Brighton to Bristol direct service history

[darasafvatnia]

Brighton has a daily GWR direct service to Bristol and beyond. I know this service has been around for several years now using a DMU and it just got me thinking, has this service always been around? I can’t find much literature on it online but I know the class 158 were built for many long distance routes that avoid London including this one and that the 158 predates the service as I know it today.
I’m curious as to when this service started, would it have been around pre privatisation and would it have originally been loco hauled?

 

[30907]

The once daily Brighton and Portsmouth to Cardiff train goes back pre WW2. The two portions combined at Fareham and IIRC the train called at Stapleton Road not Temple Meads.
ISTR it was withdrawn in the mid 60s (unlike the Brighton-Plymouth train, which had an on-off existence into the 80s). The present pattern, along with the hourly Portsmouth-Cardiff, dates from the Sprinter era, so I think just pre privatisation.

 

[Taunton]

The longstanding service was Cardiff to Portsmouth, several services a day from back in steam days (and possibly before nationalisation). It was extensively used by naval personnel travelling to Bristol and South Wales, and steam locos were replaced by Hymek Class 35s. In Bristol it did not stop in Temple Meads but used the suburban station at Stapleton Road, and then the direct curve round to the Bath etc line. For Brighton change at Fratton.

 

[387star]

Interestingly Sunday has double the number of Monday to Saturday trains which is an oddity. Sunday also has the onky direct Brighton to Cardiff service otherwise it's either Bristol or Great Malvern from Brighton except the Brighton to Portsmouth Harbour late night Sunday working.

At the moment the service is suspended but usually it's a very popular service especially on Friday afternoons. Many older passenger rely on the link. Sadly commuter style turbos have taken over but understand a major refurbishment is due.

Only Fratton depot sign Brighton GWR services although Westbury did in Wessex days using 31s and mk2s on Fridays at one point.

 

[LAX54]

There was also the SO Brighton to Exeter service too

 

[43 302]

The once daily Brighton and Portsmouth to Cardiff train goes back pre WW2. The two portions combined at Fareham and IIRC the train called at Stapleton Road not Temple Meads.
ISTR it was withdrawn in the mid 60s (unlike the Brighton-Plymouth train, which had an on-off existence into the 80s). The present pattern, along with the hourly Portsmouth-Cardiff, dates from the Sprinter era, so I think just pre privatisation.

In the late 80s there was a Swansea to Portsmouth Harbour service hauled by a 37/4 as far as temple meads.

 

[alistairlees]

Brighton has a daily GWR direct service to Bristol and beyond. I know this service has been around for several years now using a DMU and it just got me thinking, has this service always been around? I can’t find much literature on it online but I know the class 158 were built for many long distance routes that avoid London including this one and that the 158 predates the service as I know it today.
I’m curious as to when this service started, would it have been around pre privatisation and would it have originally been loco hauled?

By 1982 there was an 08.20 Brighton to Cardiff / 16.20 return on Saturdays only; and a undays only service at around about 16.20 in both directions. There was no direct service Mondays to Fridays in 1982.

In 1977 there was no direct service on any day of the week, so that should give you an idea when it started.

 

[TheWalrus]

The GWR Brightons have been around as long as I can remember. Personally I would prefer the Cardiff-Portsmouths to go toBrighton instead of Portsmouth. However it may cause problems for crew based at Fratton and not sure how pathing is between Havant-Brighton.

 

[rf_ioliver]

This same question has come up a few times recently.

I used it regularly in the 90s. Always a 2 coach 158, reversing at Temple Meads. Wasn't the fastest service and always full, sometimes standing even on the south coast already. Before this it seems it was a 155 and then replaced by a 156 temporarily I understand.

Actually I found my Young Person's Rail Card from 1990. So I know for a fact that on 17th January 1990, the morning Cardiff-Brighton service was a 156. The return on the evening of the next day I had to change at Portsmouth - it was dark at Portsmouth, I remember that at least. Probably a 156 on the way back - can't remember. I do remember the 205/207s at Portsmouth - *****y noisy but looked really interesting. Also I remember being amazed by the looks of the Thameslink 319s and the quietness of the electric trains out to Falmer.

One question is when the service was locomotive hauled, did these run throught to Brighton - anyone have pictures?

 

[158747]

I remember the Brighton - Bristol services were running in the 1980s, until May 1988 hauled by class 33s, which were then replaced by the newly introduced 155s. These trains added a bit of variety to the 33s seen in the Bristol area as they were normally worked by Hither Green allocated 33s, with the Portsmouth - Cardiff services being worked by Eastleigh 33s.

 

[Eastwestjct]

At the time of switch over to 155 sprinters
The Brighton trains were then portions of Portsmouth Cardiff.
Service pattern was roughly
0600 Southampton to Brighton (direct)
0839 Brighton attaching at Fareham to Portsmouth to Cardiff

think there was another round trip in middle of the day.

and a Cardiff to Portsmouth which split at Fareham 1930 with front portion for Brighton.
2050 Brighton to Southampton

The number of through trains reduced once the Southampton to Victoria trains started running. As these form a good connection in either direction with all Cardiff services

 

[pompeyfan]

Worth remembering there was a Saturday morning 6.159 service from Brighton to the far west, Paignton/Plymouth which swung into Portsmouth on its way through. I’m led to believe before it was 159 it was class 50 but avoided Portsmouth to avoid a run round.

someone asked earlier about the pathing on the coast way. It’s a very busy section of track, especially from Worthing towards Brighton. I don’t physically think you’d reliably cram in another fast service.

 

[Revaulx]

The longstanding service was Cardiff to Portsmouth, several services a day from back in steam days (and possibly before nationalisation). It was extensively used by naval personnel travelling to Bristol and South Wales, and steam locos were replaced by Hymek Class 35s. In Bristol it did not stop in Temple Meads but used the suburban station at Stapleton Road, and then the direct curve round to the Bath etc line. For Brighton change at Fratton.

Lots of naval personnel in Bath also. The Navy had requisitioned the Empire Hotel in WW2 and continued to employ lots of people there until the 90s. I remember visiting Bath as a 10 year old in the late 60s and being totally bamboozled by the number of blokes wandering around in Navy uniform.

 

[bangor-toad]

Hi,
For a period between, I think 2003 and 2007, Wessex Trains ran the Brigthton - Cardiff service and often it was loco hauled using a Class 31.

Here's an old thread: From 2010
Here's a link to a few images: Class-31-Wessex-Trains

If your Google-Fu is strong you may be able to find pictures of the pink set that would sometimes do that trip.
Enjoy...
Mr Toad

 

[Whistler40145]

Did diversions via Eastleigh and Hedge End ever take place if the direct route via Southampton Central was blocked by Engineering Work?

 

[pompeyfan]

Did diversions via Eastleigh and Hedge End ever take place if the direct route via Southampton Central was blocked by Engineering Work?

do you mean with the 31? I very much doubt there would have been planned works on a Friday, but I believe Westbury has always signed via Southampton Airport, Chandlers Ford and Hedge End in the event of a temporary route blockage.

 

[Bevan Price]

Worth remembering there was a Saturday morning 6.159 service from Brighton to the far west, Paignton/Plymouth which swung into Portsmouth on its way through. I’m led to believe before it was 159 it was class 50 but avoided Portsmouth to avoid a run round.

In the 1980s, there was also a Sunday Plymouth to Brighton service, worked to Portsmouth by a Class 50, taken forward to Brighton - and back to Portsmouth by a Class 73 -- sometimes a 73/0.

 

[Romsey]

Did diversions via Eastleigh and Hedge End ever take place if the direct route via Southampton Central was blocked by Engineering Work?

Yes, seen between Chandlers Ford and Romsey.

 

[swt_passenger]

Yes, seen between Chandlers Ford and Romsey.

That must have been quite a rarely photographed sight.
I was caught out by an unexpected diversion of an up Waterloo train from Eastleigh via the Chandlers Ford route in the late 70s, it was a Sunday evening, and of course there was little or no advance info in those days. It completely wrecked my connection with the sleeper to Edinburgh...

But to the best of my knowledge the route had always been available for passenger diversions during the period there was no normal service?

 

[pdeaves]

someone asked earlier about the pathing on the coast way. It’s a very busy section of track, especially from Worthing towards Brighton. I don’t physically think you’d reliably cram in another fast service.

There are studies currently under way specifically to fit more services in, including allowing a path every hour for west-Brighton fasts.

 

[pompeyfan]

There are studies currently under way specifically to fit more services in, including allowing a path every hour for west-Brighton fasts.

If that is true it would be very welcome, it would be even better if if it was a couple of minutes behind the Portsmouth - Waterloo fasts through Havant. Something like xx:13 after each hour. The Netley road is also sadly congested, and that won’t be fixed without a complete re-signalling. There’s already up to 5/6 trains an hour through fareham.

 

[randyrippley]

Lots of naval personnel in Bath also. The Navy had requisitioned the Empire Hotel in WW2 and continued to employ lots of people there until the 90s. I remember visiting Bath as a 10 year old in the late 60s and being totally bamboozled by the number of blokes wandering around in Navy uniform.

Bath is (or at least was) the HQ of the hydrographics and survey department - where all the naval charts are made

 

[Revaulx]

Bath is (or at least was) the HQ of the hydrographics and survey department - where all the naval charts are made

Hydrographic Office moved to Taunton in 1939, if Wonkypedia is to be believed.

Also per Wonkypedia, the Empire in Bath was requisitioned and used as a postal sorting office until the 90s.