Trivia: least changed timetable.

[Shimbleshanks]

The 0110 Irish Mail wasn’t axed by Virgin it went when BR introduced HSTs on the Anglesey services in the very early 1990s. At this time the services were reduced to 3 services each way. On SX it was the up Irish Mail which was taken out but retained on SO mornings.

The departures from Holyhead were rationalised into the 05xx, 08xx and 13xx although for a while the lunchtime one was only a Bangor/Euston.

Only going by what Wikipedia says which is: "Although the service continued to operate, the name was dropped in June 2002 as part of a policy by Virgin Trains to not operate named trains" - which would have been well into the privatisation era.

 

[30907]

The Kingston loop has been the same basic service since electrification in January 1916. From Kingston trains every 15 minutes, with extras in peak, so basic timetable is unchanged 104 years

The Kingston roundabouts were 4tph from electrification, so Kingston had 6tph, and still had them in 1958 (1947 may have been post-war economies?).
There were significant cuts to SR offpeak services that winter, and the Roundabouts have been basically 2ph ever since.
Shepperton via Kingston has always been 2tph throughout.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Only going by what Wikipedia says which is: "Although the service continued to operate, the name was dropped in June 2002 as part of a policy by Virgin Trains to not operate named trains" - which would have been well into the privatisation era.

Only going by what Wikipedia says which is: "Although the service continued to operate, the name was dropped in June 2002 as part of a policy by Virgin Trains to not operate named trains" - which would have been well into the privatisation era.

Wikipedia isn’t best known for accuracy! The Down Irish Mail did last until that time, circa 20.00ish from Euston but the up except for Saturday mornings went with the HSTs coming in on the north wales coast

 

[berneyarms]

The 0110 Irish Mail wasn’t axed by Virgin it went when BR introduced HSTs on the Anglesey services in the very early 1990s. At this time the services were reduced to 3 services each way. On SX it was the up Irish Mail which was taken out but retained on SO mornings.

The departures from Holyhead were rationalised into the 05xx, 08xx and 13xx although for a while the lunchtime one was only a Bangor/Euston.

The dramatic drop in foot passenger numbers, which was a result of the arrival of Ryanair and Ireland-UK air fares being slashed, meant that the numbers travelling overnight just bombed. Frequent anti-social behaviour on board didn't help.

The raison d'etre for the train really vanished.

 

[sleeper fan]

Only 15 for these! Inthe big SWT timetable change of December 2004, they were changed. Before, you only had one an hour beyond Wareham to Weymouth, calling all stations. This got changed to the current two per hour by extending the Poole service

That's interesting to know. What was the timetable like then? Was there a second train going somewhere else or was Weymouth literally one train every hour?.

 

[Snow1964]

That's interesting to know. What was the timetable like then? Was there a second train going somewhere else or was Weymouth literally one train every hour?.

Weymouth used to be hourly, the Bournemouth fasts continued as a stopper in diesel days. After 1988 once the line was electrified the semi fast trains were extended to Poole. A few (mainly peak hour trains) continued to Wareham.

In the past there were lot more trains on summer weekends

 

[markydh]

The basic Morecambe to Lancaster timetable has barely changed since those enforced by VHF. Even before that, it’s been a similar muddled mess of a timetable since I was a kid, when BR was very much still a thing.