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Trivia: Services that you wouldn't expect to run?

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NoMorePacers

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Hi people, I would like to know if you know any services that you wouldn't expect to be ran and could you list the TOC as well please. I'll start with Glasgow Central-Newcastle Central (Ran 3 times a day I believe, not sure if it still exists under Abellio) First Scotrail.
 
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NoMorePacers

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Oh, OK, but I believe it is still at the same frequency, 3tpd, right. This is the first thread I have started so I am not quite sure what I am doing.
 

Tetchytyke

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It still runs, and is operated by Scotrail between Glasgow and Carlisle and by Northern between Carlisle and Newcastle, using a Scotrail unit. Some early morning Dumfries-Carlisle services use a Scotrail crew and a Northern unit.
 

NoMorePacers

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I don't live in the area I just remember watching a video of Prudhoe station and I saw a Scotrail 156. I don't know much else.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Have just checked and I can now confirm there is 3tpd.
 

Iskra

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Leeds-Heysham Port (Northern). While it does make some sense in the railway world, there is little logic in this being a through service from Leeds.

Controversial, but:

The Night Riviera (FGW/GWR)
Caledonian Sleeper-Fort William leg in particular.
ATW Premier Service

All have questionable business cases. ...obviously as an enthusiast, I'm glad they exist.
 
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NoMorePacers

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I would say that London-Paddington-Worcester Foregate Street is odd, as it is operated by Great Western and London Midland do an hourly Birmingham New Street-Hereford service, and Gatwick Airport-Reading as well. Thoughts?
 

GlosRail

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Great Western's Great Malvern to Brighton.

I don't expect many people do the full journey, but if you did want to go to Brighton from Great Malvern it would be an hour faster to go via London then on the direct train which takes nearly 5 1/2 hours.
 

Bungle965

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Leeds-Heysham Port (Northern). While it does make some sense in the railway world, there is little logic in this being a through service from Leeds.

Controversial, but:

The Night Riviera (FGW/GWR)
Caledonian Sleeper-Fort William leg in particular.
ATW Premier Service

All have questionable business cases. ...obviously as an enthusiast, I'm glad they exist.

I think the Caledonian Sleeper is justified by how busy they get during the summer, the Night Rivera i think seems to be profitable for First as they have kept it going even though it was not included in their franchise commitments. As for the ATW Premier Service that just seems to be a rolling advert for the Welsh Government.
Sam
 

pemma

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Currently:
Manchester to Cardiff via Bristol (daily service)
Preston to Hazel Grove (I'd expect it continue to somewhere beyond there)
Buxton to Clitheroe (daily service)
Buxton to Barrow (daily service)
Southport to Huddersfield (not 100% sure there are still any direct services.)

In the past:
St-Annes-on-Sea to Greenbank (daily service)
Liverpool to Stansted Airport (regular service)
Huddersfield to Selby via Halifax and Bradford (regular service)
LM's Birmingham to Preston service (daily service)
LM's Liverpool to London service (daily service)
 

Iskra

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I think the Caledonian Sleeper is justified by how busy they get during the summer, the Night Rivera i think seems to be profitable for First as they have kept it going even though it was not included in their franchise commitments. As for the ATW Premier Service that just seems to be a rolling advert for the Welsh Government.
Sam

It's not justified financially as it receives a massive subsidy. The summer is only 12 weeks a year...

As I say, I'm glad it exists and it obviously provides more benefits than just making money, but the business case is questionable.
 

deltic

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I think the Caledonian Sleeper is justified by how busy they get during the summer, the Night Rivera i think seems to be profitable for First as they have kept it going even though it was not included in their franchise commitments. As for the ATW Premier Service that just seems to be a rolling advert for the Welsh Government.
Sam

The Great Western franchise agreement contains a requirement to run a sleeper service - the sleeper loses a shed load of money
 

Iskra

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I may be wrong but I can only find one such service per day (weekdays) in the late evening. If it ran early in the morning, I would most certainly use it as an occasional change from VTEC

There are 2/3 late evening EMT services, apart from on a Sunday when they are at more reasonable times.

There are (very) early morning Leeds-London St. Pancras services too, which I use sometimes for a change away from VTEC if I'm not in a rush and because one of them serves a far better breakfast in 1st.
 
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NoMorePacers

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I may be wrong but I can only find one such service per day (weekdays) in the late evening. If it ran early in the morning, I would most certainly use it as an occasional change from VTEC
It says on wikipedia that it is a peak-hour extension of the Sheffield service, but correct me if I am wrong
 

deltic

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I may be wrong but I can only find one such service per day (weekdays) in the late evening. If it ran early in the morning, I would most certainly use it as an occasional change from VTEC

two southbound at 05.25 and 06.34 from Leeds and three northbound arriving in Leeds at 22.18, 23.05 and 23.42
 

swt_passenger

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It says on wikipedia that it is a peak-hour extension of the Sheffield service, but correct me if I am wrong

It's better described as early and late services to reach their HST home depot, which is near Leeds. They'd have to run as ECS anyway. However a fair number of posters have proposed that they will cease whenever EMT stop using HSTs
 

charley_17/7

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Circa 2006-8 there was a (non-clockface) weekdays-only VWC service at 1405 from Manchester Piccadilly - Euston via Northampton, which I think existed purely for route knowledge retention purposes.

I also seem to recall that a Buxton - Liverpool Lime Street (Northern) service ran during the morning peak. I think it went through Piccadilly Platform 14 around 0830, before waiting at Manchester Oxford Road Platform 1, to be overtaken by the EMT service that left Piccadilly at 0837.
 
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185143

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Theres a vomiter on a friday from the WCML, possibly Preston, that runs via Stoke
 

fowler9

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Windermere to Manchester Airport with First Trans Pennine Express. Doesn't go across the Pennines, no real need for a direct train from a small village to a major airport. Which flights does it connect with? Manchester is a pretty busy airport, I imagine most people survive changing trains rather than waiting most of the day to get a direct one.
 

charley_17/7

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Windermere to Manchester Airport with First Trans Pennine Express. Doesn't go across the Pennines, no real need for a direct train from a small village to a major airport. Which flights does it connect with? Manchester is a pretty busy airport, I imagine most people survive changing trains rather than waiting most of the day to get a direct one.

You'd be surprised how many Japanese tourists used this to visit the Lakes. Assuming they go via Heathrow as Manchester doesn't have direct flights, unless via Finnair??
 

fowler9

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You'd be surprised how many Japanese tourists used this to visit the Lakes. Assuming they go via Heathrow as Manchester doesn't have direct flights, unless via Finnair??

You are right, I would be surprised if many people hung around to use the few direct trains a day from Manchester Airport especially if flying in to Heathrow. Do the couple of trains a day link up with Finnair flights?

When such a tiny area of the UK has direct trains to Heathrow why do the likes of Southport and Windermere need direct trains to Manchester Airport? I am truly baffled.
 
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tsr

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There's one train per weekday from Coulsdon Town to Watford Junction. There's nothing in the reverse direction from the WLL towards Coulsdon. Also one train each weekday which starts at Sanderstead and forms a stopping service to London Victoria. And let's round this post off with an honourable mention of the completely random couple of London Bridge-Uckfield services in the morning peak which stop at stations between Sanderstead and Woldingham inclusive, Southbound only, with very very few passengers (mainly a few schoolkids) at each stop.
 

fowler9

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There's one train per weekday from Coulsdon Town to Watford Junction. There's nothing in the reverse direction from the WLL towards Coulsdon. Also one train each weekday which starts at Sanderstead and forms a stopping service to London Victoria. And let's round this post off with an honourable mention of the completely random couple of London Bridge-Uckfield services in the morning peak which stop at stations between Sanderstead and Woldingham inclusive, Southbound only, with very very few passengers (mainly a few schoolkids) at each stop.

A very good friend of mine from Uni used to live in the family home down the road from Sanderstead station on Purley Downs Road.
 

Iskra

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Windermere to Manchester Airport with First Trans Pennine Express. Doesn't go across the Pennines, no real need for a direct train from a small village to a major airport. Which flights does it connect with? Manchester is a pretty busy airport, I imagine most people survive changing trains rather than waiting most of the day to get a direct one.

It's a tourist hotspot, with both international tourists and day trippers flocking there in droves. These services are often busy and have lots of people with big suitcases on. It's also the railhead for the entire lakes area not just Windermere and serves the significant town of Kendal. So entirely justified in my experience. It also serves the central Manchester stations, not just the airport.

Additionally, it will lose the transpennine branding and become a northern service anyway.

TPE's barrow, Blackpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh services also do not cross the Pennines, so it's hardly the only service not to that's run by TPE.
 
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anme

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When such a tiny area of the UK has direct trains to Heathrow why do the likes of Southport and Windermere need direct trains to Manchester Airport? I am truly baffled.

What does Heathrow have to do with it? Just because one airport has an appallingly bad rail service doesn't mean all airports have to have an appallingly bad rail service.
 
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