Avocet line

[frodshamfella]

I've come across an unusual service while stopping in Topsham, the 20.24 Exmouth to Cardiff Central direct. It seems the only routing like this.

 

[30907]

I've come across an unusual service while stopping in Topsham, the 20.24 Exmouth to Cardiff Central direct. It seems the only routing like this.

True, but there is a small number of workings for 158/165 units between Exeter and Bristol.

 

[The exile]

True, but there is a small number of workings for 158/165 units between Exeter and Bristol.

Finding weird “one-off” through services that basically exist for operational reasons is part of the fun of travel (or timetable surfing). I used to enjoy the occasions when I used the Severn Beach - Salisbury service, and an currently sitting on the “Fratton starter” into Temple Meads - though that’s admittedly an odd short-working instead.

 

[frodshamfella]

Yes I tend to agree. A clock face timetable with no variation, is rather dull, but easier for the passenger.

 

[The exile]

Don’t think the ones I quoted mess things up too much for the passenger. Trains in from Severn Beach normally terminate at Bristol - this one just happens to the head off to Salisbury in the standard stopper slot - the only unusual bit being that it continues to Salisbury rather than terminating at Warminster, which must be a benefit to some passengers. The Fratton starter presumably doesn’t run light to Portsmouth first because the demand for a slow service to Bristol at 4am-ish just isn’t there.

 

[Parallel]

Don’t think the ones I quoted mess things up too much for the passenger. Trains in from Severn Beach normally terminate at Bristol - this one just happens to the head off to Salisbury in the standard stopper slot - the only unusual bit being that it continues to Salisbury rather than terminating at Warminster, which must be a benefit to some passengers. The Fratton starter presumably doesn’t run light to Portsmouth first because the demand for a slow service to Bristol at 4am-ish just isn’t there.

Since the additional services were put in between Bristol and Westbury, the ‘stopper’ is extended to Salisbury on around 4 or 5 round trips throughout the day. It generally connects with the SWR Exeter - Waterloo service too, so is quite handy for Basingstoke, Chapham Junction and the suburban SWR network.

 

[Halish Railway]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that a large part of the reasoning for such a movement is to ensure that an even amount of units are exposed to the corrosive conditions of the Avocet and Riviera lines and that units are not exposed to such conditions for a prolonged period of time.