CrossCountry services today (16/1/22) -- running via Didcot Parkway

[Jimini]

Just noticed on RTT that all the XC services between Reading and Oxford were running through Didcot Parkway (not using the avoiding line) this afternoon / evening, then stopping at Foxhall Junction, and heading north via. the west and north curves around Didcot. That's got to be fairly rare? I'm too late now to follow one in real time on Traksy, but don't think I've seen that routing before, unless anyone else has? Cheers.

 

[JonathanH]

That's got to be fairly rare? I'm too late now to follow one in real time on Traksy, but don't think I've seen that routing before, unless anyone else has?

Rare, but not unknown. The last service from Reading to Birmingham used to be booked to make that move every weeknight.

 

[47827]

Just noticed on RTT that all the XC services between Reading and Oxford were running through Didcot Parkway (not using the avoiding line) this afternoon / evening, then stopping at Foxhall Junction, and heading north via. the west and north curves around Didcot. That's got to be fairly rare? I'm too late now to follow one in real time on Traksy, but don't think I've seen that routing before, unless anyone else has? Cheers.

That's a blast from the past. I've no idea what year (Virgin as was) XC stop calling there but presumably the post loco hauled timetable revamps killed it off. Used to be several a day using it as a booked stop although it did slow the schedule down by a good bit. Makes sense for all crew doing the Oxon turns to sign it though even if stops went many years ago.

 

[Horizon22]

They've had to reverse at Foxhall Junction due to engineering works on the Relief Lines. Any through GWR services between Reading <> Oxford have had to do the same. They then go round the curve. As you say very rare but not unheard of.

 

[Jimini]

Interesting -- thanks for the info!

 

[davetheguard]

That's a blast from the past. I've no idea what year (Virgin as was) XC stop calling there but presumably the post loco hauled timetable revamps killed it off. Used to be several a day using it as a booked stop although it did slow the schedule down by a good bit. Makes sense for all crew doing the Oxon turns to sign it though even if stops went many years ago.

In B.R. days (or 80s & 90s at least) there was always a handful of cross county Inter City trains that stopped at Didcot, including the first two northbound in the morning. That continued under Virgin. In fact, the first journey I ever made on a Voyager was from Didcot to Paddington; not much chance of doing that these days!

I think the Didcot calls ended at the same time that Cross Country pulled out of Liverpool, Poole et al.

Of course these Didcot trains didn't do what is being discussed in this thread; they ran direct from Chester Line Junction (which is at the Bristol end of platform three) direct to Didcot North Junction, and didn't run via Foxhall Junction or reverse there.

 

[ATW Alex 101]

Around about 2011, a lot of Cross Country services terminated at Didcot Parkway due to engineering works.

 

[davetheguard]

Around about 2011, a lot of Cross Country services terminated at Didcot Parkway due to engineering works.

Indeed, and it has happened a few times since I believe. Good for travelling south, but as the engineering work that causes the termination at Didcot is usually north of Didcot, it not much use for travelling north; by XC or any other train operator. Prepare to meet your bus.

 

[Class 170101]

Indeed, and it has happened a few times since I believe. Good for travelling south, but as the engineering work that causes the termination at Didcot is usually north of Didcot, it not much use for travelling north; by XC or any other train operator. Prepare to meet your bus.

Unless via Swindon and Cheltenham Spa.

 

[warwickshire]

Just noticed on RTT that all the XC services between Reading and Oxford were running through Didcot Parkway (not using the avoiding line) this afternoon / evening, then stopping at Foxhall Junction, and heading north via. the west and north curves around Didcot. That's got to be fairly rare? I'm too late now to follow one in real time on Traksy, but don't think I've seen that routing before, unless anyone else has? Cheers.

Yes a couple of times.
Most recent one for me was on Friday the 7th of January 2022.
Due to a failed freight train on the down Main line to appleford just opposite the didcot railway museum and blocking it out of use. Nice and simple, send it via the station (didcot Parkway) to run around the issue.
However sometimes this has happened before, it's not common but more common than you might think. Sometimes, say if a slow freight is on the slow lines in the cholsey area (ie reading to didcot east Junction say) or there’s an issue with those above mentioned lines, or if there’s a local passenger service with issues at goring or cholsey say and the xc service has been on the fast lines from reading to didcot Parkway. Sometimes it's far easier to just send the xc service via didcot Parkway then route it via its usual way off the avoider.

 

[Dren Ahmeti]

Unless via Swindon and Cheltenham Spa.

XC have recently run that way too, round the West Curve.

 

[73128]

Yes a couple of times.
Most recent one for me was on Friday the 7th of January 2022.
Due to a failed freight train on the down Main line to appleford just opposite the didcot railway museum and blocking it out of use. Nice and simple, send it via the station (didcot Parkway) to run around the issue.
However sometimes this has happened before, it's not common but more common than you might think. Sometimes, say if a slow freight is on the slow lines in the cholsey area (ie reading to didcot east Junction say) or there’s an issue with those above mentioned lines, or if there’s a local passenger service with issues at goring or cholsey say and the xc service has been on the fast lines from reading to didcot Parkway. Sometimes it's far easier to just send the xc service via didcot Parkway then route it via its usual way off the avoider.

Didcot station or AL to or from Oxford is another of those routes where (if not stopping) trains can take the signal either way. it happens quite often, to both XC and fast GWR services.

 

[davetheguard]

Didcot station or AL to or from Oxford is another of those routes where (if not stopping) trains can take the signal either way. it happens quite often, to both XC and fast GWR services.

Completely right. You can run via the station or the avoiding line.

However, as the OP mentioned, the unusual move is to run via Foxhall Junction (which to those who don't know the area well is beyond Didcot station on the line to Swindon). Then a reversal is required, followed by a run via the normally freight-only east curve to rejoin the normal route at Didcot North Junction.

 

[zero]

I had tried to bash this rare route in previous years using the 2145 Reading to Birmingham, but in order to see anything out of the windows it needed to be cloudless on the few days around 23 June, and this never happened on the days I was able to go.

For one timetable period maybe in 2018, there was also a GWR train that did this in the reverse direction departing Oxford at around 0400.

So last Sunday I took the opportunity to do this in the daytime.

The late evening train used to be 5 coaches and the driver would walk through. Last Sunday, the XC services were 8 coaches, so the driver could not walk through. There must have been drivers at both ends, which was confirmed when the trains started reversing almost immediately after stopping beyond Foxhall Jn. Not sure if the drivers of the GWR services walked through to do the reversal.

Announcements were made only saying the journey would take "a bit longer than usual" so the sudden reversal surprised some passengers.

Also trains were timetabled to pass each other right in the middle of the west curve - I suppose I could find out whether this was the only way to do it by analysing the timetables more carefully, but I can't be bothered.

 

[47827]

I had tried to bash this rare route in previous years using the 2145 Reading to Birmingham, but in order to see anything out of the windows it needed to be cloudless on the few days around 23 June, and this never happened on the days I was able to go.

For one timetable period maybe in 2018, there was also a GWR train that did this in the reverse direction departing Oxford at around 0400.

So last Sunday I took the opportunity to do this in the daytime.

The late evening train used to be 5 coaches and the driver would walk through. Last Sunday, the XC services were 8 coaches, so the driver could not walk through. There must have been drivers at both ends, which was confirmed when the trains started reversing almost immediately after stopping beyond Foxhall Jn. Not sure if the drivers of the GWR services walked through to do the reversal.

Announcements were made only saying the journey would take "a bit longer than usual" so the sudden reversal surprised some passengers.

Also trains were timetabled to pass each other right in the middle of the west curve - I suppose I could find out whether this was the only way to do it by analysing the timetables more carefully, but I can't be bothered.

If there's a permitted walking route along the running lines drivers can still walk along the track to undertake the process of changing ends. It's still not unknown if the type of train requires it. Good practice and common sense is to walk through the train when that can be done.