Trivia: Most ridiculous through trains?

[adamedwards]

Anyone remember the short lived Manchester Picc to Newhaven Marine, direct down the WCML and engine change at Willesden thence to Gatwick Airport and on to Newhaven. I did it both ways once with my parents when we went to France using the overnight ferry to Dieppe, in the days when the ferry docked in the middle of Dieppe and the train was on the quay side. The noise of the flanges on the track at 4am each day must have been very popular.

Adam

 

[Busaholic]

Strange one that. Almost half reminiscent of the current SWT Waterloo to Bristol but what about the Penzance - Manchester Piccadilly/ Milford Haven via Newport and Abergavenny. I remember it had 3 coaches. A,B and another a single unit that presumably was the portion that went to Milford Haven. Was confusing when you got on it as if you did have a reserved seat you often had a bit of a tete a tete with whoever wanted the same seat as you.

My wife used the Penzance to Picc service once to visit her parents in Preston and vowed never again hours before she reached Manchester!

 

[grid56126]

I too used that route a good few times, both by the Liverpool Street train and by the North Country Continental. It was indeed a decent journey, and you're so right about no stupid bag search theatre (or long queues for passport controls). It was always good to see the long-distance trains all lined up at Hoek on arrival in the morning. And do you remember coming the other way using the westbound Rheingold on occasions when it was running late and they opened a side-gate and just let you get straight from train to boat by the quickest route?

Indeed, straight off of the boat and into a "DR" compartment with a class 1100/1200/1300 on the front. I missed the 1500s last booked workings but made up for that since then. . .

The last minute dash only ever happened to me once at Dieppe Maritime. The line to the harbour had officially closed and was supposed to be buses from the Town. The train was a bit late so we were told to stay on, the train just went forward and on arrival we were simply ushered up a walkway, no ticket / passport checks and I got the track that I thought I had missed forever!

 

[worc_passr]

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"!

I think there was a northbound one which started at Exmouth, via Exeter, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea and the Heart of Wales line to Shrewsbury.

 

[dk1]

We now have the 05:25(SX) Lowestoft to Harwich International & 21:38 return. As much for operating convenience as anything unless a Brampton-Rotterdam flow has been identified.

 

[PHILIPE]

In Wales and Borders Days, there was a Cheltenham to Shrewsbury, 153 worked, via Gloucester, Cardiff, Swansea and Heart of Wales Line. It currently runs from Swansea.

 

[me123]

One of the oddest through trains in Scotland must be the hourly xx:22 Cumbernauld to Dalmuir run, which goes through Coatbridge, Motherwell, Hamilton and Glasgow Central. It does serve a useful function, linking communities in Lanarkshire. But it is a train that no sane person would ride end to end (and not only because one end is Cumbernauld!).

The xx:22 from Cumbernauld gets to Central one hour later. You're better off getting the xx:29 to Queen Street (arrives in the low level at yy:04), or indeed the xx:40 (arriving into the High Level at yy:09) and walking. In terms of people traveling to the West of Glasgow, again the later trains get you there earlier. Same is true from Greenfaulds. It then passes through Coatbridge Central at xx:31, where this service to Glasgow Central (still some 51 minutes away) is eclipsed by the much faster journeys on offer from the nearby Sunnyside to GLQ LL (express trains taking less than 15 minutes). Then it goes to Whifflet at xx:33, where you can yet again change and catch a quicker train to Glasgow Central Low Level. Even at Motherwell, you can change onto a direct train to GLC HL and beat the train that you're on. It's only once you get to Airbles that the train starts to become useful for journeys towards its terminus at Dalmuir.

Of course, this service is exceptionally useful for travel in and around Lanarkshire, which is the reason that runs. But it certainly fits the category of "ridiculous through trains", where Glasgow passengers will find that changing at any of the first five stations will get you to your destination considerably quicker, via no fewer than five different routes.

 

[notlob.divad]

In terms of odd trains, most of the Merseyrail Wirral Lines look pretty odd, with Chester-Chester. However I think the journey that takes the biscuit is the 0842 Birkenhead Central to Conway Park through train. A distance 0.5mile on foot, but takes in two crossings of the Mersey and a full lap of the Liverpool Loop.

 

[158747]

What about the 1706 Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads
calls at: Twyford, Reading, Theale, Thatcham, Newbury, Kintbury, Hungerford, Bedwyn, Trowbridge, Bradford-on-Avon & Bath Spa
Takes 2hrs 31 minutes

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C50346/2016/03/23/advanced

to compare: 1700 also to Bristol Temple Meads, calls at: Reading, Didcot Parkway, Swindon, Chippenham & Bath Spa. Takes 1hr 44 mins

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C50265/2016/03/23/advanced

To discourage Bristol and Bath passengers from using this train the information screens at Paddington showed Bradford on Avon as the destination. Also the 05.18 Bristol Temple Meads - Paddington which takes the reverse route of the above train but also stops at Westbury has Theale shown as the destination at Bristol T.M.

 

[47271]

Mention of Coatbridge Central above prompted me to think that the current - granted unavoidable - route used by Glasgow to Aberdeen and Inverness trains should get a mention in this category of ridiculous through services.

The novelty is really starting to wear off!

 

[Old Yard Dog]

In the early days of Table 49, there was a through train from Barrow-in-Furness to Colchester before the service pattern was rationalized to hourly Liverpool - Norwich workings.

Both towns had teams in the Conference (or whatever it was called then) at the time, but I don't think the train arrived in time for a 3 pm kick off, and it certainly couldn't get fans back home afterwards.

 

[robbeech]

Going almost full circle (though not literally in this case) to where this thread began.

Retford to Doncaster......... via Sheffield. 1hr30 so not the longest trip here, but its a little above the 13m it takes on a VTEC service straight up the ECML, being just 1 stop.

Rob

 

[Ianno87]

In the early days of Table 49, there was a through train from Barrow-in-Furness to Colchester before the service pattern was rationalized to hourly Liverpool - Norwich workings.

Both towns had teams in the Conference (or whatever it was called then) at the time, but I don't think the train arrived in time for a 3 pm kick off, and it certainly couldn't get fans back home afterwards.

Oh yes, in the May 1988 timetable my (then brand new) local station of Lostock had one direct train per day to Ipswich at 08-something in the morning (originating from Blackpool North). Most trains did not call, but this one callled at local stations as a morning peak service for Manchester commuters.