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TRIVIA: How many 'crack expresses' are there?
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Yes, I suppose that's true to an extent.
Although you also have the opposite scenario in that if it's a busy train anyway, there's less chance of people getting off !
centraltrains
Member
These are just the services used to get the lowest total travel time possible for the "From just ____ hours" adverts?
Chiltern Railways have some on the Birmingham services.
Most mainline services call at Snow Hill/Moor Street, Solihull, Warwick Parkway, Leamington Spa, Banbury, 1-3 south Banbury stations and London Marylebone [seeming to be at random].
However, the 0655 from Moor Street skip all Banbury and South calls. There use to be one in the other direction in the Evening too, however it appears this doesn't run anymore.
Chiltern Railways have some on the Birmingham services.
Most mainline services call at Snow Hill/Moor Street, Solihull, Warwick Parkway, Leamington Spa, Banbury, 1-3 south Banbury stations and London Marylebone [seeming to be at random].
However, the 0655 from Moor Street skip all Banbury and South calls. There use to be one in the other direction in the Evening too, however it appears this doesn't run anymore.
700007
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The lack of a stop at Bishops Stortford probably owes to the fact that it is only formed of 4 coaches, whereas the 1707 and 1807 are a whopping 12!
tbtc
Veteran Member
I guess it depends on the regular service pattern.
Non-stop services from Warrington and York to London are regular on the WCML/ ECML but I'd have described the old Master Cutler as a "crack" service because it was non-stop from Chesterfield (avoiding Derby). Similarly, non-stop services from Wakefield to London are rare so I'd describe them as "crack" even though it's not as far as Preston/ York.
Yep I'd agree. Other than distance, nothing special about the York non-stop pattern, it's regular.
There used to be some on Thameslink (fast to Leagrave) and GN (St Neots etc) but unsure if they still exist.
I think there are one or two fast along the North Wales coast. And of course, some faster and named London-Penzance trains too.
Iskra
Established Member
Gerald/The TFW Premier Service must surely fit the description of a crack express? Possibly more based on the level of onboard service provision, than the timings and calling points however it does skip some stations.
Kite159
Veteran Member
There is a couple examples in TFW land which spring to mind.
0830 Llandudno to Cardiff Central which is express from Shrewsbury to Newport (and also skips stations between Rhyl & Chester)
Plus a couple random services which run express between Chester & Llandudno Junction (but tend to call everywhere beyond Llandudno) although special mention to 0852 Manchester Piccadilly to Holyhead which runs fast to Llandudno Junction from Chester and only calls at Bangor towards Holyhead
Esker-pades
Established Member
A couple of counter-peak services from Hayes to Charing Cross which run non-stop from Hayes to London Bridge.
Old Yard Dog
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There's a non-stop train from Manchester Piccadilly to Chester at 0032 but I'm not sure it counts as an express as it runs via Northwich and takes 64 minutes
Iskra
Established Member
The TPE night services operate in a similar manner. Omitting stops, but being pretty slow due to having time allowed for diversions, or actually diverting.
Steve Harris
Member
Reminds me of the late 1980s when the West Anglia route was electrified. Class 86 + MkII stock on Liverpool St - Cambridge servies, calling Audley End (and Tottenham Hale?). Before the introduction of that service pattern, the crack express would have been the "Fenman".
northbound ones now all stop everywhere between Settle and Carlisle. 2 'expresses' southbound. and an 'express' each way on a sunday.
700007
Established Member
Wow that's quite interesting, a little bit beyond my time. It's hard to imagine that same Cambridge service being loco hauled even today.
adrock1976
Established Member
[KLAXON ALERT]
I believe that those trains will not be non stop between Bristol Temple Meads and London as they will also call at Bristol Parkway.
Bristol Temple Meads is in Bristol (Somerset), with Parkway being in Stoke Gifford (Gloucestershire).
700007
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To my understanding yes.
Bletchleyite
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Yeah, I think for it to be a "crack express" it probably needs to be fast rather than just omitting stops for convenience of routeing.
pdeaves
Established Member
Strictly, I did not specify which Bristol station
Also one CrossCountry on a Saturday morning: http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/P38773/2019-06-15
I always consider the GTR additional peak services between Stevenage and London that don't call at Finsbury Park as a cut above the normal fast services that so call at Finsbury.
Usually 365 operated too
Usually 365 operated too
The 0656 from Cardiff is non-stop from Swindon, which relative to the 'normal' Didcot and Reading calls feels like the kind of service the OP was after. My understanding is that the Welsh Government pay GWR some form of compensation for their loss of commuter revenue on this service. In practice the journey time isn't any quicker, but does feel more comfortable without the shorter distance commuters piling on.
hexagon789
Veteran Member
I would say an InterCity service which makes fewer calls than the majority/all other such services on the route and which is faster than the other services as a result. That's how I would define it.
tsr
Established Member
The Gatwick Express extensions from Brighton, calling at Gatwick Airport and Victoria only (and vice versa), have very limited stops compared to virtually anything else on the route.
(However, the old Southern "Brighton Express" services only calling at East Croydon, Clapham Junction and Victoria somehow felt even quicker. I used to quite enjoy those, although I'm not sure I was ever on one which ran exactly on time!)
(However, the old Southern "Brighton Express" services only calling at East Croydon, Clapham Junction and Victoria somehow felt even quicker. I used to quite enjoy those, although I'm not sure I was ever on one which ran exactly on time!)
185143
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Northern have a 21:32 SuO Sheffield-Man Picc non stop service.
TPE have a 10:10 Man Airport-Edinburgh service that only calls at Piccadilly, Occy Road, Preston, Carlisle and Haymarket.
TPE have a 10:10 Man Airport-Edinburgh service that only calls at Piccadilly, Occy Road, Preston, Carlisle and Haymarket.
morrisobrien
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It is also a Pullman service, which is even better if you wish to use the Dining Car.
hexagon789
Veteran Member
At 56 minutes Swindon-Paddington it isn't fast - only about 80mph. When introduced the HST timing was 49 mins non-stop and that was for regular workings rather than anything special.
Brilliant...
It’s caught me out that one - the only Hampton Ct service that doesn’t stop at Raynes Park
And how about this one - non-stop Earlsfield to Waterloo:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W35771/2019/06/10/advanced
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