dk1
Veteran Member
Yes I often pass that in the down loop when working 1P40 with staff and teachers penning the schoolkids in the car park.
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Trivia: Unusual / Interesting Calling Patterns?
- Thread starter wnr1990
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RailUK Forums
Virgin Trains and Avanti have had quite a few of these services. Trains to Glasgow Central calling at Lockerbie but not Motherwell. A southbound service from Glasgow Central to I think Crewe in the evening, calling at Carstairs but not Motherwell at one point. Back in the days when Virgin ran XC, there was a service which went to Glasgow Central via Carlisle and then reversed out to Edinburgh via Carstairs, the next morning it did the opposite journey.
MadMac
Established Member
I think there’s still a school service runs between Dalmally and Oban?
BeijingDave
Member
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- 26 Jul 2019
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- 587
Is it any stranger than calling at Tamworth or Lichfield TV but then not calling at Milton Keynes?
dk1
Veteran Member
The Ingatestone one is however advertised in the timetable for the general public too.
Sort of because pretty much WCML services into Glasgow Central do call at Motherwell, whereas services stopping at stations in the Trent Valley seem to be fairly sporadic on VT or Avanti.
miklcct
On Moderation
On Sunday, there is one train from Poole to Waterloo in the morning, and one train from Waterloo to Salisbury late night, which call at Farnborough and Fleet. I once attempted to use the morning service to travel to Fleet when I lived in Bournemouth but failed to do so, because the line was bustituted to Southampton and the rail replacement bus failed to call at Bournemouth, resulting in a huge Delay Repay bill, as the next normal train from Southampton wouldn't be able to connect to the next normal train starting from Basingstoke, and I had to wait for another hour (the Fleet and Farnborough calls on the Poole - Waterloo service are in addition to the normal hourly calls on Basingstoke - Waterloo stopping services).
318266
Member
In 2021 I visited my grandparents in Stourbridge, and one day (possibly a Saturday) took a random 11-something 172 northbound to Birmingham Snow Hill - which only stopped intermediately at Smethwick Galton Bridge. A manual tannoy announcement was made at both stations to make sure that passengers weren't being overcarried!
pokemonsuper9
Established Member
Since WMT seem to still host their old timetables, I found one at https://www.westmidlandsrailway.co....media/timetable/wm09_web_december_2021_v2.pdf I found a 10:16 M-F that did this (And a 23:00 that doesn't even stop at Smethwick).
The Saturday timetable doesn't show a daytime fast train (with the 23:00 now at 23:18)
On Sundays the 16:17 is fast as well, only Smethwick.
Going the other way (departure times from Snow Hill),
M-F: 6:37 - non stop to Stourbridge; 7:48 - non stop to Langley Green, then all stops;
Sat: Nothing interesting
Sun: 17:06 - non stop to Stourbridge
That's the 2021 December - 2022 May timetable, becuase that's the first one I found, you could've certainly been on the May 21 - Dec 21 timetable, which may have been different.
That reminded me of something. Some Southeastern high speed trains are routed through Canterbury East as stock moves, but at least once I have seen one stop at Canterbury East and pick up passengers as an unadvertised service.
Esker-pades
Established Member
I don't think any "school services" are not advertised to the general public.
dk1
Veteran Member
No I’m sure there not regardless of how nice it is to be segregated from the little darlings.
InkyScrolls
On Moderation
This is also the only service to call at Long Preston but not Gargrave.
318266
Member
10:16 seems about right - it was a bit late, if I recall.
That knowledge has come in handy today: damage to the overhead wires between Garswood and St Helens, so the Liverpool-Wigan services are calling as normal until Huyton, then using the curve at Newton-le-Willows to join the WCML and head north to Wigan that way.
GW43125
Established Member
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No longer on a weekday, but from May there's two on a Saturday morning as such, with a relief train starting out of the bay at Colchester.
dk1
Veteran Member
That was the 06:48 (SX) from Norwich & corresponding 17:30 (SX) from Liverpool Street.
I seem to recall 1D34 (9:25am Mcr Airport - Holyhead) skipped Prestatyn prior to the May 2024 TT Change, which I always found odd as everything stopped there and it only skipped that station, an unusual choice!
On the same line, 1J70 (17:28 Holyhead - Shrewsbury) used to run non-stop Llandudno Jn - Chester (with a 1D70 following to pick up the stops), but always felt weird flying through the main calling points like Rhyl at line speed on a 158! As far as i'm aware this was the only regular service to skip all NWC stops south of Llandudno Jn at the time
Both of these have now been removed sadly and call at every stop.
I remeber also seeing a regular working that went non-stop from Chester to Shrewsbury (I thought it might be the 07:20 off Chester) as this was the LHCS 67+Mk3/4s, but I've not seen it since the May 2024 TT Change (exept for diversions)
On the same line, 1J70 (17:28 Holyhead - Shrewsbury) used to run non-stop Llandudno Jn - Chester (with a 1D70 following to pick up the stops), but always felt weird flying through the main calling points like Rhyl at line speed on a 158! As far as i'm aware this was the only regular service to skip all NWC stops south of Llandudno Jn at the time
Both of these have now been removed sadly and call at every stop.
I remeber also seeing a regular working that went non-stop from Chester to Shrewsbury (I thought it might be the 07:20 off Chester) as this was the LHCS 67+Mk3/4s, but I've not seen it since the May 2024 TT Change (exept for diversions)
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Pathing at Chester station. It needs to arrive before the 18.24 to Leeds leaves. It also can't wait until after that as it would delay a TFW from Liverpool which runs behind it.
DC21
Member
0916 Sunday only TPX Glasgow Central to Manchester Airport calls at Carstairs and is the only train on that day. Any idea for the stop there?
Brent Goose
Member
Some of the Brighton to Southampton trains go via Eastleigh rather than Hamble/Woolston, etc.
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W37000/2025-04-08
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W37000/2025-04-08
tram21
Member
Not sure if this was mentioned previously but its something I noticed today.
The first EMR service from Lincoln to Nottingham goes via Newark Northgate, reversing both there and somewhere near the flat crossing
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W22379/2025-04-09/detailed
The first EMR service from Lincoln to Nottingham goes via Newark Northgate, reversing both there and somewhere near the flat crossing
https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W22379/2025-04-09/detailed
Sorry if this one has been mentioned already - doesn’t run anymore but there used to be an evening peak service from Alderley Edge to Southport (a 769) that, after leaving Manchester Piccadilly, ran non-stop through Manchester Oxford Road but then called at Deansgate!
duffield
Established Member
The odd thing to me about this service is that it shows as passing location XNK (Newark Flat Crossing) three times, even though it only actually crosses over the crossing once!
I would have actually expected the location sequence to be:
Collingham(CLM)
Newark Crossing East Jn
Newark Crossing South Jn (NOT Newark F.C.)
Newark Northgate(NNG) (reverse)
Newark Crossing South Jn (NOT Newark F.C.)
Newark Crossing East Jn (reverse)
Newark F.C. (XNK)
Newark Castle (NCT)
Is this some sort of error in the data supplied to RTT, or am I misunderstanding something?
mathstrains19
Member
In the data supplied, it only has the timing point once (see Thursdays schedule for this https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:W22379/2025-04-10/detailed). RTT fills in non-required timing points the afternoon before, and I'm guessing that it considers the crossing to be a timing point between the station and east junction, while south jn isn't a timing point.
Used to be a regular move (in both directions) that has significantly reduced in frequency over time.
Until fairly recently there were lots of trains that did this on a Sunday, a handful more on a weekday/Saturday and until 20 years or so ago even more than that!
The LNER direct London services have reduced a lot of the necessity for it.
duffield
Established Member
Right, so I guess that makes it an actual error in RTT. I'll maybe mention it on the RTT thread later.