calling points Edinburgh (EDB)- Leeds (LDS) 21/11

[Waverley125]

planning a trip up to Auld Reekie with the girlfriend (she's never been to the beautiful city), and obv. going by train with NXEC on the morning & evening Leeds-Aberdeen service. However, on NXEC's journey planner it advises changing at York onto a Northern local. This confused me at first as, with change, it was 7 minutes faster.

I then looked at the calling points, and it seems that this NXEC service is going all the way down to Donny before coming back up via Wakefield. Is there a reason for this? And how will it work? Will the train reverse at Donny or take one of the loops to approach the station from the south?

 

[flymo]

As 21/11 is a Saturday I think the return journey you mean is the 1750 from Glasgow Central to Leeds which leaves Edinburgh at 1900. This train is due into Doncaster at 2217 and out again at 2222.
This train is a 225 and as there are no wires on the direct route Leeds to York (well from Neville Hill to Colton Jn) the train has to go via Doncaster to get to Leeds. Either that or stick a Diesel loco on the front. I often wonder why this little gap from Neville Hill to Colton Jn has never been wired. No doubt there are many reasons.
The morning train you mentioned from Leeds to Aberdeen is an HST so no problems with the wires.

 

[John @ home]

planning a trip up to Auld Reekie ...

If you must use 3-letter station codes in titles, can you please use correct ones? EDN is Eden Park, a pleasant south-east London suburb with a good Innkeepers Lodge opposite the station at reasonable prices for the London area. But it's not Auld Reekie. That's EDB.

it seems that this NXEC service is going all the way down to Donny before coming back up via Wakefield. Is there a reason for this?

As above, the route allows an electric train to keep under the wires.

how will it work? Will the train reverse at Donny or take one of the loops to approach the station from the south?

The train will reverse at Doncaster.

John

 

[yorkie]

As John says, EDN is Eden Park, I've updated the title to avoid confusion!

The train does reverse in the station, there isn't a loop to go round at Doncaster. The purpose is not just to get a 91 into NL (Neville Hill depot) but also to provide a connection for Leeds passengers off the 20:30 KGX-NCL service changing at Donny. I doubt many people actually go from the North to Leeds via Doncaster, unless AP tickets make it cheaper, but that would only be the case on NXEC only tickets rather than NXEC & Connections.