Rare Passenger Workings

[Aictos]

Strange discovering these weird workings, for example there is a daily Gloucester to Stansted Airport and a Nottingham to Bournemouth service both run by XC.

Are there any other rare workings which only happen once or twice in a working day which you wouldn't have though existed but does?

 

[CarterUSM]

Glasgow Central/Stranraerl-Newcastle via Carlisle, Glasgow Central -North Berwick?

 

[CallySleeperKid]

Nottingham to Bournemouth

Is that a class 170? 4 and a half hours on one of those, ouch!

 

[matt]

Is that a class 170? 4 and a half hours on one of those, ouch!

It is a voyager

 

[EltonRoad]

0640 Great Yarmouth to London Liverpool Street Mondays to Fridays. Somebody may correct me but I think it's run by a 170. Never see any photos of it.

 

[scotsman]

Kyle of Lochalsh - Elgin, can't remember time
Paddington - Newquay, I found that surprising (maybe the southern folk think differently!)

 

[CallySleeperKid]

It is a voyager

Be interesting to see that at Nottingham, I might have to clock that trip up!

 

[Jordy]

Its not worth it, trust me

A 185 works the 0600 Cleethorpes - Barton on Humber working every weekday morning, instead of the usual 153

 

[EltonRoad]

There used to be an early morning through working from St Annes on Sea, on the Blackpool South line, to Manchester Airport, formed from an ECS run from Preston (? a 158 ), but this seems to have gone from the timetable. It was unusual in being the only train on the line that didn't start at Blackpool South, and the only one that didn't end at either Preston or Colne.

 

[moonrakerz]

Paddington - Newquay, I found that surprising (maybe the southern folk think differently!)

I used the return service last week from Newton Abbott to Westbury, it was well patronised - mainly by young men with blond hair and surf boards !

It is a summer only service, rest of the year it runs to/from Plymouth.

 

[Greenback]

Having seen a huge mass of people, their luggage, and their surf boards, alighting from a 2 car 150 at Par last week, I think the through services from London to Newquay and back are entirely justified!!!

 

[robert2000]

summer saturdays, morning service, chester to runcorn central

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

I'd like to see more through services to Newquay, because it's a sod of a place to get to either by road or rail.

Anyway, slightly OT, can someone tell me does any passenger service use the chord from Bare Lane to WCML avoiding the reversal at Lancaster?

 

[Jordy]

Yes, 0546 TPE service from Lancaster to Windermere runs via Morecambe, it then uses the chord and heads up the WCML

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

So that's a rare bit of track then!
Ta.

 

[westcoaster]

0839 EMT ex wellingborough to st pancras service, is the only booked passenger service via wymington tunnel i.e the goods lines between wellingborough and bedford.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Not really fitting, but some Scotrail services are unusual:

One service Inverness-Aberdeen-Edinburgh in the evening peaks runs into Aberdeen p6, sets down only, runs into sidings, and back into p4, picks up passengers there and carries onto Stonehaven.

Manc Vic-Clitheroe trains run hourly with the same stopping pattern, but the last train of the day used to run through from Buxton, and Picc, meaning you could get Picc-Cliutheroe direct, but never a direct return journey.

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

What about Clitheroe - Hellifield?
Didn't there used to be a direct service between them or was it merely "discussed"?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

What about Clitheroe - Hellifield?
Didn't there used to be a direct service between them or was it merely "discussed"?

There hasn't been a regular passenger service Clitheroe-Hellifield since the 1960s. It reopened Blackburn-Clitheroe in the 80s, and the track remains beyond for regular freight, and the Summer Wednesday steam Fellsman trains.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Why is there that random mid-morning TPE service to hull that goes through Brough non-stop. The only service to do so?

 

[EltonRoad]

1553 SuO Norwich to Manchester Piccadilly is the only passenger train to use the Ely West Curve and not call at Ely. Anyone know why it does this?

1054 Cardiff to Fishguard avoids Swansea, as does the 1330 return.

There's a ScotRail train via Inverness that is the only one that goes round the triangle and reverses, or something like that!

 

[MidnightFlyer]

1553 SuO Norwich to Manchester Piccadilly is the only passenger train to use the Ely West Curve and not call at Ely. Anyone know why it does this?

1054 Cardiff to Fishguard avoids Swansea, as does the 1330 return.

There's a ScotRail train via Inverness that is the only one that goes round the triangle and reverses, or something like that!

I assume its to keep all 3 of the above as registered passenger lines, like the Wandsworth Common-Kensington Olympia train does what the XC services did.

 

[Greenback]

There are, I think 3 westward trains a day from Cardiff that avoid Swansea. I understand this is done to help keep drivers route knowledge up on the Swansea District line, which is frequently used for diversions when there are weekend engineering works between Llanelli and Port Talbot.

A positive side effect is that these trains can be much faster getting to Llanelli and points west, despite the lower speed on the SDL, although this is not so good for people who live or work in Swansea!

Eastwards, the departure from Llanelli at 0523 avoids Swansea, as well as the dyatime train from Fishguard at 1443. The latter often arrives in Cardiff earlier than it's scheduled time, as it is timetabled to follow a freight that doesn't run every day!

 

[EM2]

Many (twelve?) years ago, I went from Clapham Junction to Abergavenny, on an 'Alphaline' service that actually went from Waterloo to Manchester Piccadilly.
Does that still run?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Many (twelve?) years ago, I went from Clapham Junction to Abergavenny, on an 'Alphaline' service that actually went from Waterloo to Manchester Piccadilly.
Does that still run?

Nope

 

[Mojo]

Many (twelve?) years ago, I went from Clapham Junction to Abergavenny, on an 'Alphaline' service that actually went from Waterloo to Manchester Piccadilly.
Does that still run?

No, but there were stubs of that service still in operation, but which have been gradually cut back over the years, the only obvious section remaining is probably the SWT services to Temple Meads after the Welsh services from Penzance to Manchester stopped going round one third of the Maindee triangle and thus avoiding Newport, in December 2005.

I do have a picture of an Arriva 158 taken at Clapham Junction of which I don't know the date but suspect was taken some time in 2004 working a service from somewhere via Bristol into Waterloo (before the Bristol - Waterloo leg was given to SWT).

 

[rail-britain]

One service Inverness-Aberdeen-Edinburgh in the evening peaks runs into Aberdeen p6, sets down only, runs into sidings, and back into p4, picks up passengers there and carries onto Stonehaven

In order to do this, ALL the passengers would have to get off at Aberdeen

However I have seen it arrive into platform 6N
Once the Aberdeen passengers are off it then moves to platfrom to platform 6S
The next northbound then passes in platform 7S and enters 6N
After departure the original train then reverses back into platform 6N
The passengers can stay onboard during this
Once the move is completed the platform for the departure is announced

However some locals have realised this "shunt" takes place and get access to platform 6N and either jump on as it arrives or wait until it shunts back

 

[MidnightFlyer]

In order to do this, ALL the passengers would have to get off at Aberdeen

However I have seen it arrive into platform 6N
Once the Aberdeen passengers are off it then moves to platfrom to platform 6S
The next northbound then passes in platform 7S and enters 6N
After departure the original train then reverses back into platform 6N
The passengers can stay onboard during this
Once the move is completed the platform for the departure is announced

However some locals have realised this "shunt" takes place and get access to platform 6N and either jump on as it arrives or wait until it shunts back

Nope, all passengers heading south stayed on. we went in on p6N. We then went onto the Up Mn, revesred (Not a siding - my mistake!). We went back into p3 or p5, when those wishing to board joined: and there was a fair few, probs why they do alighting and boarding in this way.

 

[rail-britain]

That's a breach of operational procedures, there should not be any passengers on during that move
Saying that, it is Aberdeen; beyond the end of the time zone...

 

[CarterUSM]

That's a breach of operational procedures, there should not be any passengers on during that move
Saying that, it is Aberdeen; beyond the end of the time zone...

Indeed it is, unless the headcode for the shunt does not begin with 5 of course.

 

[TheExmoorBeast]

So what about when Reading to Waterloo services (which are formed of Cl.458 stock) are diverted via Virginia Water & Weybridge because of engineering work. They stay on board whilst the train drops down towards Staines & then "reverses" on to the Weybridge line and VV.

This move is achieved by the use of two drivers from what I understand of it, in fact it must do because I've never seen anyone walk through when I've been on one that's done that manoeuvre.