TOC football charters

[marks87]

When the 2023 Scottish Cup Final (Celtic v Inverness) was moved to a 5.30pm kick-off, it was quickly realised there would be no service to get fans back to Inverness after full time.

ScotRail laid on an “Inverness Express” special, running non-stop to and from Glasgow Queen Street for £70.60, including onward travel from Glasgow Central to Mount Florida.

I believe it was a pair of 158s.

 

[Dfatcontroller]

Something in the depths of my memory is that the special Fratton to south Wales HST only ran in the homeward direction? It was reckoned at the time that fans heading towards Fratton would be spread over a few hours of normal services, it was only the return journey that was expected to be a problem if everyone expected to be able to catch the same train home?

That is correct - as FGW staff at the time, I travelled down on a 158 service to help "steward" the return journey.

 

[Scotrail84]

When the 2023 Scottish Cup Final (Celtic v Inverness) was moved to a 5.30pm kick-off, it was quickly realised there would be no service to get fans back to Inverness after full time.

ScotRail laid on an “Inverness Express” special, running non-stop to and from Glasgow Queen Street for £70.60, including onward travel from Glasgow Central to Mount Florida.

I believe it was a pair of 158s.

No crew change on route? Only Perth crews sign Inverness to Edinburgh/Glasgow end to end. I believe they do have an Inverness to Glasgow turn on their roster right enough.

 

[swt_passenger]

That is correct - as FGW staff at the time, I travelled down on a 158 service to help "steward" the return journey.

Thanks for confirming, I was fairly sure but definitely nowhere near 100%

 

[pompeyfan]

That is correct - as FGW staff at the time, I travelled down on a 158 service to help "steward" the return journey.

Interesting. Did it run in the path or calling pattern of a standard Portsmouth - Cardiff or in addition to the 1723 from Portsmouth Harbour? I recall it going via Eastleigh (and maybe Chandlers Ford). Can you recall where it stopped and if it was advertised as set down only?

 

[The exile]

Last season an additional between Ipswich and Liverpool Street departing around 17:15 has operated on Saturday matchdays.

Many years ago I had the pleasure of the equivalent train (86-hauled) almost entirely to myself the whole way to London. The match obviously overran and the first fans were just arriving on the platform as we pulled out.

 

[Kite159]

Many years ago I had the pleasure of the equivalent train (86-hauled) almost entirely to myself the whole way to London. The match obviously overran and the first fans were just arriving on the platform as we pulled out.

Which is one of the main issues when it comes to football extras (both open for normal ticket holders and charter trains) is when it comes down to added time in the football. Both as injury time(or whatever term is used these days) and extra time/penalties if it's a cup game.

Sometimes the train can not wait, especially if it's long distance and part of the route is closing after a certain time for engineering works

 

[Snow1964]

GWR still run extras to Cardiff when rugby matches are played, with 387s

Years ago when Twickenham still had 5 active platforms they ran some extras from Wales via Reading too.

 

[Dfatcontroller]

Interesting. Did it run in the path or calling pattern of a standard Portsmouth - Cardiff or in addition to the 1723 from Portsmouth Harbour? I recall it going via Eastleigh (and maybe Chandlers Ford). Can you recall where it stopped and if it was advertised as set down only?

As I recall it was an extra to the 1723. I think it went via Eastleigh and then stopped at Bath for a crew change (which was where I alighted).
Think it was an unadvertised crew stop at Bath and then via Rhubarb curve towards Cardiff.

 

[Sapphire Blue]

In recent years, Northern have sometimes run additional services from Sheffield to Huddersfield via Wakefield Kirkgate, to avoid the direct services via Penistone being overwhelmed.

Also with Town Northern have put direct services back from Bolton. Horwich Parkway actually.
(Also the Wembly special to the play off final and back, but that was a charter I suppose)

 

[syorksdeano]

When Northern ran trains to Manchester United (seen them leave Leeds before), would they be classed as normal service?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

When Northern ran trains to Manchester United (seen them leave Leeds before), would they be classed as normal service?

Think it varied. They were sometimes extensions of trains running in normal service to/from stations on the South side of Manchester, sometimes as far away as Crewe; sometimes 'specials' shuttling just between the City Centre and the football ground station. Wasn't aware though of anything running direct to the Manchester United football ground station and originating as far away as Leeds.

Use of the station has also been recently discussed here...

Man United FC Station

Would anyone here have the timings for the last time Man United FC Station was used back around 10th December 2017 off the top of my head. I am lead to believe they were extensions of the Stoke/Crewe services. I've had a good look around but I've been unable to source timings between Piccadilly...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[GRALISTAIR]

Many years ago - 1980s, I recall some moaning from the haulage enthusiasts when Footex specials got some rare loco on the front !

 

[Sun Chariot]

Slightly OT - in the days of FootEx services (I recall seeing photos of 40-hauled ones, n the very early '80s) - were the train tickets only sold to football match ticket holders?
If so, how was that administered - and did any "non match watchers" obtain tickets?

In 1991 I drove to Aylesbury, to purposely travel ex-GC and ex-LNWR track, using an NSE provided "Christmas Shopper Special" and which ran via Quainton - Claydon Jcn - Bletchley flyover, to Milton Keynes.
Rail tickets were advertised in the West Bucks & East Oxon press (I duly ordered mine).
Aylesbury and MK staff didn't vet ticket holders ("Oi, you with the 35mm camera, you don't look like a Christmas shopper!")

 

[Howardh]

Considering how far the Reebok is from Bolton town centre, plus the cost of parking etc I would imagine that the local station (Horwich Parkway) and services would take hundreds if not thousands of fans.

However I'm unaware of any increase in services or "specials" from Bolton Trinity St or elsewhere to the ground, so can any local followers confirm this? Although being a "Northern" area I'd be amazed it they could find the stock and staff to fulfil such a scheme!

Brighton is in a similar situation, limited parking and quite a drag out of town to the venue, yet a local train station with direct access to the main station and others. Do they have special services for games?

 

[12LDA28C]

Many years ago - 1980s, I recall some moaning from the haulage enthusiasts when Footex specials got some rare loco on the front !

Some of the more enterprising haulage enthusiasts managed to get on board some of those Footexes.

 

[GordonT]

Some of the more enterprising haulage enthusiasts managed to get on board some of those Footexes.

And enthusiasm for football and haulage were not always mutually exclusive.

 

[Kite159]

Considering how far the Reebok is from Bolton town centre, plus the cost of parking etc I would imagine that the local station (Horwich Parkway) and services would take hundreds if not thousands of fans.

However I'm unaware of any increase in services or "specials" from Bolton Trinity St or elsewhere to the ground, so can any local followers confirm this? Although being a "Northern" area I'd be amazed it they could find the stock and staff to fulfil such a scheme!

Brighton is in a similar situation, limited parking and quite a drag out of town to the venue, yet a local train station with direct access to the main station and others. Do they have special services for games?

I can remember being at Bolton once where Northern were running some extra shuttle services for Horwich Parkway for the kickball fans. A single 142.

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Slightly OT - in the days of FootEx services (I recall seeing photos of 40-hauled ones, n the very early '80s) - were the train tickets only sold to football match ticket holders?
If so, how was that administered - and did any "non match watchers" obtain tickets?

In 1991 I drove to Aylesbury, to purposely travel ex-GC and ex-LNWR track, using an NSE provided "Christmas Shopper Special" and which ran via Quainton - Claydon Jcn - Bletchley flyover, to Milton Keynes.
Rail tickets were advertised in the West Bucks & East Oxon press (I duly ordered mine).
Aylesbury and MK staff didn't vet ticket holders ("Oi, you with the 35mm camera, you don't look like a Christmas shopper!")

In the early 2000s Chelsea ran charters and tickets were sold via the club to match ticket holders only. I went from King's cross to Newcastle and Kensington Olympia to Cardiff, running via Clapham junction end reading.

 

[12LDA28C]

And enthusiasm for football and haulage were not always mutually exclusive.

Indeed. I believe the last steam-heated train on BR was a Glasgow-Dundee Footex in March 1987 and several cranks were certainly on board that one.

 

[marks87]

No crew change on route? Only Perth crews sign Inverness to Edinburgh/Glasgow end to end. I believe they do have an Inverness to Glasgow turn on their roster right enough.

I think “non-stop” in this context meant “no intermediate passenger stops”.

As well as crew changes, I’d imagine finding a non-stop path between Inverness and Perth would be something of a challenge.

 

[AJDesiro]

It’s not exactly long distance, but WMT often run shuttles to Witton from Birmingham New Street on Aston Villa match days. They tend to run in passenger service for the relevant flow at that time of day, then continue ECS back to New Street/Witton, without any reversals.

 

[swt_passenger]

Interesting. Did it run in the path or calling pattern of a standard Portsmouth - Cardiff or in addition to the 1723 from Portsmouth Harbour? I recall it going via Eastleigh (and maybe Chandlers Ford). Can you recall where it stopped and if it was advertised as set down only?

It would have had to go via Eastleigh as HSTs were not cleared on the Netley line, and the inbound ECS definitely ran via Chandlers Ford, there were YouTube videos of it passing Eastleigh and Botley, but I’d have expected it more likely that the return ran as an extra. But then again the return train could also have reversed at Eastleigh and included a Southampton call.

Here‘s the video of the southbound ECS, shows the HST, coming off the Chandlers Ford route and through Eastleigh P2 non-stop:

 

[andythebrave]

I was at Villa Park for an FA cup semifinal sometimes in the mid 80s (vague due to old age fuddyduddyism) and needed to get back to home in Preston and was pleasantly surprised to find an 86 with a/c mk2s rolling in to Witton for New Street, it turned out to be an extension of the 18 something to Glasgow, stopping at Preston.
Nice

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Not additional services, but the additional calls at Bordesley by services to and from Birmingham Moor Street when games are on at St Andrews would possibly qualify for this discussion.

 

[Kite159]

It’s not exactly long distance, but WMT often run shuttles to Witton from Birmingham New Street on Aston Villa match days. They tend to run in passenger service for the relevant flow at that time of day, then continue ECS back to New Street/Witton, without any reversals.

Especially on Sundays when Witton would otherwise by an hourly service.

 

[Trackman]

Some of the more enterprising haulage enthusiasts managed to get on board some of those Footexes.

Liverpool - Waldsley Bridge via Woodhead springs to mind.
I remember a story about a few cranks going on a Footex to Leeds on a 40. Let's put it this way, last time they ever did it. Problem wasn't on the train, it's when they got off it.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

I think “non-stop” in this context meant “no intermediate passenger stops”.

As well as crew changes, I’d imagine finding a non-stop path between Inverness and Perth would be something of a challenge.

Given the late timing of the return special (something after 20.00 from Glasgow), after Perth it would only have one booked up passenger train (no Sleepers on a Saturday night) to meet so certainly not too challenging to path in that direction and one would have needed just one stop in addition to the crew change at Perth whereas as you note the southbound train probably actually had several stops.

 

[djdanny77]

When Charlton were in the Premier League I'm almost positive that South Eastern laid on extra London bound services after the Saturday 3pm games

 

[Pete 1981]

Slightly OT - in the days of FootEx services (I recall seeing photos of 40-hauled ones, n the very early '80s) - were the train tickets only sold to football match ticket holders?
If so, how was that administered - and did any "non match watchers" obtain tickets?

In 1991 I drove to Aylesbury, to purposely travel ex-GC and ex-LNWR track, using an NSE provided "Christmas Shopper Special" and which ran via Quainton - Claydon Jcn - Bletchley flyover, to Milton Keynes.
Rail tickets were advertised in the West Bucks & East Oxon press (I duly ordered mine).
Aylesbury and MK staff didn't vet ticket holders ("Oi, you with the 35mm camera, you don't look like a Christmas shopper!")

Tickets weren't necessary for most games in the eighties, anybody could travel on the specials, though there wasn't usually any advance info as to the haulage