Services not in Virgin timetables

[MK Tom]

On recent travels over the last week I've noticed two Virgin services that I can't find anywhere in their printed timetables. One was a weekday London-Birmingham service leaving MKC at 10:13 that continued all the way though to Glasgow Central. The timetables show it as terminating at New Street (not even Wolverhampton, where it did call). The other was a Euston-Edinburgh service calling only at Preston which I spotted at Euston at around 11.15 (it was leaving at the time).

Does anyone have any idea why these services aren't in the timetables and/or if there are any other ghost services like them?

 

[Eagle]

The other was a Euston-Edinburgh service calling only at Preston which I spotted at Euston at around 11.15 (it was leaving at the time).

When was this? That looks like it's related to the recent ECML blockade.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Indeed, they are service extensions to help relieve the pressure during the ECML blockade.

 

[MK Tom]

What about the weekday one? Was the ECML closed on a Friday? That was doing all the normal stops from Crewe onwards, and it's quicker to get to Glasgow using the direct services from Euston or changing at Crewe from MK. Has it been introduced since the timetable was printed to provide direct links such as MK-Wolverhampton or Coventry-Preston?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The only thing I could suggest in that case would be another extended EBW diagram to Scotland, but I wouldn't like to say for sure.

 

[Anvil1984]

I think it is two services merged together (a Euston - Birmingham and a Birmingham - Scotland). Not shown in the timetables as a through service probably because of the time difference and for Virgin to restart the service right time at Birmingham without too much of an issue

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Aye, 1S55, 0943 EUS-WVH & 1120 BHM-GLC combined.

 

[MK Tom]

In that case why not do it with all of the Birmingham services? If they were worked as two separate services how come the boards at MKC display it as a through Glasgow service? You'd think they'd at least show in the timetable that you can go through to Wolverhampton on that one...

 

[IanD]

I noticed this at MK Central too. Saw a through train to Edinburgh advertised at 15:13 on a Tuesday afternoon. Turned out it was an extension of the 14:43 Euston to Birmingham service. There's a "corresponding" return service from Edinburgh at 06:52.

The 9:43 Euston to Birmingham is also extended - to Glasgow Central. There's a corresponding return from Glasgow at 12:00.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

The new timetable (the VT booklet on their web site) shows them as through trains, but only for the summer (from 2 July 2012).

 

[MK Tom]

Including the 10:13 from MKC? From what I could tell the only timetables on the VT website were the current May-Dec 2011 ones...

 

[AlterEgo]

Including the 10:13 from MKC? From what I could tell the only timetables on the VT website were the current May-Dec 2011 ones...

Timetables up to Sep 2012 were released yesterday. This is to help people plan for the Olympic Games...

 

[dvboy]

I got on a train at Coventry today at 12:43, that on arrival at Birmingham became a Glasgow service. An inbound train from Edinburgh was announced as delayed so I thought they were being clever and swapping units rather than delay the Glasgow train, but having read this thread, it seems this is common.

 

[Whistler40145]

I was under the impression that the Euston to Wolverhampton services are extended through to Edinburgh/Glasgow to provide Pendolinos instead of Voyagers & there are insufficient units to go round.

 

[WCML]

I'm sure the 22:00 Euston to Manchester Picc calls at Watford Junction when its not timetabled to.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I'm sure the 22:00 Euston to Manchester Picc calls at Watford Junction when its not timetabled to.

It doesn't.

 

[Deerfold]

Timetables up to Sep 2012 were released yesterday. This is to help people plan for the Olympic Games...

Is it just me who finds it confusing that Virgin use different codes in different directions? Northbound "Z" means "conveys standard accommodation only. Southbound it means it only runs when the Olympics are on.

 

[AlterEgo]

I'm sure the 22:00 Euston to Manchester Picc calls at Watford Junction when its not timetabled to.

It isn't scheduled to stop there, but a train that late may have stopped out of course for any number of reasons, which may have been your experience..?

 

[whhistle]

In that case why not do it with all of the Birmingham services? If they were worked as two separate services how come the boards at MKC display it as a through Glasgow service? You'd think they'd at least show in the timetable that you can go through to Wolverhampton on that one...

But what about the trains that terminate at Wolves which actually terminate there? You could say those services are specifically for people who wish to travel to Wolves from Milton Keynes.

At Rugby the same thing (opposite thing?) sort of happens with London Midland. The XX:12 past the hour service only goes to Northampton, yet the train is displayed and announced to Euston as the actual unit goes there anyway.