I didn't even know these existed until a couple of months ago when I was walking through Waterloo station and heard the automated voice talking about how a train was going to divide and which carriages you should sit in for which destinations. I forgot about this till now, but it really intrigued me. Are they common anywhere else in the UK other than on the SWML? I've never heard of them from other operators across the country before.
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How common are dividing trains in the UK?
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It used to be a very common practice although is less so now with much more fixed length stock. Often where you get a substantial flow to one point, but not after or you have an awkward branch to serve or lots of smaller stops on a longer route.
Amongst operators in the south (you've already mentioned SWR) here's a few examples:
- Southeastern used to regularly split at Ashford International for Ramsgate and Dover Priory but rarely do now
- Southeastern can split at Faversham for Ramsgate and Dover Priory
- Southern continue to split at Horsham for Southampton Central / Bognor Regis
- Southern split at Eastbourne for one portion to continue to Ore
- GWR occasionally (increasingly rare, but common only recently) split at Plymouth for Penzance
hexagon789
Veteran Member
They used to be far more common, even just 20 years ago.
There are still a few regular ones; up here in Scotland for instance all the Glasgow to Mallaig trains split at Crianlarich with an Oban portion and vice-versa.
There is also a Sundays only Inverness to Wick which detaches a Kyle portion at Dingwall. Historically all Far North trains used to have a Wick and Thurso portion until about 20 years ago, splitting at Georgemas Junction.
Going further back, many CrossCountry services up the WCML used to have a Glasgow and Edinburgh portion, splitting at Carstairs just as the Lowlander Caledonian Sleeper still does.
In Southern Territory, many mainline trains used to divide en route, either for seperate destinations or more commonly with the front portion going ahead fast or semi-fast and the rear portion calling at all or most stations behind it.
TT-ONR-NRN
Established Member
Yes.
Great Western Intercity Express services to Carmarthen often drop the front 5 coaches at Swansea and reverse only the rear (on arrival) 5 to continue west. (LNER often do the same for Harrogate at Leeds) Some Penzance services also drop 5 at Plymouth.
Transport for Wales services from Birmingham International to Aberystwyth typically convey a portion to Pwllheli detaching at Machynlleth, and it is common for coaches heading West to be dropped at Cardiff or Swansea. Some Milford & Pembroke services also run.
Southern services to Portsmouth Hbr from Victoria drop a portion for Bognor at Horsham, as do services to Southampton. Those to Ore often drop a portion at Eastbourne and these services used to split off with a Littlehampton service too.
London Northwestern used to split off portions for Rugeley Trent Valley off of London Birmingham services until recently.
Avanti services to Shrewsbury run with 10 coaches to Birmingham where they drop 5.
Etc etc
Trainguy34
Member
I know that it is, at least in my neck of the woods, mainly common during the peaks where instead of having an Hourly 8 car to/from London Victoria, the trains run as 8 car to Faversham half hourly and split into two giving each branch (Ramsgate and Dover Priory) an, albeit shorter train, half hourly service.
It also happens on the Cally Sleeper (Can't remember the locations / times)
Hope this Helps!
It also happens on the Cally Sleeper (Can't remember the locations / times)
Hope this Helps!
hexagon789
Veteran Member
Edinburgh on the Highlander
Carstairs on the Lowlander
It’s not uncommon on London Waterloo to Exeter services for there two be two splits en route, with the initial 8/9-carriage service dropping some at Salisbury and another set at Yeovil Junction, leaving the final 3 carriages to proceed to Exeter.
LNW-GW Joint
Veteran Member
TfW regularly divides trains on all their long-distance routes, often at Shrewsbury or Chester, or Cardiff/Swansea.
Sometimes this is for different destinations, but mostly it is to strengthen trains on the busy sections of route.
Avanti will drop the rear unit of a double Voyager (soon to be 805s) at Crewe or Chester, with just one unit continuing to Holyhead.
Sometimes this is for different destinations, but mostly it is to strengthen trains on the busy sections of route.
Avanti will drop the rear unit of a double Voyager (soon to be 805s) at Crewe or Chester, with just one unit continuing to Holyhead.
Mcr Warrior
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Believe there's still the occasional late evening (Southern) working from London Victoria, that splits at Haywards Heath, with the front portion continuing to Brighton/Worthing and the rear portion to Eastbourne. Possibly Friday nights / Saturday nights only.
Lewisham2221
Established Member
EMR usually add a unit for the Nottingham-Liverpool leg of the Norwich-Liverpool service
PlatformEdgeVT
Member
East Midlands Railway used to have a Liverpool Lime Street - Nottingham and Norwich Split Service, though I don't know if it still runs.
Spaceship323
Member
XC Leicester - Birmingham joins 2 units together to make a 6 car at 1718 ...I'm on it now!
WizCastro197
Established Member
London Victoria to Reigate/Gatwick Airport splits at Redhill. Although this is only in the peaks.
Cheshire Scot
Established Member
Caley - the historic abbreviation of Caledonian which remains in use to this day.
ThameslinkUser
Member
The 2216 and the 2246 from Victoria every day do this. On Friday and Saturday nights, you additionally have the 0002. With regards to the 0002, it sometimes divides at Brighton instead of Haywards Heath, should the line towards Lewes be shut as only the front 4 coaches can continue towards Worthing. On Saturday mornings, the 0452 from Portsmouth Harbour joins 0520 from Eastbourne at Haywards Heath. Finally, on Sunday mornings, the 0705 from Littlehampton joins the 0747 from Brighton at Haywards Heath before travelling to London.
Bringback309s
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Peak hour GEML split / join at Colchester for Colchester Town
Railcar
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The 'Cats and Tats' from London Bridge divide at Purley with 4 cars going to Caterham and 4 to Tattenham Corner.
...which is a 3-way split! This must be the only example of a 3-way split in the UK surely?
Mcr Warrior
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Noted what you say, couldn't find that these particular two trains still split, not this week anyway (but, after re-checking, next week and thereafter, yes, they do again).
Western Sunset
Established Member
Apart from at Bournemouth, some SWR Weymouth/Poole trains split at Soton Central.
ThameslinkUser
Member
Welcome to the wonderful world of GTR chopping the service as thinly as they can possibly get away with on days with an overtime ban.
Western Sunset
Established Member
On the GW, some Cardiff - Portsmouth services drop/attach units at Bristol TM when they reverse there.
hexagon789
Veteran Member
At one station, I think so.
43096
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Used to be one at Salisbury, with three cars forward to Exeter, three to Bristol and three terminate.
DelW
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The TfW services from Birmingham International that divide at Machynlleth into Aberystwyth and Pwllheli portions (mentioned in post 4), are made more confusing by the reversal at Shrewsbury. Thus the front two coaches when boarding east of Shrewsbury become the rear two coaches by the time the train is divided. Fortunately there is plenty of time for passengers to change units if necessary between Shrewsbury and Mach.
Don’t some of the SWR west of England services split 3 ways at Salisbury? 3 to Exeter, 3 to Yeovil via Westbury and 3 to form a portion of an up train?
To thoroughly confuse people and computers, the liverpool to norwich service reverses at sheffield, often splits at nottingham and then reverses again at ely.
I've seen a situation where at picadilly the announcements said people should sit in one half of the train while the electronic displays said they should sit in the other¬