[Trivia] Passenger Trains That Often Carry No Passengers For Entire Route

[Llandudno]

Are there any scheduled passenger trains that more often than not carry virtually no passengers over the entire length of its journey.

Here are a couple of possibilities maybe?

0530 Llandudno Junction - Bleanau Ffestiniog
0540 Llandudno Junction - Llandudno
0545 Stourbridge Junction - Stourbridge
0600 Par - Newquay
0610 Cleethorpes - Barton on Humber

 

[The exile]

The early morning Clarbeston Road - Fishguard must be a candidate. AFAIK nothing connects into it.

 

[185143]

Maybe not over the complete length, but last time I was on the 20:30 TPE Carlisle-Manchester, the guard upgraded us all to 1st after Penrith.

There were three of us travelling over Shap that night. The guard said it was normally pretty dead, which tallys with my experience. Used to get a reasonable patronage when it came from Glasgow at 19:11 mind. Filled the gap between the Virgin (as was) services quite nicely.

 

[mmh]

0540 Llandudno Junction - Llandudno

That sometimes passes me on the coast path, and the times I've looked up it's seemed like it might be empty. The early morning trains in the other direction tend to have a fair few passengers (often including me!) I've not done it for a long time but I can't imagine inbound to Llandudno sees many people before say 8am.

 

[Bletchleyite]

When running, the weekday late evening Marston Vale services tend to be near enough devoid of passengers.

 

[Western 52]

The 0447 Carmarthen to Llandovery is usually empty!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The 0447 Carmarthen to Llandovery is usually empty!

How would you ever know this for definite, unless, of course, you are train crew / train staff? Any passenger travelling on a lightly loaded train automatically means that it doesn't have zero passengers!

 

[Western 52]

How would you ever know this for definite, unless, of course, you are train crew / staff? Any passenger travelling on a lightly loaded train automatically means that it doesn't have zero passengers!

I can see it passing my house, when I get up that early!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I can see it passing my house, when I get up that early!

Between two particular stations maybe?
Zero passengers for its entire route?

 

[DanNCL]

A non-NR example, some of the very early/very late Metro services that only run between Regent Centre and Newcastle Airport probably fit this criteria. I’ve used the last train from the Airport once and I was the only one on it the entire journey.

 

[Peter0124]

Can't imagine the morning Motherwell to Lanark / Cumbernauld services have many, if any passengers. Especially the ones before 6am.

 

[MP33]

I used to live with a view of a station and the first train on a weekday was at 04.15. There used to be around 15 people on it and 10 on the platform catching it to go to London.

 

[cuccir]

I can't imagine there's many on the 05:57 Newcastle to Chathill most days. This blogger rode it back in 2014 when it was the 05:55 and he was the only passenger.

There's also the infamous services between Ryde St John's and Ryde Esplanade. 3 minutes, from St John's to Esplanade in the morning (06:08) and the return is 20:18. Not sure why they aren't ECS but there they are, and I presume they are usually empty.

 

[A S Leib]

I didn't see anybody else on the 05:16 Chesham to Watford* the one time I had to use it.

*At least, I didn't see anybody between Rickmansworth and Watford, but I doubt there'd have been anybody on at Chesham, Chalfont or Chorleywood that early, unless connecting on to the Amersham to Aldgate service five minutes later.

 

[clagmonster]

Are there any scheduled passenger trains that more often than not carry virtually no passengers over the entire length of its journey.

Here are a couple of possibilities maybe?

0610 Cleethorpes - Barton on Humber

06:10 Cleethorpes - Barton often has a couple on.

 

[DelW]

The 0447 Carmarthen to Llandovery is usually empty!

Between two particular stations maybe?
Zero passengers for its entire route?

Quite likely, it's basically a positioning move that terminates at Llandovery at 06:15 then forms the early commuter service back to Swansea. I can't imagine that there are many people wanting to arrive at Llanelli at 05:12, Ammanford at 05:37, or Llandovery at 06:15, and the other calls are just villages.

Back in the days of the Chiltern 1tpd route-knowledge services from Ruislip to Paddington, on the day I travelled there were three passengers on the up journey and I was the only one on the return.

 

[RJ]

The 0447 Carmarthen to Llandovery is usually empty!

I drove the rail replacement service on that route for a week in the middle of January last year. It was used, sometimes. I picked someone up at Pantyffynnon, I dropped someone at Ammanford. The minibus firm that often does the all stops service at that time of day said that sometimes it's empty and sometimes there are left behinds when there are groups of ramblers around. Probably not so much mid-winter - one day I drove into Llandeilo and the bus was breaking the ice. The car park was an ice rink, much fun with steering and braking on that so not likely to be too many walkers at this time. The minibus had to skip stops like Cynghordy which is situated at the bottom of a hill, hope nobody was waiting!

 

[Trainfan344]

Caught an early morning St Erth to St Ives train in December, Guard informed me I was the only one onboard. Plenty going the other way however.

 

[Horizon22]

I've seen the 0543 Paddington to Greenford service with nobody on it at departure time. Might get loaded down the line, but probably a handful at best.

I used to live with a view of a station and the first train on a weekday was at 04.15. There used to be around 15 people on it and 10 on the platform catching it to go to London.

First trains (like last trains) are often artifically busier by the nature of there will always some people who need to be in as early as possible.

As an addition to my comment about the Greenford service - the arrival into Paddington (0354 Reading - Paddington) can be decently loaded, often with railway, airport and other shift staff.

 

[cambran]

I caught the 05.54 from Milford Haven on a Saturday last June and was the only passenger as far as Haverfordwest. What amazed me was that three teenagers got off the inward working from Carmarthen. I wondered why they wanted to be in Milford so early.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I caught the 05.54 from Milford Haven on a Saturday last June and was the only passenger as far as Haverfordwest. What amazed me was that three teenagers got off the inward working from Carmarthen. I wondered why they wanted to be in Milford so early.

On their way home from the night before?

 

[The exile]

I caught the 05.54 from Milford Haven on a Saturday last June and was the only passenger as far as Haverfordwest. What amazed me was that three teenagers got off the inward working from Carmarthen. I wondered why they wanted to be in Milford so early.

Returning from a night on the town?
Beaten to it, I see!

 

[CarrotPie]

There's also the infamous services between Ryde St John's and Ryde Esplanade. 3 minutes, from St John's to Esplanade in the morning (06:08) and the return is 20:18. Not sure why they aren't ECS but there they are, and I presume they are usually empty.

The guard, driver and stock are already there, so why not, I suppose?

 

[Kite159]

I can't imagine there's many on the 05:57 Newcastle to Chathill most days. This blogger rode it back in 2014 when it was the 05:55 and he was the only passenger.

There's also the infamous services between Ryde St John's and Ryde Esplanade. 3 minutes, from St John's to Esplanade in the morning (06:08) and the return is 20:18. Not sure why they aren't ECS but there they are, and I presume they are usually empty.

Pretty sure when I did that early morning Chathill service there was someone on board who got off at Alnmouth back around August 2016

 

[L401CJF]

I've worked the last Shrewsbury to Chester before now and picked up nobody at all on a few occasions, usually mid week (2335 departure, 1D35 I think?). Some nights however - mainly Friday/Saturday its fully seated with a few standing! Most services I work pick up at least 1 person along the route.

I remember 15 or so years ago if you boarded an Ellesmere Port to Helsby train you'd often be asked by the guard if you were on the right train as it very rarely picked anybody up.

 

[Teddyward]

0516 wickford to southminster is often almost empty. Had one person on to burnham on crouch the other day then empty to southminster. Well two counting the conductor.

 

[stadler]

Trains between Dorking and Horsham and vice versa are often completely empty. Especially between the morning and evening peaks and the late evenings and weekends. I have been on at least ten journeys on this line where i am the one and only passenger. So there have probably been hundreds of journeys over the years with zero passengers. Even on the peak hour journeys there is rarely more than ten people at the very most on the train. I am always shocked that Dorking to Horsham survived the Beeching closures.

 

[Krokodil]

0530 Llandudno Junction - Blaenau Ffestiniog

Usually empty, occasionally the odd passenger from Junction to Llanrwst or Llanrwst to Betws. It's a positioning move for the first departure from Blaenau.

0540 Llandudno Junction - Llandudno

Often has two or three passengers. But again its main raison d'etre is to form a positioning move for the first departure from Llandudno.

I remember 15 or so years ago if you boarded an Ellesmere Port to Helsby train you'd often be asked by the guard if you were on the right train as it very rarely picked anybody up.

You'd be lucky if it turned up.

 

[68001]

05.04 cleethorpes-lincoln central

 

[Britannia94]

There is a 22:50 service from Knottingley to Wakefield Westgate, caught this a couple of times and both times I've got it, I've been the only passenger on it.