Sheerness trains

[Central]

Went to The Isle of Sheppey(by road)got me thinking about the train service to Sheerness.In the 60s you got the Dover train from Victoria,train split at Sittingbourne,front portion to Dover,rear portion to Sheerness.Is this still the case.

 

[Peregrine 4903]

Went to The Isle of Sheppey(by road)got me thinking about the train service to Sheerness.In the 60s you got the Dover train from Victoria,train split at Sittingbourne,front portion to Dover,rear portion to Sheerness.Is this still the case.

No not anymore. The service to and from Sheerness now runs as a shuttle service between Sittingbourne and Sheerness On Sea.

Their did use to be a direct service from Victoria - Sheerness pre covid in the peak that went straight to Sheerness using Sittingbourne Western Junction, but that has been withdrawn since covid, and I doubt will come back.

 

[Horizon22]

There haven't been regular through trains for a while. As @Peregrine 4903 says there was a peak service (1 AM & PM) pre-Covid - which doubled as doing the intermediate stops Bromley <> Rochester - and then didn't call at Sittingbourne on account of veering off to the branch beforehand.

 

[Central]

Thanks for the info.

 

[brad465]

No not anymore. The service to and from Sheerness now runs as a shuttle service between Sittingbourne and Sheerness On Sea.

Their did use to be a direct service from Victoria - Sheerness pre covid in the peak that went straight to Sheerness using Sittingbourne Western Junction, but that has been withdrawn since covid, and I doubt will come back.

IIRC correctly, the service was slightly slower than changing at Sittingbourne if travelling to/from Victoria, if one got one of the mainline services running non-stop between Bromley South and Rochester. I imagine the direct running to Sheerness was mainly to the benefit of commuters between Sheerness and the Medway Towns.

 

[Watershed]

The peak service, at least in the PM out of London, ran non stop from London Bridge to Rochester IIRC. Did it once and it was pretty well loaded.

 

[James90012]

Pre Pandemic Sheerness had 2 AM and 2 PM peak services direct to Victoria via the Catford Loop. They knocked the shuttle to Sittingbourne off a standard pattern to get everything to fit.

Mostly it was a 2tph shuttle.

 

[Jim Jehosofat]

In my youth there was a 0652 Sheerness to Cannon Street via Dartford and Woolwich, headcode 95. There wasn't a similar service in the down direction though.

 

[James90012]

Yet even as of the May timetable the service is still only hourly!

 

[30907]

Went to The Isle of Sheppey(by road)got me thinking about the train service to Sheerness.In the 60s you got the Dover train from Victoria,train split at Sittingbourne,front portion to Dover,rear portion to Sheerness.Is this still the case.

I don't recall splitting at Sittingbourne, as the layout wasn't geared up for trains joining there on the way back.
The basic pattern was an hourly direct train from Victoria, all stations from Swanley via the direct curve, and an hourly connection with the Dover fast, which was the rear part of the Kent Coast train - this split at Gillingham, from 1967 at Faversham.

 

[Central]

Could be my mistake but am sure the train split somewhere.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Could be my mistake but am sure the train split somewhere.

Really dredging the memory banks here.

Wasn't it a Swanley split from a Maidstone East or Sevenoaks via Bat & Ball train? (Sorry not got old timetable just to hand.)

 

[30907]

Wasn't it a Swanley split from a Maidstone East or Sevenoaks via Bat & Ball train?

Yes.

Could be my mistake but am sure the train split somewhere.

You are right. The Dover and Ramsgate split at Gillingham, the direct Sheerness as above at Swanley (and would normally have had coaches with doors to each bay of seats, as would the branch train from Sittingbourne - whereas a Dover would be a main line type with doors at the end of the coach).

 

[Basil Jet]

The Dover and Ramsgate split at Gillingham,

No, Faversham

 

[30907]

No, Faversham

Gillingham until 1967, as in post #10.

 

[Davester50]

I used the shuttle to Sheerness in about 1987, what stock would be used? I can remember it being Network South East liveried, and had first class compartments, but that's it.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

I used the shuttle to Sheerness in about 1987, what stock would be used? I can remember it being Network South East liveried, and had first class compartments, but that's it.

Vague memories of 4 Ceps working the branch. I think, late 80's (?) a small subset were reduced to 3 cars numbered in the 14xx range