Completely Empty Trains

[mmh]

I've been the only person in a Northern line Underground carriage a few times at the south end (after Tooting)

Beckenham Junction to Crystal Palace is quite often empty during the day or on Saturdays.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

If anyone is familiar with Geoff Marshall’s channel on YouTube, you may have seen his recent video about early morning / late evening services Mon-Fri between Kensington Olympia and Earls Court (and thence seemingly a variety of destinations) which are unadvertised services in the sense that Kensington Olympia officially has services only weekends and event days, and therefore these unadvertised services are very lightly used indeed.

Are there any other examples of services not being used because they are not advertised at all?

 

[Gathursty]

I would imagine the 0449 Shrewsbury to Llandrindod service will be empty most days, likewise for the 0453 Carmarthen to Llandovery

I agree. I must have travelled before they added these new positioning services for the 'commuters'. I remember my train leaving at 0550 ish which is early enough for me (plus driving from Wigan too haha!)

 

[tsr]

Southbound Oxted - Uckfield trains can be completely empty on a Sunday evening, certainly south of Edenbridge Town. Northbound trains tend to have a few people heading back to London after a weekend in the sticks with the family. Plus the local yoof after they’ve sold all their weed.

Other empty ones from GTR always used to include the Redhill-Reigate shuttles, but now they are much more often extended to London, they tend to be much more attractive to passengers.

The later ones of the evening short workings to/from Rye can be pretty empty. Westbound, it depends what, if any, connections can be maintained at Ashford. Eastbound, there’s no point really.

 

[higthomas]

I was the only passenger on the (now deceased) daily Paddington-High Wycombe train on a Wednesday a few months ago. He did make very sure this was the train I wanted!

 

[185143]

I left Shrewsbury on the first train of the day south to the Heart of Wales Line (to Cardiff Central) and was alone on the train until we arrived at Knighton.

I've had the same train to myself as far as Llandrindod-twice! The last time I used it, I shared it with one other passenger between Craven Arms and Llandrindod.

 

[GW43125]

2C03 05:23 Staines-Reading has been known to leave Staines with more crew than passengers.
1S08 05:27 Woking-Waterloo via Hounslow is good for having a carriage to yourself at least as far as Staines.

 

[dk1]

We work some wonderfully empty services across the East Suffolk line up road in the evenings. As I'm unbelievably booked on before 05:00 on December the 27th working locals running a ridiculous normal service, I more than expect lots & lots of fresh air until at least 08:00

 

[ER158715]

I've never been on it, but I often wonder about who's going to be on the 0508 Perth-Inverness over the first few stops.

In the early days there was often only staff on it arriving in Inverness. Last time I passed it, there was 2 passengers on it.

 

[philthetube]

Indeed! I was thinking of the old question.

"If a tree falls n the forest and there is no-one there to witness it, does it still make a noise?"

Ask a squirrel

 

[GCRS]

Occasionally I'm at Llandudno Junction for an early Saurday trip to London. While there are usually a few of us on the 0537 to Crewe I've never seen anyone on the 0530 to Blaenau Ffestiniog which only really runs to form the first service back. It's even quieter at the moment of course, what with there being no trains on the Conwy Valley line.

 

[philjo]

I caught the 1923 GN service from Stevenage to Kings Cross last summer prior to getting the sleeper from Euston.
The service is 12 coach 365 from Peterborough calling only at Stevenage and Kings Cross.
I was the only passenger in the front unit!

 

[Sean Emmett]

Had a whole train to myself in India for about 5 hours. Must be some sort of record! Kalka - Shimla on one of the Railmotors. 'Train' fully booked but rest of pax on connecting train delayed by fog. Was assured it would still run, and it did.

Family group of 3 on the wait list joined me for the return trip.

 

[gnolife]

Occasionally I'm at Llandudno Junction for an early Saurday trip to London. While there are usually a few of us on the 0537 to Crewe I've never seen anyone on the 0530 to Blaenau Ffestiniog which only really runs to form the first service back. It's even quieter at the moment of course, what with there being no trains on the Conwy Valley line.

When I did the 0530 to Blaenau a couple of years back, I was the only person on it who wanted to be on it (going to Llanwrst), but there was an extremely disgruntled passenger who was trying to get to Manchester Airport for a flight

 

[DelW]

I would imagine the 0449 Shrewsbury to Llandrindod service will be empty most days, likewise for the 0453 Carmarthen to Llandovery

The latest HoWLTA (users group) newsletter has a report by a passenger using the early service from Llandrindod to Crewe, who said one passenger got off the incoming train at Llan'dod. There were 8 boarding to go north, though the total had gone up to 28 by Shrewsbury.

 

[craigybagel]

I wonder if this was the only example of a train which was empty in the middle of its journey but not at the start / end.

It goes to Frome now, so the point is moot.

I would imagine the 0449 Shrewsbury to Llandrindod service will be empty most days, likewise for the 0453 Carmarthen to Llandovery

0449 Crewe - Milford Haven recently, started from Shrewsbury owing to engineering work. One regular commuter on Shrewsbury - Church Stretton, then empty as far as Craven Arms. As always, Full and Standing after Newport.

The 2155 Cardiff - Crewe is regularly empty at various parts of the journey. North of Ludlow is pretty common, but even as early as Abergavenny isn't unknown. There are usually a few on North of Shrewsbury however, some of whom may go all the way to Crewe.

I agree. I must have travelled before they added these new positioning services for the 'commuters'. I remember my train leaving at 0550 ish which is early enough for me (plus driving from Wigan too haha!)

Both the early HOWL departures from Shrewsbury are routinely empty as far as Knighton. The last service back in the evening is also often empty on arrival at Shrewsbury.

Incidentally, there really is a market for commuters on that line - but ironically they were served better under the old timetable then they are today, and numbers have gone down as a result.

 

[Kite159]

There is a late afternoon Marylebone - Birmingham Snow Hill service which is normally formed of a single 168/3 [16:24 London - Birmingham] which forms a Banbury stopper, then sits at Banbury for nearly 20 minutes before carrying on north, getting looped again at Hatton. I've used it a few times from Banbury* and it is normally empty on departure from Banbury, gets a few folk boarding at Leamington [mostly Warwick passengers].

[*Gold card discounted tickets not valid north of Banbury on XC, and normally an empty 168 is better than a wedged out voyager, even changing at Leamington for the following Kidderminster as that empties out quite well]

 

[mcmad]

Plenty of empty trains running around Scotland currently due to the lack of traincrew as they're main still running but as ECS.

 

[geoffk]

The weekday Chathill evening return usually gets a bit of traffic at Alnmouth.

I've used that twice during my travels, just to visit Chathill, meet up with an ex colleague who lives at Alnwick and book into a B&B at Morpeth.

 

[Bishopstone]

Romford-Upminster loads very lightly between the peaks. Because the three stations are accessed via the London end of their platforms, the country end of the 4-car unit generates a private carriage - if you so desire - pretty reliably. That’s until it transforms into a mobile youth club, in the evening...

 

[Esker-pades]

Empty trains on the Esk Valley:
13:50 Danby to Hexham (from Danby to Nunthorpe)
14:57 Hexham to Battersby (from Nunthorpe to Battersby)
17:44 Battersby to Hexham (from Battersby to Gypsy Lane)

There was only one other group (two people) on the 10:57 Hexham to Danby service between Nunthorpe and Danby.

 

[Marton]

Empty trains on the Esk Valley:
13:50 Danby to Hexham (from Danby to Nunthorpe)
14:57 Hexham to Battersby (from Nunthorpe to Battersby)
17:44 Battersby to Hexham (from Battersby to Gypsy Lane)

There was only one other group (two people) on the 10:57 Hexham to Danby service between Nunthorpe and Danby.

Since they don’t feature in the poster timetables is it any wonder?

 

[Esker-pades]

Since they don’t feature in the poster timetables is it any wonder?

They do in the ones I've seen. This picture is from Kildale and taken yesterday. I have circled the services I mentioned as the reflections make it hard to read.

 

[I13]

The latest All the Stations video makes me think that 0710 Wrexham General - Wrexham Central could be a contender, maybe just on a Saturday though due to the commuter who gets it everyday (although not actually going to Wrexham Central).

 

[cactustwirly]

The 05:15 Bristol TM-Paddington (via Westbury) is usually empty until Bradford-on-Avon, And has very few pax until at least Westbury. It is unique in not calling at Bath Spa and the 07:48 arrival time into London means there are later trains to Reading and Paddington via Swindon which overtake it. That being said, it gets extremely busy after Hungerford and Newbury, so it is a valuable peak working.

Similarly the 17:06 ex-Paddington usually has very limited pax on after Bedwyn. It used to run to Bristol (via the Hawkridge Curve avoiding Westbury) and on one occasion I was the only passenger on board between Pewsey and Trowbridge, where quite a few people boarded for stations to Bath / Bristol. I wonder if this was the only example of a train which was empty in the middle of its journey but not at the start / end.

It goes to Frome now, so the point is moot.

At least half of the Pax on that service (and the 1807) alight at Twyford!

 

[LowLevel]

Late trains from Skegness in the winter might have a handful for Wainfleet and Boston but it's not that rare for them to be empty for part or all of the journey.

2105 Spalding to Nottingham can be empty between Melton and Nottingham.

 

[driver_m]

Warrington Bank Quay -Earlestown part of the Liverpool Lime St service regularly carried fresh air. Would be better diverting it to Wigan NW and reopening Golborne and get some value out of that end of the service. That or incorporate it into an existing Calder Valley service so we can have a Vic service on the Chat Moss again.

 

[Marton]

They do in the ones I've seen. This picture is from Kildale and taken yesterday. I have circled the services I mentioned as the reflections make it hard to read.

Apologies. They didn’t in the May timetable

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

Although not completely empty, one of the morning Virgin Trains departures from London Euston to Blackpool North which I happened to be on a few months back was pretty sparse in terms of passenger numbers.

The carriage I was seated in had one other person. During my trek to the buffet car, I had to pass through a fair amount of other carriages. Most of them were completely empty, with others having a few other random passengers dotted around.

After Rugby however, a few more passengers joined and by Preston the train had quite a decent amount passengers on it!

 

[Kite159]

At least half of the Pax on that service (and the 1807) alight at Twyford!

A left over from days of Turbos on the stoppers, now the 387s have given a capacity boost the stops on the Frome services at Twyford should get removed to allow long distance commuters the chance of a seat from Paddington