Trivia: Scheduled passenger services that include a reversal.

PHILIPE · 22 Sep 2019

The last train at night on the Cardiff Bay runs as a through train to Cardiff Central reversing at Queen St

RailUK Forums

TheSel · 22 Sep 2019

Ken H said:
the OP asked for historic ones...
Shipley used to have reversals for trains between Leeds and Keighley and further west before they built the platforms on the north curve.
Thread about it
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/shipley-triangle.178047/
My post #13 gives details on my memories of how it was operated.

Bradford Exchange/Interchange inter city trains reversed at Leeds. The odd one went direct until they lifted a chord in Farnley. Some went to kings cross, some went on what is now cross country via Birmingham

Harrogate - London trains reverse at Leeds, as do the Skipton - London trains

Another historic one: Southport to Crossens reversed at Meols Cop.

Marton · 22 Sep 2019

One train each weekday Saltburn To Nunthorpe reverses At Middlesbrough.

Nothing to do with Beeching.

d9009alycidon · 22 Sep 2019

There used to be a Summer Sunday Electric service that ran from Craigendoran Pier to Balloch Pier (and return), reversing at Dumbarton

mmh · 22 Sep 2019

Historically Llandudno Junction, for through trains from Llandudno to Bangor/Holyhead.

pdq · 22 Sep 2019

When I travelled in the early 1990s from York to Swansea or Bristol, I'm sure we used to reverse at Gloucester (or maybe Worcester, but definitely somewhere in that part of the country). There was a wait while the loco ran round. Does that reversal still happen, albeit without the loco changing ends?

johnnychips · 22 Sep 2019

pdq said:
When I travelled in the early 1990s from York to Swansea or Bristol, I'm sure we used to reverse at Gloucester (or maybe Worcester, but definitely somewhere in that part of the country). There was a wait while the loco ran round. Does that reversal still happen, albeit without the loco changing ends?

In general the trains from Birmingham to the South West stop at Cheltenham and omit Gloucester before continuing to Bristol. Gloucester is served by trains from Birmingham to Cardiff. However the Bristol to Worcester locals reverse at Gloucester as do the Cheltenham to Paddingtons

mlambeuk · 22 Sep 2019

In the late 80's/ early 90's there used to be at least one service from York to Doncaster that reversed at Selby.
The Late night York to Manchester Airport reverse at Leeds

RichJF · 22 Sep 2019

Some ones I can think of in my area.
Current:
Reading to Gatwick Airport (reversal at Redhill)
All London & Brighton - Hastings/Ore via Bexhill (reversal at Eastbourne)

Historic:
Reading to Tonbridge (reversal at Redhill)
Horsham/Gatwick Airport - Tunbridge Wells (reversal at Redhill)
Paddock Wood - Gillingham (reversal at Strood)
Brighton - Ashford (reversal at Eastbourne)

vlad · 22 Sep 2019

randyrippley said:
once upon a time when xc was loco hauled, EVERYTHING reversed at New St

The locos maybe but from the passengers' viewpoint the trains didn't necessarily.

I've been travelling from Stoke to Reading since the 1980s and never known having to go backwards.

route101 · 22 Sep 2019

XC at New st ? Which routes reverse ?

randyrippley · 22 Sep 2019

route101 said:
XC at New st ? Which routes reverse ?

everything which came in electric hauled and left diesel hauled (or vice-versa)
You lot have short memories.....

Bevan Price · 22 Sep 2019

roadierway77 said:
Leeds to Morecambe services reverse at Lancaster.

And the few Heysham trains also reverse at Morecambe

MontyP · 22 Sep 2019

randyrippley said:
everything which came in electric hauled and left diesel hauled (or vice-versa)
You lot have short memories.....

NW-SW reversed (and still do) and would have had a loco change.
NE-Reading also reverse
NW-Reading don’t reverse (but used to have a loco change electric to diesel)
NE-SW don’t reverse

Bevan Price · 22 Sep 2019

After closure of the "East Lanashire" platforms and the loop via Todd Lane Jn, Glasgow - Blackpool summer saturday services reversed at Preston.

And before it closed, Scarborough to Whitby trains had to reverse just outside Scarborough station, and again at Whitby West Cliff. Any trains continuing beyond Whitby had another reversal there. (Although they could have avoided two reversals by stopping only at the somewhat remote & inconvenient station at West Cliff. )

Until the new platform was built, Weymouth to Bournemouth / London services had to reverse into, and out of Dorchester South. (No reversal was needed heading towards Weymouth)

route101 · 22 Sep 2019

MontyP said:
NW-SW reversed (and still do) and would have had a loco change.
NE-Reading also reverse
NW-Reading don’t reverse (but used to have a loco change electric to diesel)
NE-SW don’t reverse

NW to SW , i thought that would use the camp hill line ?

MontyP · 22 Sep 2019

route101 said:
NW to SW , i thought that would use the camp hill line ?

Yes just checked and you are right about current NW-SW trains. I think that in loco-hauled days, they reversed though - for southbound services, the diesel loco would join at the rear of the incoming train, then pull the reversed train out again, leaving the electric loco in the platform.

hilly · 22 Sep 2019

Services from Cardiff to West Wales will reverse at Swansea, and Carmarthen if going to one of the 3 terminuses
Heart of Wales services reverse at Llanelli to access the branch
Cambrian line services reverse at Shrewsbury

randyrippley · 22 Sep 2019

MontyP said:
Yes just checked and you are right about current NW-SW trains. I think that in loco-hauled days, they reversed though - for southbound services, the diesel loco would join at the rear of the incoming train, then pull the reversed train out again, leaving the electric loco in the platform.

Exactly
And it wasn't just electric hauled services, anything changing engine at New St made the same reverse

martinsh · 22 Sep 2019

Historically Somerset & Dorset line services reversed at Bath Green Park and Templecombe (twice !)

Did anything ever reverse at Manchester Central ?

Sheffield - Huddersfield trains used to reverse at Nunnery sidings after Sheffield Victoria closed.

Barton on Humber services reversed at New Holland Pier

Andyjs247 · 23 Sep 2019

All Liskeard-Looe trains reverse at Coombe Jn

There’s also a Gunnislake - Liskeard which reverses at Plymouth (as well as at Bere Alston)

Direct Holyhead-Cardiff trains reverse at Chester.

Cardiff-Nottingham trains reverse at Derby and there are a few direct Nottingham-Carlisle trains that reverse at Leeds

kieron · 23 Sep 2019

I had a search for some of the locations in the timetable feed which have a RM (reversing movement) activity. The data doesn't show exactly what I expect (for instance, most Sherringham trains don't have a RM activity in Cromer, and none do in Glossop or Hadfield), but it's fairly close.

Some which I don't think have been mentioned so far are:

W21928 Haywards Heath-Brighton-Worthing (Thu 0121)
Y80935 Northallerton-Darlington-Thornaby (Mon 0605)
Y00397 Leeds-Huddersfield-Manchester Piccadilly (Tue 0359)
G81332 Aviemore-Inverness-Nairn (Sun 1800)
G80155 Glasgow Central-Motherwell-Wishaw (Mon 1609)
C85133 Newark Castle-Newark North Gate-Collingham (Mon 2310)
C84988 Spalding-Peterborough-Stamford (Mon 2131)
C22865 Chippenham-Swindon-Kemble (Mon 0750)
W31316 Yeovil Junction-Yeovil Pen Mill-Maiden Newton (Sat 0950)

The reversals at the following stations aren't listed as passenger calls, so the train may not reach a platform before it turns around.

W80226 Faversham-Dover Priory-Ramsgate (Tue 8/10 0004)
Y00397 Huddersfield-Salford Crescent-Manchester Piccadilly (Tue 0450)
P38237 Audley End-Stansted Mountfitchet-Stansted Airport (Mon 2146)

The following locations have reversals listed against them, but aren't stations.

C22818 Liskeard-Coombe No. 1 G.F.-St Keyne Wishing Well Halt (Mon 1023)
P38358 Reading-Foxhall Jn-Oxford (Mon 2211)

Coombe No. 1 G.F. is a bit before Coombe Junction Halt. Foxhall Jn is next to Didcot Parkway.

JonathanH · 23 Sep 2019

Stenson Junction is a reversal point used during engineering work diversions to the Castle Donington line. This train reverses twice.

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C84249/2019/10/22/advanced

Springs Branch · 23 Sep 2019

I didn't notice it mentioned yet, but not so long ago there were large numbers of trains between Manchester Airport and York, Middlesbrough & Newcastle which reversed at Piccadilly.

Historically, before Merseyrail electrification extended down the Wirral, there were a couple of through DMUs per day in summer between Rock Ferry and Llandudno or Rhyl, reversing at Chester.

stephen rp · 23 Sep 2019

martinsh said:
Historically Somerset & Dorset line services reversed at Bath Green Park and Templecombe (twice !)

Did anything ever reverse at Manchester Central ?

Sheffield - Huddersfield trains used to reverse at Nunnery sidings after Sheffield Victoria closed.

Barton on Humber services reversed at New Holland Pier

The Liverpool-Harwich boat train reversed at Manchester Central. Liverpool Central (maybe Lime St toward the end?) into M/c Central then via Fallowfield to Guide Bridge then electric through Woodhead to Sheffield Vic where the Britannia class that brought in the train from Harwich would be waiting for the return.

Latterly just ran Harwich-Piccadilly with a 37 out and back (and a Gresley buffet car).

ac6000cw · 23 Sep 2019

randyrippley said:
Exactly
And it wasn't just electric hauled services, anything changing engine at New St made the same reverse

Back in the 1970's (when I spent a lot of Saturdays at New Street), NW-Reading(-South Coast) and vv. services didn't reverse - they just had a loco change, electric <-> diesel.

As you say, the other trains needing a loco change did normally reverse - it was quicker to do that since they could do the loco work at both ends of the train simultaneously if time was short.

chorleyjeff · 23 Sep 2019

tom73 said:
Is there a list/table anywhere of normal scheduled services where a reversal is necessary at some point during the end to end journey?
Would such reversals have been necessary prior to BR getting its butcher knife out in the 50's and Beeching in the 60's?

Historically. I remember reversal at Ulverston I think for Lakeside from Preston. Definetly remember the Black 5 running around our train.

Whisky Papa · 23 Sep 2019

pdq said:
When I travelled in the early 1990s from York to Swansea or Bristol, I'm sure we used to reverse at Gloucester (or maybe Worcester, but definitely somewhere in that part of the country). There was a wait while the loco ran round. Does that reversal still happen, albeit without the loco changing ends?

In Septemeber 1992 we travelled from Manchester Piccadilly direct to Penzance for a family holiday, on a XC HST that reversed at Gloucester. The return the following Saturday was Class 47 hauled, and I don't think it called at Gloucester but am happy to be proved wrong.

Y Ddraig Coch · 23 Sep 2019

All the below reverse at Chester :

Holyhead to Cardiff

Holyhead to Birmingham International

Holyhead to Llanelli

Holyhead to Maesteg

Old Yard Dog · 23 Sep 2019

Many, many years ago there use to be a SuO Leeds - Morecambe service which reversed at Bradford Forster Square.

And in the 1970s and early 1980s, Huddersfield - Sheffield services had to reverse just outside Sheffield before they were diverted via Barnsley.

And until fairly recently there used to be trains from Blackpool North to Liverpool South Parkway which reversed at Liverpool Lime Street.

Finally after electrification to Hooton, Chester - Helsby trains reversed at Hooton for a few years and ran half hourly all the way till late at night.

Trivia: Scheduled passenger services that include a reversal.

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