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Trivia: Stations/Lines that receive a better service during times of disruption

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Iskra

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During blockades on the Hope Valley Line, TPE often run Manchester-Sheffield services via Huddersfield. This has an added side benefit of providing a faster express service between Huddersfield and Sheffield, compared to the normal Northern service on the Penistone Line.

What other examples are there of lines or stations that can benefit due to disruption on the network?

Thanks to @wellhouse for the inspiration for this thread.
 
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swt_passenger

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We had a discussion like this (about engineering works diversions) in 2019, which will include a few suitable examples:
I noted Chandlers Ford, which routinely changes from a call in the SWR local stopper to a GWR inter-regional.
 

317666

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I remember some years ago, Enfield Town received extra trains to Liverpool Street calling only at Seven Sisters. This was during engineering work on the West Anglia, I believe there were replacement buses from Enfield Town to stations further north.
 

Dr_Paul

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When the Windsor lines are out of action between Barnes and Clapham Junction, Windsor and Reading services are reversed at Twickenham and run via Kingston. This means that Kingston gets a half-hourly Clapham Junction and Waterloo only service, augmenting the normal four an hour all-stations service (the half-hourly Windsor service replaces the Kingston Loop service and runs all stations; the Shepperton service runs as normal).
 

ANDREW_D_WEBB

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When Chiltern divert into West Ealing during engineering work on the line to Marylebone there is a half hourly service between West Ealing and West Ruislip. Usually it is one parliamentary a day (currently suspended for Covid 19)
 

ivorytoast28

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During disruption to the South western mainline around winchester/basingstoke services are diverted via Guildford only stopping at havant (and XC non stop) between Guildford and Southampton making for a significantly quicker journey than this would otherwise be.
Also when there are engineering works in the surbiton area, many of the fast trains off the mainline divert calling at Staines which must give staines a faster London connection than it'd get on the stoppers
 

Llandudno

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When the Hope Valley line is closed, for passengers travelling between Stockport and Chesterfield the rail replacement bus is often quicker as it runs non stop and misses out Sheffield!
 

Envy123

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I once saw on NRE that trains from Littlehampton, during engineering works, actually went a faster route to London Victoria (via Horsham, I think?).
 

Dai Corner

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The local example I usually cite is the line between Gaer Jn and Park Jn in Newport.

It normally only carries the odd freight to/from Machen quarry but occasionally during engineering work passenger trains to/from Ebbw Vale use it, serving Newport instead of Cardiff Central. We are promised a regular passenger service soon though.
 
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Stoke on Trent often have additional southbound to Euston and northbound to Liverpool or Glasgow when there is a diversion via Alsager

also means express train to crewe
 

greyman42

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The line from York to Sheffield via Pontefract gets additional passenger services when the usual routes via Leeds or Doncaster are closed, although no stations benefit.
 

73001

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The recent accident at Kirkby had all the Kirkby trains diverted to Aintree (and a bus from there). This doubled the number of trains between Aintree and Liverpool for a week or so. This seems to be the new 'action' if there is disruption on the Kirkby line at all.
 

paul1609

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When the Brighton Main Line is closed south of Three Bridges, trains are diverted via Littlehampton and Littlehampton to Victoria journeytime is cut from 1 hr 45 mins to 1 hr 10 mins.
 

Alfonso

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Honiton, Axminster, Yeovil sometimes get Great Western intercities when the line through Tiverton is closed
 

paul1609

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You're quite right, but it was only quicker because it had less stops
Thats not entirely true, the normal route from Littlehampton via Preston Park is a bit of a long way round. The route via Horsham is at least 10 miles shorter as well. The shortest route from Littlehampton to Victoria is actually Horsham, Dorking, Raynes Park, Clapham Junction, Victoria.
 

mister-sparky

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Thats not entirely true, the normal route from Littlehampton via Preston Park is a bit of a long way round. The route via Horsham is at least 10 miles shorter as well. The shortest route from Littlehampton to Victoria is actually Horsham, Dorking, Raynes Park, Clapham Junction, Victoria.
Which is the way they used to go
 

paddy1

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Corby whenever the line is closed between Kettering and Market Harborough/Leicester at weekends. Gets all day direct trains to Leicester, Derby, Nottingham, Sheffield etc
 

duncanp

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Thats not entirely true, the normal route from Littlehampton via Preston Park is a bit of a long way round. The route via Horsham is at least 10 miles shorter as well. The shortest route from Littlehampton to Victoria is actually Horsham, Dorking, Raynes Park, Clapham Junction, Victoria.

Raynes Park is on the line to and from Waterloo.

I wasn't aware that there was any track connection to enable services to run Raynes Park - Wimbledon - Earlsfield - Clapham Junction - Battersea Park - Victoria.

The shortest route from Dorking to Victoria would be via Epsom - Sutton - Mitcham Junction - Balham - Victoria.

There have been occasions when engineering work on the direct line to Gatwick Airport has meant services running Gatwick - Horsham (where the train reverses) - Dorking and then via the above route to Victoria, but I don't know whether they make any extra stops apart from Horsham.
 

duncanp

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In my youth the trains from Bognor to Victoria went via Sutton

Until about 1978.

I lived in Cheam at that time, and we would often go down to Littlehampton or Bognor for the day on the direct service from Sutton.

Now you have to change at Horsham.
 

30907

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In my youth the trains from Bognor to Victoria went via Sutton
Indeed they did - but the (offpeak) Arun Valley Littlehampton stoppers went via Crawley until the last big timetable rejig. They don't run at all now!
 

duncanp

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Indeed they did - but the (offpeak) Arun Valley Littlehampton stoppers went via Crawley until the last big timetable rejig. They don't run at all now!

Yes, a quick timetable check for Cheam to Amberley today on NRE suggests you go via Clapham Junction, and at Clapham Junction there is only a 5 minute connection.

What could possibly go wrong there?

If you want to go via Dorking on the same journey there is a 50 minute wait at Horsham.
 

paul1609

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Raynes Park is on the line to and from Waterloo.

I wasn't aware that there was any track connection to enable services to run Raynes Park - Wimbledon - Earlsfield - Clapham Junction - Battersea Park - Victoria.

The shortest route from Dorking to Victoria would be via Epsom - Sutton - Mitcham Junction - Balham - Victoria.

There have been occasions when engineering work on the direct line to Gatwick Airport has meant services running Gatwick - Horsham (where the train reverses) - Dorking and then via the above route to Victoria, but I don't know whether they make any extra stops apart from Horsham.
The shortest route is via Epsom, Raynes Park, Wimbledon, Point Pleasant Junction, Clapham Junction, Stewarts Lane and Victoria. I agree that the normal route was via Sutton but that route is longer. It was a LSWR v LBSCR thing. In Network SE days the southwestern division were making noises about extending their Waterloo to Dorking service down the Arun Valley to Littlehampton but nothing ever came of it.
 

Grecian 1998

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Whilst Tiverton Parkway hardly has a poor service normally, it is improved when the line south of Exeter is closed. Most passengers for Plymouth and beyond are directed onto buses there rather than Exeter, so they can get straight onto the M5 rather than amble through Alphington, with a similar journey time to the train.
 

Argyle 1980

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When it's replacement bus between Tiverton and Plymouth, then the coach is quicker than the train.

Whilst Tiverton Parkway hardly has a poor service normally, it is improved when the line south of Exeter is closed. Most passengers for Plymouth and beyond are directed onto buses there rather than Exeter, so they can get straight onto the M5 rather than amble through Alphington, with a similar journey time to the train.
Your spot on about the in and out of central Exeter from M5. It's what adds the time to National Express and megabus journeys and the reason why the Falcon omits Exeter City centre.
 
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