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Trivia: Services that run in a loop

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Saperstein

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Hi,

OK, well for a start on the Merseyrail Wirral line there is the Chester to Chester service which runs in a loop via Liverpool.

What other similar services exist around the network?

For avoidance of doubt, I’m looking for service where the driver doesn’t need to change ends.

Saperstein.
 
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Bovverboy

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After the Todmorden curve reopened in May 2015 there were journeys which did Blackburn-Todmorden-Manchester Victoria-Bolton-Blackburn(-Clitheroe), but they seem to have gone now, the present routine is mainly Blackburn-Todmorden-Manchester Victoria-Southport and Clitheroe-Blackburn-Bolton-Manchester Victoria-Rochdale.
The London Underground Circle Line, which, although no longer the continuous circular it used to be, still does a complete loop.
Then there's the Cathcart Circle in Glasgow.
Talking of Merseyrail (as Saperstein was, above), Wirral line services generally do the loop, i.e. in addition to Chester-Chester, it's Ellesmere Port-Ellesmere Port, New Brighton-New Brighton, and West Kirby-West Kirby, with minor variations at peak.
 
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Springs Branch

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Waterloo - Hounslow - Waterloo (both ways)

Southeastern have a few, both on HS1 and Metro:
  • St Pancras - HS1 - Dover - Ramsgate - HS1 - St Pancras
  • St Pancras - HS1 - Ramsgate - Dover - HS1 - St Pancras
  • Cannon St - Sidcup - Greenwich - Cannon St (and vice versa)
  • Cannon St - Bexleyheath - Greenwich - Cannon St (and vice versa)
 

Springs Branch

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Thameslink have St.Albans - Sutton Loop trains, which alternating via Wimbledon or Mitcham Jn.
Trains usually wait for 2 - 3 mins at Sutton before continuing around the loop back towards London and change headcode there (e.g. 9V29 becomes 9V30).
But this should still count, since all trains continue from Sutton and TL even name their timetable for the line "Sutton & Wimbledon Loop Services".
 

LUYMun

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Some Southeastern trains travels to and from Cannon Street via Deptford and Slade Green then either Crayford or Barnhurst. Limited services also take this route but starting at Cannon Street and terminating at Charing Cross.
 

bionic

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Driver doesn't change ends on the Piccadilly line, Cockfosters to Cockfosters via Heathrow. Also the Central line still has some that go round the Hainault loop and back into the centre of town.
 

d9009alycidon

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Dalmuir to Dalmuir via Hamilton Circle, no longer advertised as a circle service and the train changes headcode at Motherwell
 

adrock1976

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What's it called? It's called Cumbernauld
Driver doesn't change ends on the Piccadilly line, Cockfosters to Cockfosters via Heathrow. Also the Central line still has some that go round the Hainault loop and back into the centre of town.

That would only apply for trains to Heathrow Terminal 4 as trains to Terminal 5 run straight there to and from Terminals 1,2,3 to and from a dead end stub.

There are also several loop services south of the Thames such as London Cannon Street - Cannon Street via the three routes that run to Dartford via Greenwich, Bexley (or Bexleyheath - unsure which way round they are), and Sidcup as far as Slade Green or Crayford before running back to Cannon Street.
 

yrreb

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Hadfield/Glossop services are pathed as Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Piccadilly and change ends at both Hadfield and Glossop half way through the journey.
 

Bovverboy

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Hadfield/Glossop services are pathed as Manchester Piccadilly - Manchester Piccadilly and change ends at both Hadfield and Glossop half way through the journey.

They're only pathed Picc-Picc at peak times, the rest of the time they're an out-and-back, but with a reversal both ways. Picc-Glossop-Hadfield and Hadfield-Glossop-Picc. The OP stipulated no changing ends, so it wouldn't count as the sort of loop we're looking for, even at peak.
There are other examples of trains going round a 'triangle', Picc-Crewe-Airport-Picc(-Liverpool) is one.
 
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bramling

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Driver doesn't change ends on the Piccadilly line, Cockfosters to Cockfosters via Heathrow. Also the Central line still has some that go round the Hainault loop and back into the centre of town.

Same applies on the Northern line for stuff terminating at Kennington off the Charing Cross branch, although technically the train is booked to be empty whilst reversing via the loop so in theory the whole journey is not available to passengers.
 

si404

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Same applies on the Northern line for stuff terminating at Kennington off the Charing Cross branch, although technically the train is booked to be empty whilst reversing via the loop so in theory the whole journey is not available to passengers.
They don't detrain, and the line is cleared for passengers. It's just pointless to do it for journey reasons, that's all.

Chunnel vehicle shuttle trains have loops at both ends - they don't reverse at all in service.
 

Mag_seven

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Are trams allowed - if any of the UK systems have turning circles at both ends of a route then they would count.
 

si404

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P.S. Do passengers go round the loops on 'Le Shuttle'?
Yes, the platforms are both alighting and boarding, rather than some one way and some the other with an ECS movement in between.
 

LUYMun

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There are also several loop services south of the Thames such as London Cannon Street - Cannon Street via the three routes that run to Dartford via Greenwich, Bexley (or Bexleyheath - unsure which way round they are), and Sidcup as far as Slade Green or Crayford before running back to Cannon Street.
See post #8.
 

43055

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At one point the circle line on the tube did run in a circle.
 

si404

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If the T-cup and figure of 6 count, then so does the T&W Metro's yellow line as it too calls at a station twice without reversing in-between.
 

duffield

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why? It's now consistent where you end up. Kings Cross to Bayswater, on the other hand...
Before the changes, it was simple, I'd just get the first Westbound Circle line train. Now it's more complicated; I can either end up further away from the mainline platforms at the Paddington Hammersmith & City Line station, or change at Edgware Road. Not ideal if you have a tight connection.
 
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