Trivia: TOCs running in service into unusual London Termini

[harryclewis]

I'm curious to hear of instances where TOCs have run into London Termini other than their usual ones (where they have one). Be this as a result of a diversion or simply a service that used to/does exist.

For example I am aware of GWR running HSTs into Waterloo but not anything in the reverse. I am also aware that certain termini may be more applicable than others.

 

[RichmondCommu]

I think the Scottish sleepers have used Kings Cross from time to time. I have no idea what the name of the TOC is though.

 

[transmanche]

I believe Virgin has run Voyagers into Marylebone before, when they were unable to access Euston due to trackwork.

 

[telstarbox]

Southeastern have done Waterloo occasionally in the last couple of years. They can also divert to Blackfriars if required.

 

[DA1]

Southeastern have done Waterloo occasionally in the last couple of years. They can also divert to Blackfriars if required.

Yeah Waterloo is the occasional one with engineering works.

Blackfriars is done often with Ashford, Rochester, Beckenham Junction and Maidstone East services during weekday peaks.

 

[Hadders]

Hull Trains into St Pancras.

 

[221129]

GWR into Marylebone

Chiltern into Paddington

 

[Puppetfinger]

Sometime ago but sure I have seen a picture of a Virgin XC Voyager in Paddington.

 

[NoMorePacers]

Sometime ago but sure I have seen a picture of a Virgin XC Voyager in Paddington.

I think (and I only have Wikipedia to quote for this) that they were regularly scheduled (at least once a day) to go to Paddington pre-Operation Princess (well when the scalebacks were made).

 

[Southern Dvr]

I think (and I only have Wikipedia to quote for this) that they were regularly scheduled (at least once a day) to go to Paddington pre-Operation Princess (well when the scalebacks were made).

That is correct.

WSMR (remember them?) made it into Paddington one weekend instead of Marylebone around 2008.

 

[dk1]

Hull Trains into St Pancras.

Hull Trains also ran into Liverpool St during engineering works on the ECML. Very convenient as they where crewed by Anglia drivers at the time who where based there.

 

[dk1]

Chiltern into Paddington

Was that unusual though? There was a daily service (SX)

 

[Kite159]

Thameslink into Victoria during engineering works.

 

[bionic]

Thameslink into Victoria during engineering works.

There are a number of booked Thameslink passenger trains into Victoria every Sunday morning to/from Orpington and Sevenoaks.

 

[yorkie]

I believe Virgin has run Voyagers into Marylebone before, when they were unable to access Euston due to trackwork.

Every so often this gets claimed but I am sure it's not true

Was that unusual though? There was a daily service (SX)

Indeed it was not unusual

Sometime ago but sure I have seen a picture of a Virgin XC Voyager in Paddington.

That was not unusual at the time

 

[dk1]

I believe Virgin has run Voyagers into Marylebone before, when they were unable to access Euston due to trackwork.

I may be wrong but I seem to recall these 15 coach 'Blockbusters' running from Euston before taking the North London Line then via Acton Main Line before joining the Chiltern route at Greenford. I used it a couple of times to connect into other Virgin services at Nuneaton.

 

[Mag_seven]

I may be wrong but I seem to recall these 15 coach 'Blockbusters' running from Euston before taking the North London Line then via Acton Main Line before joining the Chiltern route at Greenford. I used it a couple of times to connect into other Virgin services at Nuneaton.

That is indeed the route they took but for some reason it's become an urban myth that they ran into Marylebone.

If pre-privatisation services are allowed then Intercity West Coast services operating into St Pancras.

 

[Ianno87]

FGW ran West of England services into Waterloo during some Reading blocks.

GTR run occasional trains into the Kent side of Victoria.

 

[yorkie]

FGW ran West of England services into Waterloo during some Reading blocks.

The OP beat you to it

GTR run occasional trains into the Kent side of Victoria.

As @bionic says, there appear to be regular booked services.

 

[Ianno87]

As @bionic says, there appear to be regular booked services.[/QUOTE]

Lots of ad-hoc ones too, mainly Gatwick Express into Platform 7/8 durimg engineering works, and some use of Platform 8 by Metro services (albeit much reduced by May 2018)

 

[yorkie]

I think the OP was asking for examples of TOCs running trains to London termini not usually served by that TOC.

 

[harryclewis]

I think the OP was asking for examples of TOCs running trains to London termini not usually served by that TOC.

That's correct, for example if South West Trains ever ran into Paddington for example.

 

[Mag_seven]

Was that unusual though? There was a daily service (SX)

I would argue it still counts as Paddington is certainly not the usual terminus for Chiltern. In a similar vain I would therefore include C2C services operating into Liverpool St.

 

[dk1]

I would argue it still counts as Paddington is certainly not the usual terminus for Chiltern. In a similar vain I would therefore include C2C services operating into Liverpool St.

I have to disagree. On the subject of C2C weekends have booked workings and have done for several years thanks to Westfield Stratford City.

 

[yorkie]

As is often the case, unless it's specified very specifically, there will often be differences of opinion in how to interpret the criteria.

c2c run 4 trains per hour into Liverpool Street on Saturdays.

 

[RichJF]

Been on a Southern service that was diverted into Blackfriars once when everything fell over at London Bridge. Think it was around 2012 time.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

There were HSTs into Waterloo from Birmingham, Manchester and I think Leeds via the WLL as a sop to the cancellation of the promised Eurostar North of London services.
Didn't last long, of course.
We are still waiting for someone to run into St Pancras from the WCML using the connection specifically put in for the purpose of through running to HS1.

 

[swt_passenger]

Yeah Waterloo is the occasional one with engineering works...

I suspect that’s past tense only now. Yes, there was a specific need on those few occasions to close all the SE London Bridge routes, which made the Waterloo option necessary, but I’d expect another future London Bridge full closure to be incredibly unlikely...

 

[30907]

Southeastern have done Waterloo occasionally in the last couple of years. They can also divert to Blackfriars if required.

I know things have changed, but I still think of Blackfriars as a SE station also served by TL rather than the other way round. Showing my age!

 

[Marton]

There were HSTs into Waterloo from Birmingham, Manchester and I think Leeds via the WLL as a sop to the cancellation of the promised Eurostar North of London services.
Didn't last long, of course.

They certainly stopped in Darlington, from memory about 0830 (and virtually empty) but whether it was an Edinburgh or Newcastle start I don’t recollect. There may have been a Leeds one too.

I think it was BR East Coast not GNER.