Previous unusual calling patterns / services

[Adam0984]

The same route as the current Blackpool North – York east of Preston?

It was literally 2 services joined up and swapped the 158s over between the east and Barrow with the unit that went back to York starting in platform 4C after 5pm calling at all stops Preston to Blackburn, the unit had come from Barrow in the morning and shunted to sit in the bay for the day

 

[Harpo]

How is that an 'unusual calling pattern'? CrossCountry (and BR before privatisation of course) ran trains from provincial cities into Paddington for decades yet people these days seem to believe that was some kind of oddity.

Yes. Historically, it was the end of a through Paddington to Birmingham service. Behind the scenes, I believe the absence of ATP on Voyagers was causing political difficulties but not from XC.

 

[Magdalia]

How is that an 'unusual calling pattern'? CrossCountry (and BR before privatisation of course) ran trains from provincial cities into Paddington for decades yet people these days seem to believe that was some kind of oddity.

It was something that was only started by the Inter City sector in the 1980s. Between the completion of WCML electrification and the opening of the National Exhibition Centre the service was Paddington-Birmingham only. In the long sweep of history through trains between Paddington and the Derby/Sheffield route are an oddity.

 

[30907]

Beckenham of course used to be a longer distance call, but I do remember both Herne Hill and Penge East having more 'outer' calls in my childhood.

Beckenham Jn became a longer-distance stop after I left the area - ISTR it lasted until the 15-min stopping service was introduced. Herne Hill has "always" had the odd "outer" call for City connections. Denmark Hill now gets regular "outer" stops.

 

[cle]

Beckenham Jn became a longer-distance stop after I left the area - ISTR it lasted until the 15-min stopping service was introduced. Herne Hill has "always" had the odd "outer" call for City connections. Denmark Hill now gets regular "outer" stops.

Yes I was thinking Eurostar days and even before!

 

[RichJF]

I can recall in 1998 or so the first Sunday service north through South Croydon to Victoria came from Redhill as opposed to Caterham and Tattenham Corner. Very unusual in those days.

Used to be a weekday cl455 Redhill - Victoria stopping service that departed 0530(ish) from platform 3. This was in the days before platform 0 was built & the unit used to stable in the parcels bay.

I also recall a London - Redhill terminator (instead of Reigate) that used to be a cl455 in Connex/early South Central days. Stopped around 2002 I think.

 

[stadler]

Southern used to have one train a day that called at Bursledon / Hamble / Netley / Sholing / Woolston / Bitterne / St Denys in the early morning. This service was in the timetable for at least twenty years and then Southern finally got rid of it in the May 2024 timetable change earlier this year. It was the one and only Southern service to call at all of these stations.

Heathrow Connect always used to run one train a day that called at Acton Main Line in the late evening. This service was in the timetable for at least ten years and then Heathrow Connect finally got rid of it i think aronud the May 2018 timetable change. It was the last Eastbound service of the day. It was the one and only Heathrow Connect service that called at Acton Main Line station. To make it more odd it was also the one and only train that was booked to call at platform two at Acton Main Line station.

Southeastern used to run one train a day that called at Wandsworth Road and Clapham High Street stations. It was a very early morning service from London Victoria to Bromley South and it was the one and only Southeastern service to call at these two stations. It only lasted for a couple of years and i think it ended around March 2020 when covid started.

 

[Trainguy34]

Southern used to have one train a day that called at Bursledon / Hamble / Netley / Sholing / Woolston / Bitterne / St Denys in the early morning. This service was in the timetable for at least twenty years and then Southern finally got rid of it in the May 2024 timetable change earlier this year. It was the one and only Southern service to call at all of these stations.

Heathrow Connect always used to run one train a day that called at Acton Main Line in the late evening. This service was in the timetable for at least ten years and then Heathrow Connect finally got rid of it i think aronud the May 2018 timetable change. It was the last Eastbound service of the day. It was the one and only Heathrow Connect service that called at Acton Main Line station. To make it more odd it was also the one and only train that was booked to call at platform two at Acton Main Line station.

Southeastern used to run one train a day that called at Wandsworth Road and Clapham High Street stations. It was a very early morning service from London Victoria to Bromley South and it was the one and only Southeastern service to call at these two stations. It only lasted for a couple of years and i think it ended around March 2020 when covid started.

I remember the SE service as there was a Geoff Marshall Video on it, I think it ran to Gillingham at one point, maybe even Ramsgate?

 

[Halish Railway]

On weekdays there used to be the 08:32 Leeds to Bradford Forster Square, calling at Shipley only. Like many prior examples this was essentially a glorified empty stock movement.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

There's an unusual service from Brighton that leaves about four in the morning, that has a fairly normal stopping patteren up until East Croydon when it stops at all local stations apart from Wandsworth Common and Battersea Park into Victoria. I used it the other day and I was surprised to see how much custom it got from the suburban stations in the early hours. People starting early work shifts in the West End I suppose.

 

[Sussex Ben]

Prior to the May 2018 recast there was an evening peak train from London Bridge (1759 if I remember rightly) which split three ways at Redhill, with separate Horsham, Tonbridge and Reigate portions.

Other than the highland sleeper, I’d be struggling to think of one train with three separate destinations, especially with both splits at the same location.

 

[Whistler40145]

In the early 1990s there was a Friday's Only early evening Blackpool North to Manchester Victoria 31 hauled service which called at Poulton-le-Fylde, Kirkham & Wesham, Chorley, Bolton and Salford Crescent. The sheer delight of the driver applying power through Preston put a smile on my face

Was there some reason not to call at Preston?

 

[Gloster]

Used to be (mid 1970s) a summer Saturdays (only about 9 weeks July-early Sept) train that ran from Bristol area to Weymouth (via Yeovil), then returned via Southampton calling at odd mix of places including New Milton, Brockenhurst etc.

Travelled on it between these stations in 1977 or 1978, and had a class 46. First and only time behind a Peak on Southern Region. Seemed to be whatever loco was available, fortnight earlier was a 31

There were two which, latterly at least, started from Cardiff. One set of coaching stock went out via Yeovil to Weymouth and back via Southampton, using the Chandlers Ford line I think. The other did the reverse.

In the early 1980s there was a Bristol-Bristol early working that went out via Westbury, Salisbury and Romsey to Southampton, coming in via the Redbridge route. It then immediately returned to Bristol via Eastleigh and the line through Chandlers Ford: it was one of the few passenger trains over this section.

(All from memory.)

 

[Harpo]

In the early 1990s there was a Friday's Only early evening Blackpool North to Manchester Victoria 31 hauled service which called at Poulton-le-Fylde, Kirkham & Wesham, Chorley, Bolton and Salford Crescent. The sheer delight of the driver applying power through Preston put a smile on my face

The summer SO Blackpool - Leicester (2x25) was non-stop through Manchester Victoria. It did the same to my face!

 

[Doctor Fegg]

1980s Saturday circular Paddington-Birmingham-Paddington services.

One went Paddington-Oxford-Worcester-Birmingham-Banbury-Oxford-Paddington. The other went the other way round.

Reputedly advertised at New Street as a service to Charlbury to prevent anyone actually catching it as a fast train to London.

 

[King Lazy]

Northern operated a through train from Buxton to Barrow in Furness

There was also a 0501 Barrow to Buxton in the other direction.

Others I remember from that area/era.

0757 Clitheroe to Morecambe
0828 Lime St-Morecambe.

A Northwich to Blackpool Nth
A St Anne’s on Sea to Greenbank.

A 0717 Barrow-Lime St.

A Lime St to Millom arriving c1900
A Manchester Airport to Millom arriving c2130.

1642 Sellafield to Manchester Airport

A Sunderland (later Newcastle) to Whitehaven.

0637 Millom to Manchester Airport

There was also later a 0600ish Millom to Manchester Airport but not advertised as such. It was a Millom-Barrow, Barrow-Airport but you could stay on the same unit which was a 185.

In the 90s when 156s were new I think they were based at Crown Point. I’m sure there was a Millom-Cambridge/Norwich in similar fashion. You could stay on it but it technically changed a few times en route.

In the 90s there was a Sunderland-Barrow and vice versa with 143s.

 

[Magdalia]

1980s Saturday circular Paddington-Birmingham-Paddington services.

One went Paddington-Oxford-Worcester-Birmingham-Banbury-Oxford-Paddington. The other went the other way round.

Reputedly advertised at New Street as a service to Charlbury to prevent anyone actually catching it as a fast train to London.

These ran from 1974 to 1979 and were all week not just Saturdays.

They were a cunning ploy to divert resources from the Worcester line to the Birmingham line. The 0805 from Paddington went to Birmingham instead of Worcester, but formed its usual 1150 from Worcester coming back. The 1005 went to Worcester as before but then went to Birmingham to form the 1325 from there to Paddington, picking up its old 1340 ex Worcester path at Oxford.

They finished in 1979 when the timetable was recast to meet the new traffic requirements for the National Exhibition Centre.

 

[liamf656]

I'm sure I've been on a TPE service between Doncaster and Sheffield calling at all stops! It would have been 2017/18

 

[A S Leib]

I'm sure I've been on a TPE service between Doncaster and Sheffield calling at all stops! It would have been 2017/18

Their 2016 map shows them calling at Rotherham Central, Swinton, Mexborough and Conisbrough (and Chinley, but no Dore & Totley).

I wouldn't call it massively strange, but TPE's 2016 timetable having three trains per hour (from what I can tell) – Manchester Airport to Middlesbrough, York and Cleethorpes – reversing at Manchester Piccadilly feels a bit odd when there haven't been any services doing that frequently since Cleethorpes services started going to Liverpool.

 

[Kite159]

I'm sure I've been on a TPE service between Doncaster and Sheffield calling at all stops! It would have been 2017/18

Probably one of the late night or early morning services which called at those stations in place of a Northern stopper. I'm pretty sure at one point they called at most of the stations between Doncaster & Scunthorpe on a similar early morning/late night service.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I seem to remember there being 4 a day of these from York via the Durham Coast and back down the ECML from Newcastle (or was it vice versa, age hasn’t been kind to my brain!)

The TPE services to Sunderland went via Newcastle in both directions as an extension of the Liverpool-Newcastle service. They mainly carted fresh air.

I do have memories of one of the late afternoon/evening Manchester-Middlesbrough TPEs extending up the Durham Coast to Newcastle though.

At the time the TPE to Middlesbrough was only 2-hourly, in the other hour the Carlisle-Middlesbrough extended to York. One of those then went fast back up the ECML to Newcastle, calling at Darlington and Durham. A good blast on a 142.

I remember XC serving Dronfield back when the town had basically little more than a Parliamentary service.

 

[A S Leib]

At the time the TPE to Middlesbrough was only 2-hourly, in the other hour the Carlisle-Middlesbrough extended to York. One of those then went fast back up the ECML to Newcastle, calling at Darlington and Durham. A good blast on a 142.

Was there a time when it was possible to get a direct train from York to Carlisle either heading south of York via Settle or north via Middlesbrough?

 

[_toommm_]

Probably one of the late night or early morning services which called at those stations in place of a Northern stopper. I'm pretty sure at one point they called at most of the stations between Doncaster & Scunthorpe on a similar early morning/late night service.

That still exists:

Early: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C42373/2024-11-11/detailed#allox_id=0 (including a call at Rotherham)
Late: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:C42457/2024-11-11/detailed#allox_id=0

 

[Fenchurch SP]

Used to be a weekday cl455 Redhill - Victoria stopping service that departed 0530(ish) from platform 3. This was in the days before platform 0 was built & the unit used to stable in the parcels bay.

I believe it actually shunted into Platform 2.
There is now a similar service starting at Gatwick although there is an earlier stopping train which starts from Purley.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Was there a time when it was possible to get a direct train from York to Carlisle either heading south of York via Settle or north via Middlesbrough?

With the way the services inter-worked the northbound Durham Coast train only went as far as Hexham. So you could do York-Hexham direct, the long way round.

I seem to remember one of the southbound S&C trains on a Sunday at that time went through to Sheffield. It wouldn’t surprise me if one also started or ended at York at that time but I can’t remember (and don’t think so).

 

[A S Leib]

I seem to remember one of the southbound S&C trains on a Sunday at that time went through to Sheffield.

I'd guess leaving ~15:00 as it's the 15:19 which continues to Nottingham now.

 

[STKKK46]

I remember XC serving Dronfield back when the town had basically little more than a Parliamentary service.

XC have served all sorts in the past. Dronfield, Cross Gates, Kidsgrove, even recall Blackburn as an extra in one particular timetable from the mid 00’s which I’m yet to recover.

 

[Taunton]

until 19681950s-60s there was a through summer Saturday service from Cleethorpes to Exmouth, which apart from connecting two quite secondary resort towns went via the Somerset & Dorset line.

The local stations on the Badminton line were long closed, apart from desolate Badminton itself until 1968, where just a couple of trains a day were stopped, strangely including the Paddington to Fishguard boat train.

 

[A S Leib]

The 2011 National Rail map shows a limited TPE service to Morecambe, both to and avoiding Lancaster. I'm guessing the Lancaster one either terminated there or went to Manchester; where would the other one(s) have gone?

I'm also surprised that LNER didn't go to Sunderland at that time, which makes the withdrawal next month seem like less of a loss. I know there were 2 Northern tph between Newcastle and Sunderland in 2004 (not sure when that went down to hourly) but that might explain part of the difference as well.

 

[desiro350]

The 2011 National Rail map shows a limited TPE service to Morecambe, both to and avoiding Lancaster. I'm guessing the Lancaster one either terminated there or went to Manchester; where would the other one(s) have gone?

IIRC the first service of the day to Windermere started at Lancaster, ran to Morecambe then used the Bare Lane-Hest Bank side of the triangle to continue north. Can't remember whether it called at Bare Lane heading towards Morecambe only or both ways.