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Trivia: Most ridiculous through trains?

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pemma

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A daily Chester to Llandudno via Stockport service used to exist under First North Western. Although, it was advertised as a Manchester Oxford Rd service until it got to Manchester Piccadilly.
 
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Ianno87

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I quite enjoy the existence of a daily Gloucester to Stansted Airport service.

Buxton to Barrow-in-Furness is a pretty good one too.
 

ashworth

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But if you want to think about it, some of the routes when the class 158's were introduced were a bit crazy: Blackpool - Manchester - Sheffield - Nottingham - Ely - Ipswich - Harwich? One or two each day even started from Barrow, not Blackpool. Now thats weird........and if you go back further to the "The European / Lorelei / anothernamethisyear" Harwich boat train from Scotland, now that was simply daft.

Blackpool to Harwich as a through route may have sounded a bit crazy but it was very useful for through journeys to/from stations like Nottingham, Chesterfield and Sheffield in the centre of the route.

You only need to see the number of people who each hour get off the EMT Norwich to Liverpool train at Manchester Piccadilly and wait 10 minutes to board the following Blackpool North train. There seems to be quite a market from Nottingham and Sheffield to Bolton Preston and Blackpool and it does provide a useful connection to the WCML at Preston.
 

A0wen

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They were Cross Country services weren't they? Even Virgin XC ran into Paddington several times a day in the early to mid 00s, I can't remember whether it stopped with Operation Princess or the handover to Arriva. A lot of the route is still covered now with the Manchester - Birmingham - Reading services.

Which in turn were a legacy from the old GWR route from Paddington - Birmingham - Birkenhead.

When the WCML was electrified the aim was for all London - Birmingham - NW traffic to be serviced from Euston.

A couple of trains a day between Paddington & Birmingham / NW were left in place to retain those links.
 

Deepgreen

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To enter into the spirit of the thread - to avoid the crowded traverse of the concourse at Waterloo - Waterloo (Windsor) to Waterloo (Main suburban) via Kingston.
 

james60059

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They were Cross Country services weren't they? Even Virgin XC ran into Paddington several times a day in the early to mid 00s, I can't remember whether it stopped with Operation Princess or the handover to Arriva. A lot of the route is still covered now with the Manchester - Birmingham - Reading services.

I can remember a Voyager going to Paddington in 2002. Only travelled from Birmingham New Street to Coventry on it.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
I can remember early 2000's the early morning boat train from Fishguard Harbour to Liverpool Lime Street.

Also I remember a Birmingham - Swansea XC service on a Voyager (08:42 from BHM - think it started at Derby), and once at Swansea, I think it ran back to Edinburgh. - the 08:42 was the first time I travelled on Voyager, it was Marco Polo
 

Bletchleyite

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At one point this was shorter, running Greenbank to St Annes, although I can't remember if that was due to engineering works.

No, you're thinking of the odd morning peak shortened Blackpool South to Chester (or vice versa, I forget) run. It wasn't due to engineering, it was normally on the timetable like that. No idea why though.
 

LNW-GW Joint

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BR XC used to run a Liverpool-Folkestone service via Birmingham, Reading, Kensington Olympia, Chatham and Dover Priory (serviced at Ashford).
On summer Saturdays they could never decide how to route the train, and one year it ran in a loop through Kent - on arrival at Folkestone it just carried on via Ashford and Orpington to Bromley South.
Then it was diverted to terminate at Dover Marine, then Ramsgate, then via the WCML instead of Reading, then axed completely.
Reading-Bromley South on a Travelcard in inter-city comfort was a handy way of crossing London in the 80s.

Some would think the LU Circle line "teapot" service a little odd.
Hammersmith to Edgware Road via Edgware Road!
 

HarleyDavidson

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I think there was at one time a Portsmouth - Poole ICXC via Guildford, called at Havant, Guildford, Reading, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth.

Then of course there were the Blackpool - Portsmouth's run with 158s.

And 1346 Portsmouth - Leeds (FO) which used to call at North Camp! And a Nightrider from somewhere in the Midlands and came on very circuitous route to Portsmouth, a 47 & 10 Mk1's was common on it, otherwise it was a real hotch potch of stock stuck together.

Waterloo - Exeter & v.v via Guildford & Portsmouth, which was a 50 & coaches and was semi fast from Sarum, it was fast from Guildford to Havant & from Portsmouth it made odd stops too.
 
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Polarbear

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In the days of Wales & West, I seem to recall a 153 diagram from Cardiff Central to Holyhead, via Swansea, Llanelli, Shrewsbury & Crewe. All stations to boot as well.

Surprised it was never featured on the Japanese game show "Endurance"! ;)
 

NorthernSpirit

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I'd love to see a Huddersfield to Yeovil service being operated by the new Northern. Would be great if it ran via Trowbridge.
 

randyrippley

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Waterloo - Exeter & v.v via Guildford & Portsmouth, which was a 50 & coaches and was semi fast from Sarum, it was fast from Guildford to Havant & from Portsmouth it made odd stops too.

Wasn't that because they tried to turn two paper trains into one, serving both Soton and Exeter catchments?
 

duncanp

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What about some journeys on the Cathcart Circle in Glasgow.

Pollokshields West to Pollokshields East for example.
 

PHILIPE

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Many of these long distance services were journeys lumped together for operational convenience rather than having end to end passengers. Just to throw one in, approx 2000/01 there was a Cheltenham to Shrewsbury service via Chepstow, Cardiff, Swansea and Heart of Wales Line operated by Wales and West and 153 worked.
 

2030720310

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Possibly still do, but there is definitely a Great Malvern Brighton which is even more ridiculous!

Lots of them still do. The Brighton one is something like the 1106. Even though it's usually a three-carriage 158 it still gets rammed around Bristol in summer!
 

LNW-GW Joint

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Lots of them still do. The Brighton one is something like the 1106. Even though it's usually a three-carriage 158 it still gets rammed around Bristol in summer!

When I mentioned a Great Malvern-Bristol-Southampton through service (class 153) on here, somebody said it picked up a second unit in Bristol and dropped the first at Westbury.
So the train was actually like Trigger's trusty old brush, which had new handles and heads in its life.
 

iainbhx

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In the days of Wales & West, I seem to recall a 153 diagram from Cardiff Central to Holyhead, via Swansea, Llanelli, Shrewsbury & Crewe. All stations to boot as well.

There is still a 17:20 Crewe to Cardiff Central via the Heart of Wales line. I keep on meaning to get it when I visit my nephew one weekend.
 

berneyarms

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Possibly still do, but there is definitely a Great Malvern Brighton which is even more ridiculous!

Possibly???
I already posted links to them and the Brighton service from Real Time Trains above.
 

TEW

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When I mentioned a Great Malvern-Bristol-Southampton through service (class 153) on here, somebody said it picked up a second unit in Bristol and dropped the first at Westbury.
So the train was actually like Trigger's trusty old brush, which had new handles and heads in its life.

That was the old Great Malvern-Southampton Central, via Gloucester, Swindon and Melksham. Picked up an extra 153 at Gloucester, then the original 153 was detached at Westbury. So a through train which had no through carriages! It's now a Cheltenham Spa-Southampton Central via Swindon and is booked an SWT 158 throughout. The Great Malvern portion is now covered by a 150 working Great Malvern-Westbury via Bristol.
 

pemma

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At one point this was shorter, running Greenbank to St Annes, although I can't remember if that was due to engineering works.

Not related.

St Annes to Greenbank existed as a single early Mon-Sat morning working until December 2008 when a Blackpool North-Hazel Grove service took the same path between Kirkham & Wesham and Stockport. The St Annes to Greenbank service was booked as 2 x 158s under First North Western, until First decided that FNW should loan 2 x 158s to TPE in 2004, when it became a class 31 hauled mk2 set. Then with the Northern fleet reorganistion (which saw all the 158s moved to Yorkshire) it became 2 x 156s. The replacement Blackpool to Hazel Grove working was one of the class 180 workings at the December 2008 timetable change and is now 2 x 150s. So a variety of stock over the years in that path and if anything a gradual downgrade!

Southport-Chester via Stockport was a regular hourly service in the early 90s between Altrincham-Sale-Manchester getting converted to Metrolink and Southport-Manchester Airport services starting. It was reintroduced as a Sunday only service in December 2008, prior to that Sunday Southport services had gone to Alderley Edge.
 
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HarleyDavidson

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Not related.

St Annes to Greenbank existed as a single early Mon-Sat morning working until December 2018 when a Blackpool North-Hazel Grove service took the same path between Kirkham & Wesham and Stockport. The St Annes to Greenbank service was booked as 2 x 158s under First North Western, until First decided that FNW should loan 2 x 158s to TPE in 2004, when it became a class 31 hauled mk2 set. Then with the Northern fleet reorganistion (which saw all the 158s moved to Yorkshire) it became 2 x 156s. The replacement Blackpool to Hazel Grove working was one of the class 180 workings at the December 2008 timetable change and is now 2 x 150s. So a variety of stock over the years in that path and if anything a gradual downgrade!

Southport-Chester via Stockport was a regular hourly service in the early 90s between Altrincham-Sale-Manchester getting converted to Metrolink and Southport-Manchester Airport services starting. It was reintroduced as a Sunday only service in December 2008, prior to that Sunday Southport services had gone to Alderley Edge.

Into time travel?
 

nw1

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No, this was at something like 0900 in the morning and returning at around 1500 or so in the afternoon.

I don't think they were advertised as through trains, but separate Waterloo-Portsmouth and Portsmouth-Exeter services.

I presume that the aim was to provide a Portsmouth-Exeter through train, and the Waterloo-Portsmouth bit was just to get stock which arrived at Waterloo in the morning peak down to Portsmouth for the Exeter train.

The Waterloo-Portsmouth bit took the path of the normal "82" semi-fast train between London and Guildford, ISTR the down one taking the path of the 0920 from Waterloo and the up one left Guildford at 1620. However they were (very) limited stop south of Guildford (non stop to Havant ISTR). The local stops were covered by one of the hourly "75" London to Guildford locals extending to Portsmouth.

I'd guess the same train wouldn't be able to get to Exeter and back during that time so must have needed an extra diagram.

This was 1986/87 and I think 87/88 as well. Was run by a 50 and Mk 2 coaches.
 
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Parallel

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Indeed. There are two Southampton Central - Great Malvern services and also the Brighton - Great Malvern and the Great Malvern - Brighton. Interestingly there are no services that currently run Weymouth - Great Malvern but there are two that run the other way around.

I'm pretty sure one of the units that works the 17:30 Weymouth - Bristol Temple Meads (2 units from Westbury) forms the 20:41 to Worcester Shrub Hill though.

It's not unheard of to see passengers travelling from say Worcester to Yeovil on direct slow trains though as there isn't a lot of alternatives as the Worcester - Bristol leg and the Bristol - Weymouth leg run approximately once every two hours, with some three hour gaps with the latter.
 

thenorthern

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Don't think anyone has mentioned this one yet but the Nunthorpe to Whitehaven seemed rather pointless to me and even today the Nunthorpe to Carlisle seems rather pointless.

Also the Buxton to Barrow-in-Furness seems rather pointless.
 

JackTheLad

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BR XC used to run a Liverpool-Folkestone service via Birmingham, Reading, Kensington Olympia, Chatham and Dover Priory (serviced at Ashford).
On summer Saturdays they could never decide how to route the train, and one year it ran in a loop through Kent - on arrival at Folkestone it just carried on via Ashford and Orpington to Bromley South.
Then it was diverted to terminate at Dover Marine, then Ramsgate, then via the WCML instead of Reading, then axed completely.
Reading-Bromley South on a Travelcard in inter-city comfort was a handy way of crossing London in the 80s.

Virgin Cross Country did still run this service at the beginning of the franchise on Saturdays. Ramsgate to Birmingham New Street I think.
 
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