Trivia: Largest settlement in Great Britain which has never had an Intercity rail service

[RT4038]

As mentioned previously by someone else, I don't believe Walsall (70,000 pop.) has ever had an intercity service (correct me if I'm wrong however)


Corby (around 65,000 pop.) in its 90s or current form has never received a proper intercity service I don't believe. It received regular meridian services for many years between 2008 and 2021 although they were essentially acting as long-distance trains on commuter (or at a push, regional) services. HSTs and Meridians served it to Melton Mowbray (and possibly still do) but I think this is just an extension of the 360 commuter services but using a meridian due to the lack of electrification, and of course those were(/are) extremely irregular. I wouldn't count any of those as a true intercity service, but your opinions may differ.

Corby did have Inter City service in its pre 1965 form.

 

[jfollows]

Thank you also, I'd wondered that too and I don't have a working timetable from the period in my collection!

EDIT I should get a copy of the 1974 Huddersfield area working timetable in a couple of days, so I'll post up some details for these trains when I do.

Some parts of the working timetable scanned and attached:

1. 5L38 07.21 Neville Hill to Halifax calls Leeds City 07L33, via Morley & Mirfield, Halifax a: 08:15
2. 1L38 08:41 Halifax to Wakefield Westgate arrives Huddersfield 09:02
3. 1L38 09:11 Huddersfield to Wakefield Kirkgate a: 09L29 d: 09TL40 (scan below)
4. 1A14 09:30 Leeds to King's Cross, Wakefield Westgate a: 09:46 d: 09:57, Halifax portion arrives 09TL43 (scan below)

Four reversals if you count the empty stock at Halifax!

PS The evening down working (1L49) didn't mess around as much, it went direct to Wakefield Kirkgate from Doncaster, then Huddersfield 21:23-21:33, Halifax 21:54-21:59, Bradford Exchange 22:14