Trains which run from mainlines onto heritage lines/limited routes

[Kent99]

Can anyone think of any instances where TOCs have run services directly onto heritage railways or rarely used railways?

South Western ran services to Corfe Castle a few years back

Was there some sort of arrangement at Norton Fitzwarren pre-covid too?

And of course immediately post-Beeching railtours visited recently closed railways…

Any other interesting examples?

 

[Watershed]

There have been numerous railtours to/from the Strathspey, Severn Valley, Dartmouth, NYMR and Chinnor heritage railways, all of which have mainline connections. Okehampton was served by GWR services on summer Sundays for around 20 years, prior to the branch being taken over by Network Rail in the last year.

There are many other heritage railways with mainline connections (such as the North Norfolk, South Devon, Nene Valley, Wensleydale, East Lancs, Watercress and K&WVR) but I can't say off the top of my head that there have been many, if any, railtours to/from those railways in recent years. I'm sure someone will soon be along to prove me wrong though!

 

[Flange Squeal]

Was there some sort of arrangement at Norton Fitzwarren pre-covid too?

GWR ran five return shuttles between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard in 2019 on Saturdays from the last week of July to at least the first week of October, presumably to tie in with the typical holiday changeover day (Minehead, at the other end of the West Somerset Railway to Bishops Lydeard, is home to a large Butlins site). The timetable can still be found on their website at https://www.west-somerset-railway.c...es-to-west-somerset-railway-details-announced

Taunton Link for WSR 2019

The WSR and GWR are together providing a rail link between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard on seven Saturdays during the summer of 2019. Details at a glance are:

Dates. Trains will run between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard on the following Saturdays:

July 27

August 3, 17, 31

September 7, 21

October 5

(on 3 August, trains will call additionally at Norton Fitzwarren)



Times (with WSR train connections) will be:

Saturdays only:

GWR Taunton (plat 2) dep 09.39 10.28 12.10 15.37 16.36

GWR Bishops Lydeard arr 09.56 10.45 12.26 15.54 16.53

WSR Bishops Lydeard dep 10.15 11.00 12.40 16.20 -

WSR Minehead arr 11.35 12.20 14.00 18.00 -



WSR Minehead dep - 10.05 - 14.30 15.25

WSR Bishops Lydeard arr - 11.30 - 15.52 16.50

GWR Bishops Lydeard dep 10.03 11.45 12.53 16.09 17.11

GWR Taunton arr 10.22 12.05 13.10 16.26 17.28

Change trains at Bishops Lydeard in both directions.

Tickets for the Bishops Lydeard to Taunton Connection can be bought on the train. There is a flat fare of £4 each way (£2 for children) for this section of the line.

Further dates after October 5th are planned and will be announced later.

A couple of years earlier, they also ran a charity rail tour using a HST between London Paddington and Bishops Lydeard. It had been intended to reach Minehead but this didn’t happen in the end.

HSTs have also reached the Swanage Railway. One was an East Midlands Trains set (with one power car getting South West Trains logos), while a First Great Western set has also visited. These HSTs were just railtours rather than regular service traibs I believe though, with South Western Railway’s service trains to Corfe Castle being 158/159s.

 

[Ianigsy]

There have been numerous railtours to/from the Strathspey, Severn Valley, Dartmouth, NYMR and Chinnor heritage railways, all of which have mainline connections. Okehampton was served by GWR services on summer Sundays for around 20 years, prior to the branch being taken over by Network Rail in the last year.

There are many other heritage railways with mainline connections (such as the North Norfolk, South Devon, Nene Valley, Wensleydale, East Lancs, Watercress and K&WVR) but I can't say off the top of my head that there have been many, if any, railtours to/from those railways in recent years. I'm sure someone will soon be along to prove me wrong though!

45596 Bahamas took a rail tour from Oxenhope to Carlisle in February 2020.

 

[Harpers Tate]

An HST visited Pickering in 2017 for the only time.

 

[zwk500]

There have been numerous railtours to/from the Strathspey, Severn Valley, Dartmouth, NYMR and Chinnor heritage railways, all of which have mainline connections. Okehampton was served by GWR services on summer Sundays for around 20 years, prior to the branch being taken over by Network Rail in the last year.

Bluebell, Swanage and West Somerset as well.

There are many other heritage railways with mainline connections (such as the North Norfolk, South Devon, Nene Valley, Wensleydale, East Lancs, Watercress and K&WVR) but I can't say off the top of my head that there have been many, if any, railtours to/from those railways in recent years. I'm sure someone will soon be along to prove me wrong though!

East Lancs and Nene Valley have regularly had loco moves but not passenger charters IIRC. K&WVR has definitely had a couple of railtours, can't remember if the Mid Hants has had a passenger tour or just loco moves.

The Strathspey is possible the only heritage railway with WTT booked passenger traffic from a mainline TOC* as the GBRf Royal Scotsman uses the heritage platform to berth overnight on some plans. That may have changed with Covid though.
*NYMR is the inverse, the heritage railway having booked traffic onto the mainline.

 

[Iskra]

Wensleydale have had a mainline railtour from UK railtours.

NYMR are a TOC and regularly run from Whitby on the mainline to Pickering on the NYMR proper.

 

[Flying Phil]

I believe that there have been railtours to the GCR(N) using the chord line from the Midland Main Line.

 

[pdeaves]

One was an East Midlands Trains set (with one power car getting South West Trains logos)

Ooh, first I've hear of this. Any pics anywhere?

 

[Gartcosh]

Back in the mid/late 80's (86 or 87 springs to mind) over several weekends in December British Rail extended a service to Paignton to Kingswear in the morning and evening, in effect creating the chance to catch a direct service from Kingswear to Exeter for Christmas shopping. The services were operated by 2 or 4 car Class 142 units in the chocolate and cream livery applied down this part of the world. In addition to the normal through excursions with steam / diesel traction, there have been a number of other workings to Kingswear over the years including 142 on press special, and the Royal Train has twice made it to Kingswear in connection with Royal visits to nearby Dartmouth Naval College. The annual weedkilling train was also a highlight of the calendar and when working in the area would visit both Kingswear and Buckfastleigh. Early on this was powered by Class 25's, later replaced by Class 31's although one year a 47 did appear. In the final few years top'n'tail Class 20's were the motive power. The South Devon Railway has in recent years seen a FGW Class 150 unit work from Exeter to Staverton and Buckfastleigh in connection with the real ale festivals held at Staverton.

 

[LowLevel]

Ooh, first I've hear of this. Any pics anywhere?

South West Trains HST!!!!

An East Midlands Trains HST set with power car 43089 leading, and 43064 on the rear thunder through Fleet working the return journey of The Swanage Samaritan, Swanage - Sheffield. 43064 is a SWT HST for the day with four carriages too!

www.flickr.com

Loads - above (link to a photo of 43064 with South West Trains branding) otherwise Google EMT Swanage Samaritan to fill your boots.

Several trailers branded up too.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

The Strathspey is possible the only heritage railway with WTT booked passenger traffic from a mainline TOC* as the GBRf Royal Scotsman uses the heritage platform to berth overnight on some plans. That may have changed with Covid though.

My understanding is Royal Scotsman runs - or ran - through to Boat of Garten for overnight berthing.

 

[172007]

London Midland ran the farewell class 150 TOC tour onto the Severn Valley Railway.

Interestingly, there are enough drivers and conductors at WM Trains who drive and work the Snow Hill lines and also drive / guard on the SVR that if all where available on one special day an hourly Snow Hill to Bridgenorth frequency could be achieved probably all day and some; might even stretch to Stratford OA.

Thinking of it, we have fitters who look after Severn Valley locos. Some colleagues are porters and I think one is a qualified SVR signaller.

 

[zwk500]

My understanding is Royal Scotsman runs - or ran - through to Boat of Garten for overnight berthing.

It might well do, I only had to get it clear of the main line!

 

[43096]

There have been numerous railtours to/from the Strathspey, Severn Valley, Dartmouth, NYMR and Chinnor heritage railways, all of which have mainline connections. Okehampton was served by GWR services on summer Sundays for around 20 years, prior to the branch being taken over by Network Rail in the last year.

There are many other heritage railways with mainline connections (such as the North Norfolk, South Devon, Nene Valley, Wensleydale, East Lancs, Watercress and K&WVR) but I can't say off the top of my head that there have been many, if any, railtours to/from those railways in recent years. I'm sure someone will soon be along to prove me wrong though!

EMT HSTs to the East Lancs on 12/10/13, KWVR on 03/11/12 and GCRN on at least two occasions (plus a further visit to the line for a running day on the line). There was also a BLS tour to the GCRN using a 156. Various other charters have taken EMT HSTs onto several other preserved lines.

 

[pdeaves]

South West Trains HST!!!!

An East Midlands Trains HST set with power car 43089 leading, and 43064 on the rear thunder through Fleet working the return journey of The Swanage Samaritan, Swanage - Sheffield. 43064 is a SWT HST for the day with four carriages too!

www.flickr.com

Loads - above (link to a photo of 43064 with South West Trains branding) otherwise Google EMT Swanage Samaritan to fill your boots.

Several trailers branded up too.

Much obliged to you

 

[James H]

In the past, Chiltern Railways has run shoppers' specials from stations on the Severn Valley Railway through to Marylebone

Early Morning Visitor

Explore ThePigface's 1725 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

 

[172007]

In the past, Chiltern Railways has run shoppers' specials from stations on the Severn Valley Railway through to Marylebone

Early Morning Visitor

Explore ThePigface's 1725 photos on Flickr!

www.flickr.com

Chiltern do have a number of drivers and guards who sign both the SVR and mainline.

I am not sure there is anywhere else in the country where so many preserved railway volunteers are also mainline TOC staff at nearby depots who drive / guard past the mainline conection day in day out.

 

[Kent99]

Chiltern do have a number of drivers and guards who sign both the SVR and mainline.

I am not sure there is anywhere else in the country where so many preserved railway volunteers are also mainline TOC staff at nearby depots who drive / guard past the mainline conection day in day out.

This is interesting - I seem to remember some kind of discussion about regularly extending chilterns through to Bewdley at some point

 

[EvanDMU]

This is interesting - I seem to remember some kind of discussion about regularly extending chilterns through to Bewdley at some point

Can anyone think of any instances where TOCs have run services directly onto heritage railways or rarely used railways?

South Western ran services to Corfe Castle a few years back

Was there some sort of arrangement at Norton Fitzwarren pre-covid too?

And of course immediately post-Beeching railtours visited recently closed railways…

Any other interesting examples?

Weardale Railway has received mainline tours - last was a King’s Cross to Stanhope as has Midland Railway Butterley which had a thumper visit on a rail tour. MRB has non- passenger moves on and off Network Rail almost daily.

 

[Marton]

Weardale also had Northern Sunday services to Stanhope for a while in the mid 80s. I think they were extensions of the Whitby-Barnard Castle service.

 

[unslet]

Weardale also had Northern Sunday services to Stanhope for a while in the mid 80s. I think they were extensions of the Whitby-Barnard Castle service.

I think you mean Bishop Auckland. I hoped we'd heard the last of Barnard Castle

 

[EvanDMU]

Weardale also had Northern Sunday services to Stanhope for a while in the mid 80s. I think they were extensions of the Whitby-Barnard Castle service.

That was in BR days when the Weardale line was still owned by BR and used for cement traffic. The line wasn’t fully opened in pres until 2010 and of course Northern was a later product of privatisation.

 

[paul1609]

Strictly speaking I think every Spa Valley train is running on to the mainline between Birchden Junction and Eridge even though it is a parallel line with no through connection.

 

[Sean Emmett]

South Devon (Totnes - Buckfastleigh) had a regular heritage (steam) service for a few years. Since curtailed to Totnes Riverside. But I have done the main line connection fairly recently on a 150 during a gala.

East Somerset, with Clan Line top and tailed by a 66.

IIRC there have been through trains to Dean Forest.

Others I have done already mentioned: West Somerset (5043), Kingswear (many times on Torbay Express), GCR(N) with Hastings Diesel, Wensleydale and Weardale (steam and diesel top n tail), Severn Valley (Vintage Trains Panniers), Swanage (159 to Corfe Castle), NYMR, Okehampton (when Dartmoor Rly).

Splitting hairs, the Ffestiniog Railway is a TOC, to allow operation over the Cae Pawb flat crossing on the Welsh Highland at Porthmadog.

 

[DelW]

GWR ran five return shuttles between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard in 2019 on Saturdays from the last week of July to at least the first week of October, presumably to tie in with the typical holiday changeover day (Minehead, at the other end of the West Somerset Railway to Bishops Lydeard, is home to a large Butlins site). The timetable can still be found on their website at https://www.west-somerset-railway.c...es-to-west-somerset-railway-details-announced

A couple of years earlier, they also ran a charity rail tour using a HST between London Paddington and Bishops Lydeard. It had been intended to reach Minehead but this didn’t happen in the end.

I've been on two charters through to Minehead, in March 2009 and May 2018.

Non-passenger services have run through via Bishop's Lydeard too - around a decade ago, a series of stone trains ran from one of the Mendip quarries onto the West Somerset. They were carrying rock armour which was unloaded near Dunster for use in new sea defences.

Chiltern do have a number of drivers and guards who sign both the SVR and mainline.

I am not sure there is anywhere else in the country where so many preserved railway volunteers are also mainline TOC staff at nearby depots who drive / guard past the mainline conection day in day out.

One of the main line FOC drivers on the stone trains was also a WSR driver. (All the trains had WSR conductor drivers on board.)

 

[341o2]

The Fawley branch has seen a few passenger specials after the withdrawal of passenger services.
The Andover Fist and a visit by Hastings Thumper 1001 recently.

 

[Jagdpanther]

A Virgin Pendolino ran up the Weardale Railway only to be attacked by about 20 Apaches (in a 2006 TV ad).

 

[pdeaves]

The Fawley branch has seen a few passenger specials after the withdrawal of passenger services.

Loads of freight lines have seen tours.

 

[zwk500]

The Fawley branch has seen a few passenger specials after the withdrawal of passenger services.
The Andover Fist and a visit by Hastings Thumper 1001 recently.

It depends on what your definition of a 'rarely' used railway is. The Fawley branch is a fully operational part of the network has regular booked traffic. The last passenger special was run by SWR in February 2020, I believe.