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

[Iskra]

I can imagine that some of the Llandudno Junction-Llandudno shuttles on winter nights probably carry nobody

 

[Krokodil]

I can imagine that some of the Llandudno Junction-Llandudno shuttles on winter nights probably carry nobody

How do you think the local neds get between Junction and Llandudno to cause trouble?

 

[Llandudno]

I can imagine that some of the Llandudno Junction-Llandudno shuttles on winter nights probably carry nobody

They do carry passengers if they connect into/out of mainline trains at the Junction…

 

[Iskra]

They do carry passengers if they connect into/out of mainline trains at the Junction…

Yes, but the flows are likely to be predominantly in one direction depending on time of day.

I have been on near-empty shuttles this January, so I have no doubt that some of the later ones do run empty at least occasionally in the off-season. I have no doubt however that the line is well subscribed in the traditional holiday periods, so I’m not suggesting closure or service reduction, so don’t worry…

Another nomination would be some of the Wrexham Central-Wrexham General workings in the evening. I was the only passenger on one of those earlier this year.

 

[Kumquat]

When I lived by Mill Hill East 20 years ago, there were rarely multiple passengers between there and Finchley C. Late at night, staff would go down the train at Finchley C waking everyone up, send all those who had overshot their station back the other way, and make everyone else get off the train to await one to Barnet.

It sometimes took a fair bit of persuasion to convince them that I might be somewhat drunk but really, really did actually want to go to MHE!

They'd introduced some shuttles MHE to East Finchley by then, so that counts as an often-empty route. Now there's new housing on the old Army base and where the science research place was, and even a small Waitrose, so I hear it's much more popular.

 

[jawr256]

I caught the 06:06 Arbroath to Dundee at Balmossie on a recent Saturday and the guard told me it had been empty up to that point. Nobody else boarded after that so I expect it is sometimes empty for the whole journey.

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

Indeed, I was the only passenger on the Fishguard - Clarbeston Road leg when I caught it, and it left empty for the return to Fishguard.

 

[185143]

I've worked this one quite a few times - of course it runs to Manchester Airport rather than Piccadilly - the most I have picked up on it from Chester is about 10 people, but I have never worked it with nobody onboard. The quietest I have had it was 1x airline staff member from Chester until Piccadilly, where I then picked up about 20 people. Often get Airline staff on it from Chester and people setting off for early morning flights. On a Saturday morning it isn't uncommon to pick up people going home from Chester after a night on the booze! Dont think I have picked up anybody on it at the stops between Chester and Newton le Willows though, although I have had people alight enroute.

I've boarded at Newton le Willows a few times, never been alone in doing so. Pretty much all railway staff or airline staff though!

 

[Starmill]

I caught the 06:06 Arbroath to Dundee at Balmossie on a recent Saturday and the guard told me it had been empty up to that point. Nobody else boarded after that so I expect it is sometimes empty for the whole journey.

I think a lot of short / medium distance services similar to this one at this sort of time would qualify on a Saturday or bank holiday morning, but would carry a handful of passengers on working days.

 

[Morayshire]

I caught the 06:06 Arbroath to Dundee at Balmossie on a recent Saturday and the guard told me it had been empty up to that point. Nobody else boarded after that so I expect it is sometimes empty for the whole journey.

Can't answer for the weekend but the 0606 often leaves Arbroath during the week empty. Often wondered how busy it actually gets.

 

[daodao]

The 0447 Carmarthen to Llandovery is usually empty!

Unfortunately, the very early morning first northbound train on the Heart of Wales line on 19/10/1987 wasn't empty. 4 people died (3 passengers and the driver) when the front carriage of the 2-coach dmu fell into the river due to the Glanrhyd Bridge collapse; 6 people (3 passengers and 3 train staff) in the rear carriage survived.

The first morning train to Coryton usually didn't have many passengers on it when it called at Whitchurch (from personal observation over many years when I lived from 1985-2005 in a flat overlooking the station).