Trivia: "Ghost Trains"?

[03_179]

Can we as a group post a list of all the Ghost trains that run.

Start with:
2M29 1136 London Paddington to West Ruislip

Anyone with anymore ?

 

[me123]

I hate to ruin the fun of the trivia thread, but the "Ghost trains" (Parliamentary Trains as they are known) have been discussed quite a bit on here. The PSUL (Passenger Train Services over Unusual Lines) website gives a rather comprehensive list of not only "ghost trains", but trains running regular services that take a booked detour (for example, the 04:26 GLC-EUS which is booked via the Cathcart Circle and the Newton South Connecting Line).

 

[AndrewE]

I think it's a fair, question. PSUL is comprehensive (exhaustive) and doesn't highlight parliamentary services. Unless you are looking for a specific bit of track or a known train then you will take a long time to assemble a simple list.

E.g.

Frodsham Junction - Halton Junction (Northern Rail timetable leaflet 15) CF01
Summer use only
Saturdays 21 May until 10 September 2016:
2F80 0753 Chester - Runcorn
[note: not shown in e-NRT]

Also add to the list

Heaton Norris Junction - Guide Bridge Station Junction (78a) CL04
[common with next entry south of Denton Junction]
Fridays only:
2J45 0922 Stockport - Stalybridge

I wouldn't know where to look for the ones I don't already know about.

 

[yorkie]

Can we as a group post a list of all the Ghost trains that run.

I'll edit the thread title to comply with our forum rules, but can you please clarify what you mean by a "Ghost train"?

Do you mean a train that doesn't carry many passengers? Or something else?

 

[Sunset route]

What we call a "ghost train" is an empty passenger train (ECS) that generally runs through the night to help prevent the conduct rail from freezing over.

 

[AndrewE]

It's fairly clear that the OP is talking about Parliamentary services, as discussed in tonight's Trainspotting Live which used both terms.
If you want to invent a new meaning like "almost unused trains" then let's have a new name. The Scarborough to London service discussed here
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=132654
would fit in that category, as would quite a lot of other very early morning or late night trains! In their last years the summer Fridays-only overnight Manchester to Paignton (?) service would have qualified: there were only about a dozen on it when I used it with the family, likewise an overnight Manchester (?) to Brighton service.

 

[yorkie]

It's fairly clear that the OP is talking about Parliamentary services, as discussed in tonight's Trainspotting Live which used both terms.

Not everyone has seen that

Without having watched it, I suspect they used both terms because the aforementioned service is both infrequent (though it's actually more frequent than a parliamentary service which is arguably only once a week) and very lightly used.

If you want to invent a new meaning like "almost unused trains" then let's have a new name.

The term "Ghost train" can mean anything and is used by various preserved railways for services at Halloween, though perhaps not often as graphically as proposed in the Ghost train thread by Kris.

I don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to a "parliamentary" (once per week) or infrequent service as a "ghost train" in general conversation.

Some people use the term to refer to a train that does not appear on open data sites e.g. Ghost Train (posted by Deepgreen) or in timetables e.g. 1540 Glasgow to London not advertised at Preston ('Ghost train') & Ghost Train (posted by Hoover) or shown in one timetable but not another e.g.19:20 Virgin Euston-Manchester Ghost Train

It appears to be a term that can mean almost anything anyone wants it to mean.

The Scarborough to London service discussed here
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=132654
would fit in that category

Not when I've caught it

, as would quite a lot of other very early morning or late night trains! In their last years the summer Fridays-only overnight Manchester to Paignton (?) service would have qualified: there were only about a dozen on it when I used it with the family, likewise an overnight Manchester (?) to Brighton service.

If that is the purpose of the thread, it would have some merit, but if the purpose is to list infrequent services, then I agree with others that it's been done to death lately (and with more appropriately named thread titles )

 

[ComUtoR]

What we call a "ghost train" is an empty passenger train (ECS) that generally runs through the night to help prevent the conduct rail from freezing over.

+1 That's what we call them too.

 

[theageofthetra]

I would also include services which aren't advertised but can convey passengers back to the bucolic delights of Lewisham if the DOO driver can't shift them from their drunken slumbers at Hayes!

 

[Ladder23]

What's a ghost train?..

 

[RPM]

Can we as a group post a list of all the Ghost trains that run.

Start with:
2M29 1136 London Paddington to West Ruislip

Anyone with anymore ?

Don't forget the outward working: 2V27 1057 South Ruislip to London Paddington.

 

[Freightmaster]

What's a ghost train?..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7p480EAC2Hw

 

[yorkie]

What's a ghost train?..

Anything you want it to be.

Here's another example of how the term can be used to mean lightly loaded trains:

... The 1tp2h to Glasgow was generally not heavily used once you got beyond Edinburgh, and the Intercity 225s were like ghost trains.....

But people use the term for many different reasons, some of which make more sense than others!

 

[DarloRich]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone refer to a "parliamentary" (once per week) or infrequent service as a "ghost train" in general conversation.

I have heard normal people use the term to mean parliamentary services -I might have read it in newspapers articles on the same
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

What we call a "ghost train" is an empty passenger train (ECS) that generally runs through the night to help prevent the conduct rail from freezing over.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this

 

[Tim R-T-C]

But the Chiltern service is not a Parliamentary train anyway, it is a route knowledge working. The NNML is used by freight services so no need to keep it open.

If it was just a legal requirement service they would surely only run it once a week.

 

[frodshamfella]

The Chester to Runcorn Summer only Saturday service will call at Helsby, Frodsham and extend to Liverpool South Parkway, tomorrow only, even more ghostly !!