Trivia: Unusual / Interesting Calling Patterns?

[MikeFromLFE]

There's the Mon-Fri Leicester to Gloucester departure at 2020 (from LEI) which is a Cross Country extension of the regular Birmingham shuttle.
I think I know why it runs like this but it always seems an anomaly, particularly as there's apparently no return journey.

 

[N/100]

There used to be a quite number of SE metro trains leaving Cannon Street in the morning peak that skipped London Bridge to minimise platform use and maximise capacity at Cannon Street. I can just find the 08:32 to Dartford now https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P97044/2024-11-04/detailed.

I also like the fast SE Hastings peak hour services that used to be fast to High Brooms, and have quietly had a Chelsfield stop added (but not Orpington , Sevenoaks or Tonbridge).

 

[30907]

There used to be a quite number of SE metro trains leaving Cannon Street in the morning peak that skipped London Bridge to minimise platform use and maximise capacity at Cannon Street. I can just find the 08:32 to Dartford now https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P97044/2024-11-04/detailed.

I also like the fast SE Hastings peak hour services that used to be fast to High Brooms, and have quietly had a Chelsfield stop added (but not Orpington , Sevenoaks or Tonbridge).

The Chelsfield fasts have existed in some form or other since the mid 70s (originally from CHX not CST) - as first introduced they provided convenient connections to Knockholt and Dunton Green which otherwise had no peak service to/from LBG/WAE/CHX. These days I imagine the prime market is Chelsfield-City commuters themselves, of which I imagine there are still many.

 

[Deepgreen]

The 07.04 Bath - Filton AW catches out at least one person a week by going direct from Keynsham - Lawrence Hill - especially if it’s running a few minutes late.

Does that mean it takes/might take a different route when on time? What is advertised for this working?

The 1133 Weybridge to London Waterloo via Staines & Hounslow journey runs six days a week, Monday to Saturday. These services run every half an hour calling at all stations.

Except on a Friday, when this particular journey sits at Brentford (formerly at Chiswick) for around 15 minutes, before continuing forward but skipping Putney, Wandsworth Town, Queenstown Road and Vauxhall. I’ve heard it’s to facilitate a weekly track/bridge inspection.

The 1133 runs every half an hour...?

 

[Flange Squeal]

The 1133 runs every half an hour...?

Obviously not. I was just trying to be helpful and clarify the frequency of the Weybridge to Waterloo via Hounslow service pattern for those not familiar with the route, to give a bit of background as to what level of ‘unusual’ that particular journey’s calling pattern is compared to the number of other journeys per day that run over the same route.

 

[devon_belle]

1H92 0605 Littlehampton to London Bridge and its return trip 1H93 1733 London Bridge to Littlehampton are the only passenger trains to run non-stop through Gatwick Airport.

 

[notyolosmh]

1B97 Fishguard Harbour - Cardiff Central & 1V95 Holyhead - Llanelli go via the Swansea District

2E18 Cardiff Central - Fishguard Harbour & 1E96 Swansea - Fishguard Harbour go via the Carmarthen avoider

 

[A S Leib]

Does that mean it takes/might take a different route when on time? What is advertised for this working?

I think they meant that it might be mistaken for the 07:10 to Bristol Temple Meads ex Fratton.

 

[dk1]

I think it changed under Virgin, rather than Avanti. Firstly the extra 2012 Pendolinos allowed Glasgow to go hourly all day (previously there were three two-hour gaps in both directions), then later the 1630 limited stop was removed at some point.

It was a fascinating timetable if a little overcooked. I seem to recall the 17:57 got chopped back to Lancaster eventually. I always thought sending it to Blackpool after electrification would have made sense. There was also that FO 18:46 Euston-Preston stopper utilising the Pretendolino.

1L21 2137 Liverpool Lime Street to Nottingham calls at Chinley, Edale, Hope, Bamford, Hathersage and Grindleford. I do not know whether this train always does the route but after Sheffield it runs via Woodhouse and Barrow Hill calling only at Chesterfield before Nottingham.

In the opposite direction the 15:48 (SX) Norwich-Liverpool Lime St calls additional at Eccles Road & Harling Road and the 15:54 (SuO) operates via the West Curve avoiding Ely.

 

[The exile]

It was, but just looked it up and it only goes as far as Temple Meads now!

That looks like a temporary measure only - checked for the end of this month and it’s Swansea again.

I think they meant that it might be mistaken for the 07:10 to Bristol Temple Meads ex Fratton.

Exactly - once the Filton has departed “every train goes to Temple Meads” applies (including others with destination Filton AW), so people who aren’t usually there at the departure time of the direct service easily get caught out.

 

[WestAnglian]

The 0531 from Cambridge (2H99) is the only train from there to Stratford. Not only that but it is the only train between Tottenham Hale and Stratford that misses Lea Bridge.

While on that line, there are a handful of class 1 services from Cambridge to Liverpool St. in the peaks. In class 379 days these were the only 12-car services. This led to some odd stopping patterns on Stansted Express as these class 1s are the fast peak commuter trains, demoting the Stansted services. Therefore some peak Stansted Express services call at Cheshunt. Until recently at least one called at Brimsdown, but that seems to have gone.

Most of those class 1s run back to Cambridge in service, also as class 1. You really need to watch out for the 0803 from Liverpool St (1H98) which runs non-stop between Tottenham Hale and Audley End. This catches out Harlow and Stortford passengers as they expect a Cambridge service to stop at those stations.

 

[tram21]

There's an unusual Crosscountry once a day, one way only service from Nottingham to Bournemouth around 6am. It's the only time an XC voyager serves Nottingham and Beeston stations.

As well as reversing three times in its journey, and being a very unusual service, it's the only train I believe to stop at only Beeston on the journey from Nottingham to Derby. All other trains either run non stop or stop at Long Eaton (and Attenborough/ Spondon as well).

 

[notyolosmh]

1D91 Cardiff Central - Portsmouth Harbour goes via Eastleigh

2M95 Portsmouth Harbour - Bristol Temple Meads goes via Eastleigh

Both services reverse at Eastleigh

 

[Purple Train]

There are some interesting calling patterns on the Elizabeth Line in the peak. My favourites are 9U57, the 07.24 Reading-Abbey Wood, and 9U69, the 07.54 Reading-Abbey Wood, which call at Twyford and Maidenhead, skip Taplow, call at Burnham and Slough, then skip Langley and Iver, call at West Drayton, and then run fast all the way to Ealing Broadway. Then they call at Acton Main Line, and are the only services to go direct from Maidenhead to Acton Main Line all day!

I also like 1J93, the 18.08 Paddington-Frome, which calls at Twyford, and (I think) is the only fast service to do so bar an early-morning service from Bedwyn.

 

[A S Leib]

Given that CrossCountry's main timetable's based around hourly services running to or via Birmingham New Street, I'd say that the ones which don't do so are a bit odd.

07:56 SOU - BMH
06:40 BRI - PLY
08:12 BRI - PGN
20:07 EDB - NCL
06:34 BRI - PLY Sat
08:10 BRI - PGN Sat
09:52 RDG - BMH Sun
08:44 BRI - PLY Sun
09:48 BRI - PLY Sun
20:25 EDB - NCL Sun
21:00 GLC - EDB Sun
06:25 EDB - GLC
05:43 LDS - EDB
07:17 DBY - NCL
06:25 EDB - GLC Sat
06:32 YRK - EDB Sat
06:58 DBY - NCL Sat
19:30 PGN - BRI Sat
09:05 / 09:16 LDS - EDB Sun
09:21 SHF - EDB Sun (sometimes going via Doncaster, sometimes Leeds; engineering work?)
21:35 ABD - EDB Mon-Sat
21:30 ABD - EDB Sun
06:42 DEE - ABD
21:30 PNZ - PLY Sat
05:28 BPW - CDF
20:27 SSD - CBG Sat
22:27 SSD - CBG Mon-Sat
22:57 SSD - CBG
23:27 SSD - CBG Sat
20:27 SSD - CBG Sun
21:04 SSD - CBG Sun
22:27 SSD - CBG Sun
23:04 SSD - CBG Sun
04:44 CBG - SSD
04:51 CBG - SSD Sat (I haven't been keeping track, but this one skips Audley End)
05:17 CBG - SSD
05:40 CBG - SSD Sat
06:34 CBG - SSD
06:40 CBG - SSD Sun
07:34 CBG - SSD
05:58 DBY - NOT
09:15-13:15 hourly CBG - SSD Sun

 

[jfollows]

I also like 1J93, the 18.08 Paddington-Frome, which calls at Twyford, and (I think) is the only fast service to do so bar an early-morning service from Bedwyn.

1K22 17:05 Paddington-Newbury
1K26 19:06 Paddington-Bedwyn

 

[RailWonderer]

There's an unusual Crosscountry once a day, one way only service from Nottingham to Bournemouth around 6am. It's the only time an XC voyager serves Nottingham and Beeston stations.

As well as reversing three times in its journey, and being a very unusual service, it's the only train I believe to stop at only Beeston on the journey from Nottingham to Derby. All other trains either run non stop or stop at Long Eaton (and Attenborough/ Spondon as well).

The Norwich - Nottingham also goes via Stamford once per day in the early morning

Realtime Trains | 0607 Nottingham to Norwich | 04/11/2024

Real-time train running information for 0607 departure from Nottingham to Norwich on 04/11/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

And EMR also does a once daily service to London from Melton Mowbray.

Realtime Trains | 0815 Melton Mowbray to Kettering | 04/11/2024

Real-time train running information for 0815 departure from Melton Mowbray to Kettering on 04/11/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[duffield]

There's an unusual Crosscountry once a day, one way only service from Nottingham to Bournemouth around 6am. It's the only time an XC voyager serves Nottingham and Beeston stations.

As well as reversing three times in its journey, and being a very unusual service, it's the only train I believe to stop at only Beeston on the journey from Nottingham to Derby. All other trains either run non stop or stop at Long Eaton (and Attenborough/ Spondon as well).

The 0639, or 0642 on Saturday. I've used it a few times (once all the way to Bournemouth). Nice and empty, at least when joining at Nottingham, it fills up later!

 

[Jimini]

The 0639, or 0642 on Saturday. I've used it a few times (once all the way to Bournemouth). Nice and empty, at least when joining at Nottingham, it fills up later!

That's the badger. I used to catch it every couple of weeks or so from Coventry at 0826 -- used to have to get there super early to get your way past the gateline staff as they never, ever believed that an off-peak ticket was valid on it (although to be fair, Coventry to Swindon probably isn't a common journey! )

 

[Rail Quest]

2D51 1708 Stockport to Chester misses off Cuddington and Delamere. It's the only train to pass through either of these stations without stopping and I have no idea why this is the case.

 

[childwallblues]

1E55 2147 liverpool Lime Street to Huddersfield calls at Mossley (2244), Greenfield (2249). Marsden (2257), Slathwaite (2300) reaching Huddersfield at 2307. It thens forms the 2M94 2333 Huddersfield non stop to Manchester Victoria via Brighouse and the Calder Valley arriving 0018.

 

[A S Leib]

The 23:24 Euston – Wolverhampton on Sundays runs fast through Northampton. There's also four regularly scheduled services which run fast through Redhill (03:43 Bedford – Brighton, 05:41 Gatwick – Victoria, 22:56 Brighton – Bedford, 23:25 Victoria – Brighton).

 

[adc82140]

1K22 17:05 Paddington-Newbury
1K26 19:06 Paddington-Bedwyn

That 17.05 +/- a few mins has had a number of destinations over the years, including Bristol Temple Meads via Westbury.

There used to be an early morning service ex Didcot (or it may have been Oxford) that called at Cholsey, Goring, Pangbourne, Tilehurst, Maidenhead then fast to Paddington. Missed out Reading in order to give those of us boarding at Maidenhead a fighting chance of getting on. It was usually formed of a 10 car Class 180. If an HST turned up, it could be a bit cosy.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

There used to be an early morning service ex Didcot (or it may have been Oxford) that called at Cholsey, Goring, Pangbourne, Tilehurst, Maidenhead then fast to Paddington.

The “Thames Valley Limited”!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

The 23:24 Euston – Wolverhampton on Sundays runs fast through Northampton.

At a guess, is that to allow for engineering work on the normal route via Weedon, given the time of night and it being Sunday night?

 

[Jimini]

At a guess, is that to allow for engineering work on the normal route via Weedon, given the time of night and it being Sunday night?

Yep that's the standard reason for it being sent via the loop (same as anything after 10pm).

 

[infobleep]

Five London Victoria to Littlehampton services stop additionally at Horley. The 16:46; 17:16; 17:46; 18:16 and 18:46 departures from London Victoria.

Two Bedford to Brighton services also stop there. The 03:15 and 23:43 departure from Bedford.

That just leaves the already mentioned servixe from London Victoria to Ore, which departs 05:34.

In the opposite direction though there are less trains from Littlehampton to London Victoria stopping at Horley. The departures from Littlehampton at 06:10, 06:40; 07:10 & 07:40.

From Brighton to Bedford it is just the 0:02 deparure and from Ore nothing.

Worth noting it takes 31 minutes from Horley to London Victoria on the direct services and 54 minutes otherwise. So an increase of 23 minutes! In the opposite direction it is 32 minutes vers 49 minutes, so slightly better

 

[cjw714]

I think that's the Paddington – Swansea reversing at Temple Meads and Parkway; if so, is that the only GWR service to reverse twice outside engineering works, given that there's currently no GWR services west of Carmarthen?

Monday to Friday there's a 6 35 train from Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street and a 20 06 from Westbury to Cheltenham both of which reverse at Swindon and Gloucester. On Saturdays there is an 11 12 service from Salisbury to Worcester Foregate Street, an 18 12 from Salisbury to Cheltenham and a 19 13 from Salisbury to Worcester Shrub Hill all of which reverse at Temple Meads and Gloucester. There don't appear to be any similar services on Sunday and in the opposite direction start at Gloucester so avoid the double reverse.

 

[King Lazy]

On the Furness line there is one train per day that goes to Manchester Victoria departing Barrow at 1945. The other 10 direct Manchester services per day go to the Airport. It is clearly to get the unit to Newton Heath depot.

 

[JRT]

Low Moor has the regular Bradford–Huddersfield, Leeds–Chester, and Bradford Interchange–King's Cross services.

One York–Blackpool North calls 13:23
One Leeds–Chester doesn't call 13:10