Next routes to get 24-hour services

[hexagon789]

Or even if the high level station is closed, maybe an hourly overnight service via Bathgate

Anything to be honest to provide a 24-hour Edinburgh-Glasgow service. My preference would be via Falkirk High with Grahamston for diversions, but I think you could make a case for most/any of the routes really.

 

[Highlandspring]

I have heard nothing official and have no inside information but I do think Edinburgh - Glasgow 24 hour services will come in the next 5 years, probably limited to Festival time at first.

 

[Chester1]

I have heard nothing official and have no inside information but I do think Edinburgh - Glasgow 24 hour services will come in the next 5 years, probably limited to Festival time at first.

It seems a good bet for 24 hour services. Multiple routes and linking cities and suburbs with major night time economies.

 

[700007]

All of these at least two days a week on Friday and Saturday nights unless specified:

London Paddington to Reading
London Paddington to Heathrow Airport
London Liverpool Street to Shenfield
London King's Cross to Peterborough (7 days a week)
London St. Pancras to Gravesend
London Liverpool Street to Cheshunt via Seven Sisters
London Liverpool Street to Chingford
London Euston to Northampton stopping (5 days a week with Tues / Wed night off for maintenance)
London Waterloo to Staines (7 days)
London Waterloo to Woking (7 days)

In the medium to long term future, I could also see:
London Waterloo to Basingstoke
London Waterloo to Guildford via Epsom
Bedford to Brighton
London King's Cross to Cambridge

 

[Stopper]

I have heard nothing official and have no inside information but I do think Edinburgh - Glasgow 24 hour services will come in the next 5 years, probably limited to Festival time at first.

I wonder if this would be all stops or just a straight fast service.

 

[infobleep]

Even if you go to Gatwick in the middle of the night (2am - 4am) the trains are not at all busy. There might be a case for early and late trains on some routes but people need to feel safe on them.

How busy are the Thameslink trains?

I can't see 24 hour railways coming to South Western Railway. There are mutiple routes or 4 tracck to get to some of the places, e. g., Surbtion, Woking, Guildford and Basingstoke but I don't see it happening even with this.

I mean the only time a 0:50 Waterloo to Portsmouth service is run is on Monday mornings for the Royal navy. Nothing on Friday or Saturday night when non naval personnel might be out in London. If they don't see a need for a late service other nights, no chance of 24 hour running.

There use to be overnight coaches on the, North Downs Line and I was once on one of them. However they stopped, no doubt due to not being popular enough.

 

[jon0844]

Thameslink trains in the small hours seem pretty well used. I assume a mix of low cost airline travellers (flights that come in after midnight or go at 6am), shift workers and at weekends people who were out on the town.

Coming up to Christmas, I've gone home at 3 or 4am and the train (back then a 4 car 319) was actually busy with people standing, or should I say leaning...!

 

[Ken H]

not sure many Inter trains in the night are needed. but some 2am departures from London would be good, to Leeds, Brum and Manchester.

Shirley Manchester-Preston-Blackpool has to be a contender for a 2am departure (both ways)

And Leeds - Bradford Interchange late trains. trains stop quite early, and start quite late.

 

[Clansman]

Anything to be honest to provide a 24-hour Edinburgh-Glasgow service. My preference would be via Falkirk High with Grahamston for diversions, but I think you could make a case for most/any of the routes really.

Dare I say an hourly running via Shotts, Motherwell, & Hamilton would be as popular as via Falkirk High in the small wee hours on a weekend.

 

[hexagon789]

Dare I say an hourly running via Shotts, Motherwell, & Hamilton would be as popular as via Falkirk High in the small wee hours on a weekend.

Quite possibly, certainly Motherwell warrants it. Could be arranged to alternate half-hour departure slots with a via Falkirk High through the night.

 

[Dr Day]

post #3 asked about the TOC perspective. I would assume the reaction would be pretty negative as I would be surprised if the revenue on any trains at these kind of hours go anywhere near covering their operating costs (including keeping stations open etc as well as tracks), and may add to the rostering difficulties as well as eat into rolling stock maintenance time. The only way I can see them coming in is if they are specified in a franchise, and the relevant franchising authority bumps up the subsidy/reduces the premium accordingly. However, there may be other rail services that subsidy could be better going towards, or the cash diverted to better all-night buses.

 

[PeterC]

It's not far off that now. Last Shenfield arrival 0140 with the first departure to Liverpool St ay 0438. If announcements can be turned down, I don't see 24h running as being a nuisance.

I used to live less than 50m from the ECML in the late 80's with many HSTs under load departing from Peterborough. You get used to sleeping through it.

I was talking in terms of departure times from Liverpool Street rather than total track occupation. The GEML is in use for overnight freight anyway.

Back in the 60s the suburban stations had no late night announcements. Also no staff and no ticket machines, for some stations there were notes in the timetable saying "passengers must be in possession of tickets" but there was nobody to check. With contactless as far as Shenfield I suspect that even with the same number of passengers as in my young days the old level of service would produce a higher income.

 

[PeterC]

In many cases I think that what is really needed is better late evening connnections from station to home. A serious decider for me when choosing between car and train isn't so much the time of the last train but the time of the last bus. I would much rather have a drink during a night out but the need to drive home from the station means that I save the parking fee and just drive all the way.

 

[Meerkat]

Do late night services make any kind of money?
The late trains out of Waterloo are often rammed but a lot of those people are going to be ST holders travelling later than usual.
There must also be an impact on the amount of cleaning and repair work needed plus the extra issues requiring security/police.
I have wondered in the past whether the last few trains should be ‘peak’ to cover the extra costs, with funding put into having a guaranteed security presence to reduce damage and reassure passengers (and staff). But that is extra complexity on ticketing and going to increase confrontation over ticket validity (with very drunk people)