465s operating Victoria-Ramsgate today

[brad465]

Earlier today, according to a post in a relevant Facebook group, 465903+917 operated the 18:40 Victoria-Ramsgate (and presumably other services this formation was allocated to which fed into this one). While it's not unusual to see them running Chatham mainline fast/semi-fast services that terminate in the Medway Towns, Sittingbourne or Faversham due to engineering work east of one of these, and they have also done the North Kent line summer specials to/from Ramsgate, this particular allocation today looks odd. Does anyone know why this was the case? My initial suspicions are either this was relief work due to 375s not being available for some reason, or maybe traction knowledge refreshing with the summer specials not far away.

 

[Chiltern006]

Yes a pair of 465s operated 1P50 from Ramsgate yesterday

 

[brad465]

Yes a pair of 465s operated 1P50 from Ramsgate yesterday

Thank you for confirming. Do you know if this is a regular scheduling or just a one-off diagram?

 

[Chiltern006]

no idea

 

[LA50041]

Earlier today, according to a post in a relevant Facebook group, 465903+917 operated the 18:40 Victoria-Ramsgate (and presumably other services this formation was allocated to which fed into this one). While it's not unusual to see them running Chatham mainline fast/semi-fast services that terminate in the Medway Towns, Sittingbourne or Faversham due to engineering work east of one of these, and they have also done the North Kent line summer specials to/from Ramsgate, this particular allocation today looks odd. Does anyone know why this was the case? My initial suspicions are either this was relief work due to 375s not being available for some reason, or maybe traction knowledge refreshing with the summer specials not far away.

It may well have been a route refresher.
In the may Timetable there is 1 return from Cannon Street - Ramsgate on Saturday and Sundays

 

[brad465]

It may well have been a route refresher.
In the may Timetable there is 1 return from Cannon Street - Ramsgate on Saturday and Sundays

Just done some surfing on Realtime trains based on this, and would add everyday of the Jubilee Weekend and all other June weekends have 2x Cannon Street-Ramsgate return services a day, so they seem to be starting the summer specials earlier this year.

 

[Kite159]

Just done some surfing on Realtime trains based on this, and would add everyday of the Jubilee Weekend and all other June weekends have 2x Cannon Street-Ramsgate return services a day, so they seem to be starting the summer specials earlier this year.

Last year they started by the end of May as myself & @Blindtraveler sampled a 465 to Ramsgate on the bank holiday Monday at the end of May

A good way to add extra seats for what can be busy trains [depending on the weather!], shame South Eastern need to boost revenue protection at the key seaside stations (Whitstable/Margate/Broadstairs/Ramsgate) to catch out those who think payment is strictly optional

 

[brad465]

Last year they started by the end of May as myself & @Blindtraveler sampled a 465 to Ramsgate on the bank holiday Monday at the end of May

A good way to add extra seats for what can be busy trains [depending on the weather!], shame South Eastern need to boost revenue protection at the key seaside stations (Whitstable/Margate/Broadstairs/Ramsgate) to catch out those who think payment is strictly optional

Yes their presence on the Jubilee weekend in particular this year could be handy. I won't be in Kent for it, but will try and catch them on a later weekend. I encountered some RPIs at Margate last year before getting one of the specials back, and do wonder whether they ought to consider putting gates in at the key stations, unless the listed building status(es) is preventing this.

 

[Kite159]

Yes their presence on the Jubilee weekend in particular this year could be handy. I won't be in Kent for it, but will try and catch them on a later weekend. I encountered some RPIs at Margate last year before getting one of the specials back, and do wonder whether they ought to consider putting gates in at the key stations, unless the listed building status(es) is preventing this.

Having gates is one thing, it's manning them which is another thing (and making sure there isn't any big wide hole in the shape of side gates which are left wide open (Rainham/Chatham) or gatelines which are left open for a minor exit (i.e. Sevenoaks exit to the car park).

 

[Mikey C]

Just done some surfing on Realtime trains based on this, and would add everyday of the Jubilee Weekend and all other June weekends have 2x Cannon Street-Ramsgate return services a day, so they seem to be starting the summer specials earlier this year.

Looking at the service (picking out the 08:30 on the 11th June), I notice that between Cannon Street and Dartford, it's an stations Bexleyheath line train, even stopping at St Johns! I have vague memories that in the past this service would have been semi-fast 62 service from Charing Cross, thus a bit faster.

 

[Kite159]

Looking at the service (picking out the 08:30 on the 11th June), I notice that between Cannon Street and Dartford, it's an stations Bexleyheath line train, even stopping at St Johns! I have vague memories that in the past this service would have been semi-fast 62 service from Charing Cross, thus a bit faster.

I seem to recall last year it was nonstop to Dartford after London Bridge. Although it did catch up with a stopper nearer the Dartford end [which is a problem with trying to run any semi-fast/fast services on those lines, it will soon run into the preceding stopper.

 

[brad465]

Looking at the service (picking out the 08:30 on the 11th June), I notice that between Cannon Street and Dartford, it's an stations Bexleyheath line train, even stopping at St Johns! I have vague memories that in the past this service would have been semi-fast 62 service from Charing Cross, thus a bit faster.

That particular weekend has engineering works between Plumstead and Dartford, which will be preventing it going that way. All weekends before and at least the first weekend after the one you've highlighted are via Woolwich. Sometimes at least one the services on a particular has started from Dartford.

I seem to recall last year it was nonstop to Dartford after London Bridge. Although it did catch up with a stopper nearer the Dartford end [which is a problem with trying to run any semi-fast/fast services on those lines, it will soon run into the preceding stopper.

Many of these specials also run non-stop between Gillingham and Faversham (and appear to be doing so again this year), which I don't recall any other service doing, but this does make sense in that these are primarily for Thanet coastbound passengers and not having Rainham and Sittingbourne speeds up the journey a bit more.

 

[Paul Jones 88]

It would be great if they could run similar services to Hastings that run fast from London to Tunbridge Wells then fast to Battle and St Lendards

 

[Mikey C]

That particular weekend has engineering works between Plumstead and Dartford, which will be preventing it going that way. All weekends before and at least the first weekend after the one you've highlighted are via Woolwich. Sometimes at least one the services on a particular has started from Dartford.


Many of these specials also run non-stop between Gillingham and Faversham (and appear to be doing so again this year), which I don't recall any other service doing, but this does make sense in that these are primarily for Thanet coastbound passengers and not having Rainham and Sittingbourne speeds up the journey a bit more.

Yes the next 2 Saturdays, the 08:30 service is the all stations Greenwich Line service (and running fast between Gillingham and Faversham)

Is there a reason why they're running this from Cannon Street, rather than Charing Cross one? The Charing Cross to Dartford via Lewisham and Woolwich seems a more obvious basis of a Kent Coast service?

 

[brad465]

Yes the next 2 Saturdays, the 08:30 service is the all stations Greenwich Line service (and running fast between Gillingham and Faversham)

Is there a reason why they're running this from Cannon Street, rather than Charing Cross one? The Charing Cross to Dartford via Lewisham and Woolwich seems a more obvious basis of a Kent Coast service?

I would suspect it's to do with terminal capacity, and I imagine where it starts from in London isn't relevant if the main passenger base is along the North Kent line, and maybe also the Medway towns (I've picked it up from Strood before).