Salford Cresent and stop on the avoiding line. Then, if you watch, you see the driver walk by the window as he/she changes ends, then you continue on to Piccadilly.

Quite amusing first time you see it for some reason

There was a few times in the late 90's, mostly Sundays, coming from Liverpool back to the North East, the diversion came through Newton Le Willows as Warrington was shut, not to strange, but it included a run through Manchester described just above Picc-Salford-Victoria, then proceeded to Leeds through Mirfield

 

[PaulLothian]

About 1970, as a schoolboy I travelled from Euston to Manchester for a university interview on a day with heavy falling snow - got there OK but the WCML was blocked by the time we returned, and the train was diesel-hauled on its return from Manchester, somehow reaching the Midland Main Line and arriving at St Pancras. I wish I could remember what precise route we took.

Wouldn't happen these days!

 

[The175]

Some time in mid-2003, I used a Swansea-Crewe via the Heart of Wales service, having started my journey from Milford Haven. The 153 made it as far as Shrewsbury fine before it was joined by a Manchester-bound 158. Together they ran in convoy to Crewe... via Wolverhampton! Good old engineering works!