Trivia: Most consistent timetable?

thenorthern · 4 Feb 2016

What would you say is the most consistent uninteresting boring timetable for a line. I.e. one with the same stops at all times which run from the same destinations with no extensions.

One I would suggest is the Crewe to Derby line as all trains start/terminate at Crewe or Derby, all trains call at all stops except Peartree and all trains that start at Crewe leave at xx:07 bar two. While all trains that leave Derby start at xx:42 bar three.

Can anyone think of any more bland and uninteresting timetables.

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185143 · 4 Feb 2016

Romford-Upminster?

DynamicSpirit · 4 Feb 2016

Stockport-Stalybridge? I believe that the train leaves Stockport at exactly the same time, every week!

backontrack · 4 Feb 2016

I find Tonbridge-Strood and Sittingbourne-Sheppey dull, even with the Gillingham-Sheerness parlies. Then there's the Borderlands and Wirral Lines, the Stourbridge branch and most other urban routes.

WillPS · 4 Feb 2016

thenorthern said:
One I would suggest is the Crewe to Derby line as all trains start/terminate at Crewe or Derby, all trains call at all stops except Peartree and all trains that start at Crewe leave at xx:07 bar two. While all trains that leave Derby start at xx:42 bar three.

Isn't there a parliamentary service on a Sunday evening which extends to Nottingham to fulfill the franchise obligation to serve that route?

CatfordCat · 4 Feb 2016

Not part of the BR network any more, but I think the Waterloo & City Line is probably a strong contender

I have read (not entirely sure how true it is) that in LSWR days, train crew were put on the W&C line for sins that weren't bad enough to sack them for...

GWRjake · 5 Feb 2016

The Stourbridge Town branch?

swt_passenger · 5 Feb 2016

Brockenhurst to Lymington Pier?

Camden · 5 Feb 2016

Since when was a clockface timetable "bland & uninteresting"??

I think I would prefer efficiency, reliability, and regularity to turning up at a station and having the "excitement" of a variable train service!!

thenorthern · 5 Feb 2016

WillPS said:
Isn't there a parliamentary service on a Sunday evening which extends to Nottingham to fulfill the franchise obligation to serve that route?

There used to be until about 2011 and the first train of the morning for a while came from Nottingham. Its strange though until 11 years ago it was probably the most interesting line in the country with trains running to Nottingham and then extended to Lincoln Central, Grimsby Town, Cleethorpes, Skegness and Mansfield Woodhouse to name a few places.

tsr · 5 Feb 2016

Bromley North line.

306024 · 5 Feb 2016

Camden said:
Since when was a clockface timetable "bland & uninteresting"??

I think I would prefer efficiency, reliability, and regularity to turning up at a station and having the "excitement" of a variable train service!!

Good point, well made.

Many years ago at an industry conference Chris Green was the guest speaker. On the screen as a backdrop was part of table 5 (Liverpool St to Southend Victoria at that time) of the National timetable. The train times were indeed the same each hour and we were told that where services were frequent, that is how a timetable should look.

Romford - Upminster is the same times 7 days a week, but not difficult as it is 'one engine in steam'. The off peak pattern of the Liverpool St to Chingford / Enfield Town / Cheshunt is also the same times 7 days a week, which is much more difficult to achieve.

The Planner · 5 Feb 2016

Clockface and roll over timetables are great, makes my life easier.

thenorthern · 5 Feb 2016

Indeed clockface timetables are very useful however from an interest point of view they are rather samey and strange connections such as Nunthorpe to Whitehaven via Sunderland and Newcastle are interesting.

The London to Liverpool trains are rather consistent as well.

Philip C · 5 Feb 2016

The Planner said:
Clockface and roll over timetables are great, makes my life easier.

Could you please explain the expression "roll over timetables" please? - this is a new one on me.

krus_aragon · 5 Feb 2016

Philip C said:
Could you please explain the expression "roll over timetables" please? - this is a new one on me.

That's when everyone buys a ticket, but the train doesn't show up, so you end up with even more people with tickets waiting the next one...

Or is that the National Lottery? :P

The Planner · 5 Feb 2016

Philip C said:
Could you please explain the expression "roll over timetables" please? - this is a new one on me.

Basically what it says, the timetable rolls over to the next one and isn't altered.

jamesst · 5 Feb 2016

The Northern and Wirral line timetables for Merseyrail must surely be up there then

PHILIPE · 5 Feb 2016

Cardiff Valleys.

bunnahabhain · 5 Feb 2016

WillPS said:
Isn't there a parliamentary service on a Sunday evening which extends to Nottingham to fulfill the franchise obligation to serve that route?

There hasn't been one for the last few years, there are a small number of unofficial "through" services. The 0607 Crewe to Derby forms the 0731 Derby to Nottingham, likewise (and a little more tenuous as they have longer layovers at Derby) with the 1607 Crewe to Derby and 1752 Derby to Nottingham; in the reverse direction the 1644 Nottingham to Derby forms the 1742 Derby to Crewe. I know a number of through passengers who use the above for convenience daily.

Hophead · 5 Feb 2016

There was a period when the service from Fishguard Harbour was the most regular on the network: a train every 12 hours (01:50 & 13:50 if memory serves).

dgl · 5 Feb 2016

Trains from Crewkerne are a bit boring most of the day, 1 train in each direction every hour on a clock face timetable, of course some differences now with one service going to Salisbury via castle cary and Westbury and of course some services will be destined to go to Salisbury depot but that's about it.

anme · 5 Feb 2016

A variation on this question is - which line has the timetable now which is most similar to when it opened?

PHILIPE · 5 Feb 2016

anme said:
A variation on this question is - which line has the timetable now which is most similar to when it opened?

Ebbw Vale apart from the extension into the town.

Philip C · 5 Feb 2016

The Planner said:
Basically what it says, the timetable rolls over to the next one and isn't altered.

Understood - thank you.

thenorthern · 6 Feb 2016

bunnahabhain said:
There hasn't been one for the last few years, there are a small number of unofficial "through" services. The 0607 Crewe to Derby forms the 0731 Derby to Nottingham, likewise (and a little more tenuous as they have longer layovers at Derby) with the 1607 Crewe to Derby and 1752 Derby to Nottingham; in the reverse direction the 1644 Nottingham to Derby forms the 1742 Derby to Crewe. I know a number of through passengers who use the above for convenience daily.

In theory as well the 13:52 ex Liverpool Lime Street train forms the 16:44 Nottingham to Derby train and then the 17:42 Derby to Crewe train so in theory its possible to get from Liverpool Lime Street to Stoke-on-Trent staying on a single train.

tocguard · 6 Feb 2016

This is a bit vague. I understood it to mean what services call at the same stops in succession at clockface times. The example of Derby - Crewe as explained doesn't do this due to Peartree.

With regards to unofficial through trains, you could say anything as long as the set doesn't go back to a depot. Again, example of 0607 from Crewe will work to Derby, then Nottingham, then Norwich. I have in the past advised a lady travelling on from Stoke to Norwich that she may remain on the set to which she was pleasantly surprised as she was somewhat unfamiliar with travelling by rail.

Trainfan344 · 6 Feb 2016

In regards to Unofficial through services, there is an Unofficial connection from Lowestoft to Liverpool Lime Street. As the first service of the day is run by East Midland Trains and then the unit goes to Liverpool.

dk1 · 7 Feb 2016

Trainfan344 said:
In regards to Unofficial through services, there is an Unofficial connection from Lowestoft to Liverpool Lime Street. As the first service of the day is run by East Midland Trains and then the unit goes to Liverpool.

That early morning Lowestoft trip is run by AGA just using an EMT 158. Through travel is not possible as all passengers are kicked off for cleaning again by EMT staff & reservations applied.

GrimsbyPacer · 7 Feb 2016

What about the Sheffield to Cleethorpes Saturday service?
All trains run only on that day and call at the same stations with no extentions.
Although it shares the timetable with Lincoln to Sheffield trains.

Trivia: Most consistent timetable?

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