Looking at my only old timetable within reach of the computer, first train in 1989 was 06:30The first train from Burton to Derby is at 6.51 am.
That's not exactly late, and admittedly the first train south is earlier, at 6.20 am but I'm sure trains ran earlier in years gone by.
Looking at my only old timetable within reach of the computer, first train in 1989 was 06:30
You are quite right. In the ‘good ol’ days’ (well 1964) the first train from Burton to Derby was at 0230. Miss it and you had the 0501 to fall back on. [Times converted to 24-hour notation.]The first train from Burton to Derby is at 6.51 am.
That's not exactly late, and admittedly the first train south is earlier, at 6.20 am but I'm sure trains ran earlier in years gone by.
I doubt that’s what the OP had in mind. The 00:23 would be the last train of the day, not the first?Just checked the Midland Railway timetable for 1903. There was a Burton to Derby service at 00:23 [24 hour equivalent.]
Burton to Derby.Is that to Derby or to Brum?
Cross country have definitely made early morning travel more difficult over the years. I remember before the voyagers being able to catch the first northbound service from Gloucester and Cheltenham to Birmingham in good time to connect with the 0700 departure to Manchester and arrive in Manchester around 0830. To achieve the same arrival time now requires departing 1 hour earlier at 0448 on GWR service to Worcester and a further 2 changes at Smethwick and Wolverhampton. Not the most relaxing stress free journey it used to be. Also worth noting this option has only just become available from the December timetable following the introduction of an earlier GWR Worcester service. I doubt it’s even a valid route to be honest.
Cross country’s first service north isn’t until 0711 from Cheltenham which is poor in my opinion and around 1 hour and 10 mins later than it was in the nineties.