Passenger loading late at night on rural branches

[RPI]

It's half hourly to Exmouth now in the evenings (except Sundays). Not sure if it counts as rural though! Four of the stations are in Exeter while buses don't get into Lympstone village.

Fair point!

 

[OhNoAPacer]

I wonder how many travel on the 2209 Whitehaven to Carlisle service particularly on a weekday.

 

[Web4160]

Until the 1980s most long distance newspaper distribution was done by rail. Many national titles had printing presses in Manchester as well as Fleet Street. Fleets of vans would converge on all the London termini late at night, and the Manchester stations, with bundles destined for each station served by the trains, and the wholesalers or individual newsagents would meet the trains with their own vans to collect them ready for sale.
The trains, like those carrying more contention ally perishable commodities like fresh fish, were given high priority. Many of them would include a passenger coach (or often half of one, ie a BSK or similar)

Back in 1969/70 I attended a FA cup replay Crewe v Doncaster and caught a newspaper train from Manchester Piccadilly to Doncaster which was routed via Woodhead and Barnsley. It had one passenger coach and from memory I was the only passenger on the train. Arrival in Doncaster was about 3.00 am.

 

[Pinus contorta]

I wonder how many travel on the 2209 Whitehaven to Carlisle service particularly on a weekday.

I think that late night train is one way of swapping units at Carlisle onto the Tyne Valley line to get them from Barrow for maintenance at Heaton

 

[Kenny G]

Not exactly rural but loadings on London Overground to Barking Riverside services seem to be countable on the fingers of one hand off peak. Hopefully they will pick up considerably once the new homes are all built out.

The Thames clipper from Barking Riverside is subject to numerous cancellations in my limited experience. Waiting 1 hour on the side of a deserted dock somewhat pates the appetite for a repeat journey.

 

[Class 170101]

I fairly often get the last train south from Inverness (2023) and, especially in the winter, there will be fewer than 10 people on it - often only 5/6. On one occasion I was the only passenger from Aviemore to Perth.

I've actually though this is a rather early finish for heading South. Whilst perhaps too late for the Central Belt (arriving around 00:30 to 01:00)perhaps running a 21:30ish as far as Perth to balance the morning equivalent from Perth to Inverness seems like a reasonable idea.