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Cambridge "via Stevenage"?!

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vinnielo

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Firstly, thanks to Galvanize for answering my question about Foxton in another thread.
On a similar subject, whenever I'm on a train from King's Cross to Cambridge, I've noticed the in-train announcements saying something along the lines of "This is the xx:xx FCC service to Cambridge, via Stevenage". I mean... Of course it's gonna go via Stevenage - where else is it going to go via?! Wouldn't it make more sense to say "via Hatfield" or someplace near so as not to confuse passengers about whether it takes the main line or the Hertford loop?
 
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me123

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Maybe it's for return passengers who go to Liverpool Street, and the announcement's just there by default.

ie, to stop CAM-LON pax gwtting on the wrong train (ONEvFCC), but the announcement has ended up on the return route as well?

I hope I make sense.
 

Daniel

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I would imaine that it is to make sure people get on the correct service from London. IIRC, 'one' Cambridge trains say Via Tottenham Hale, and virtually everything goes by TOM anyway, (Excluding Chesunt, Enfield Town and Chingford).
 

compsci

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It's simply a way of differentiating the fast and semi fast services. If Doris says "via Stevenage" the train will stop there, and probably Hitchin as well. If she doesn't say it, the first stop will be Letchworth or Cambridge only.

It would be quite an achievement to get on the wrong operator's train in London as King's Cross and Liverpool St aren't easily confused. At Cambridge they always announce trains as either going to KX or LST. While Liverpool St to Cambridge via Stevenage is technically possible, it's not something that you would expect passengers to worry about.
 

yorkie

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Firstly, thanks to Galvanize for answering my question about Foxton in another thread.
On a similar subject, whenever I'm on a train from King's Cross to Cambridge, I've noticed the in-train announcements saying something along the lines of "This is the xx:xx FCC service to Cambridge, via Stevenage". I mean... Of course it's gonna go via Stevenage - where else is it going to go via?! Wouldn't it make more sense to say "via Hatfield" or someplace near so as not to confuse passengers about whether it takes the main line or the Hertford loop?
1. Because Stevenage is bigger than Hatfield
2. Because only half the trains in question call at Hatfield - and those are only advertised as far as Foxton as they are overtaken by a Cruiser.
3. Because most Cambridge pax would want a Cruiser which is non-stop (admittedly they call Letchworth and Royston in the peak)
4. Because a lot of Stevenage passengers use these trains, they are primarily for people going to/from Stevenage and places along the Cambridge line not primarily for people just doing London-Cambridge who would get a Cruiser unless they had just missed one.
 
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