Trivia: Unusual timetabled services?

[nuneatonmark]

Nominations for the most unusual timetabled passenger service, excluding parliamentary services, engineering diversions and sleepers. They could services that are way out of line with the usual service pattern or route on a particular line/service, have a very unusual stopping pattern, start from or terminate at an unusual station or any combination of the above or anything else that is unusual.

 

[Strathclyder]

I nominate the weekdays only 1Y20 0521 Oban to Glasgow Queen Street, as it is the only West Highland Line service to call at Cardross, Singer, Maryhill & Possilpark & Parkhouse.

 

[glbotu]

I nominate 2H20 Cambridge - Ely

It's run every day by Greater Anglia, who only operate a few peak extras North of Cambridge from Liverpool Street. However this service seems to be there just to use an extra path (probably required for Ely commuters). However operationally it's weird as it's formed from 5H20 Ely - Cambridge and forms 5H93 Ely - Cambridge Carriage Sidings.

 

[ValleyLines142]

I find the 0609 Bath to Glasgow quite cool

As well as the daily Euston to Blackpool Voyager

 

[SprinterMan]

East Midlands Trains has some very weird Lincolnshire rural services doing circuitous route:

2E01 0510 Nottingham to Spalding
2L53 0655 Nottingham to Peterborough
2K35 1302 Newark North Gate to Peterborough
2K45 1528 Newark North Gate to Peterborough
2R92 2100 Spalding to Nottingham

Adam

 

[Mitch in Notts]

East Midlands Trains has some very weird Lincolnshire rural services doing circuitous route:

2E01 0510 Nottingham to Spalding
2L53 0655 Nottingham to Peterborough
2K35 1302 Newark North Gate to Peterborough
2K45 1528 Newark North Gate to Peterborough
2R92 2100 Spalding to Nottingham

Adam

I suppose the 0655 plugs the gap between the 0610 & 0752 departures to Peterborough. Shame it arrives their after the 0752.......

 

[SprinterMan]

I suppose the 0655 plugs the gap between the 0610 & 0752 departures to Peterborough. Shame it arrives their after the 0752.......

It seems to be a Nottingham to Lincoln and Lincoln to Peterborough service stuck together for operational reasons as opposed to be used for any end-to-end journeys.

Adam

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

I vote for the Northern Rail service to Grimsby from Doncaster as it isn't even shown on Northern's map as a limited service.

 

[SprinterMan]

I vote for the Northern Rail service to Grimsby from Doncaster as it isn't even shown on Northern's map as a limited service.

Ah yes, 2F80 0529 Doncaster to Cleethorpes

Adam

 

[infobleep]

How about the 7.45 Clapham Junction to Guildford that runs via Ascot and Aldershot. Runs Monday to Friday. Use to start from Richmond. There's no equivalent in the opposite direction.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W93181/2015/01/09/advanced

 

[northwichcat]

Chester to Southport via Altrincham services on Sundays?

or even just the Chester-Stockport only trains which don't continue to Manchester, despite there being more demand for Manchester than Stockport.

We used to have a St-Annes-on-Sea to Greenbank service but that stopped back in 2008.

 

[berneyarms]

East Midlands Trains has some very weird Lincolnshire rural services doing circuitous route:

2E01 0510 Nottingham to Spalding
2L53 0655 Nottingham to Peterborough
2K35 1302 Newark North Gate to Peterborough
2K45 1528 Newark North Gate to Peterborough
2R92 2100 Spalding to Nottingham

Adam

I suppose the 0655 plugs the gap between the 0610 & 0752 departures to Peterborough. Shame it arrives their after the 0752.......

It seems to be a Nottingham to Lincoln and Lincoln to Peterborough service stuck together for operational reasons as opposed to be used for any end-to-end journeys.

Adam

They really are all split journeys joined together.

The first is a positioning move from Nottingham to Peterborough to operate the early morning services between Peterborough and Spalding.

Similarly the last service above is the final Spalding to Peterborough service, and the train returning to base in Nottingham.

The third and fourth trains are joining up Newark-Lincoln and Lincoln-Peterborough services.

 

[Mag_seven]

1630 Euston-Glasgow (M-F), only one intermediate stop at Preston

 

[tsr]

0638 Sanderstead - London Victoria (http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W76641/2015/01/09/advanced)

The only train to start at Sanderstead in normal circumstances. Funnily enough, I've used it at least once this week.

 

[PeterJ]

1B96 and 1B97 Fishguard boat trains, only trains to use Swansea district line and only trains not to call at Carmarthen, Pembrey and Port Talbot

 

[CockneySparrow]

I nominate 2H20 Cambridge - Ely

It's run every day by Greater Anglia, who only operate a few peak extras North of Cambridge from Liverpool Street. However this service seems to be there just to use an extra path (probably required for Ely commuters). However operationally it's weird as it's formed from 5H20 Ely - Cambridge and forms 5H93 Ely - Cambridge Carriage Sidings.

It is in fact heavily used though

 

[306024]

It is in fact heavily used though

Indeed. You would be surprised just how busy peak services are from Ely into Cambridge in the morning and back in the evening.

 

[class303]

2W21 1632 Glasgow Central to Wemyss Bay

The only train of the week in either direction that doesn't call it IBM. Been this way for years now. Always wondered the logic behind it.


http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/G92487/2015/01/02/advanced

 

[bb21]

I'd imagine that the train I'm on now qualifies.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/P32265/2015/01/09/advanced

Once a week on the Friday night and beyond LM's otherwise operating territory boundary at Worcester Shrub Hill.

 

[theageofthetra]

The late night, unadvertised Hayes fast to Lewisham drunktank where staff lock the train out of use and remove any drunks who couldn't be 'persuaded' to leave at Hayes.

 

[ASharpe]

Inspired by a post on this thread

There are a couple of trains on a Sunday that go from Stockton to Eaglescliffe and on to Darlington, and also other trains doing the opposite journey on to Newcastle. No other northern trains go over that bit of track so it's a bit odd.

Two of those services are the ones that stop at Teeside airport (because it would be ridiculous to have one of the regular passing train to stop there). Not certain if they all count as parliamentary services or not, I think they could be for route knowledge as it appears to be four separate diagrams.

 

[Sharpie]

my nomination is 2P99 0325 Peterborough - Kings Cross via Hertford North using a 4 car 365

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/L01079/2015/01/13/advanced

despite what Realtime trains says about it being a 317 its definitely a 365 went on it the other week as i needed hertford north for track coverage and refuse to use a 313

 

[grid56126]

How about the 7.45 Clapham Junction to Guildford that runs via Ascot and Aldershot. Runs Monday to Friday. Use to start from Richmond. There's no equivalent in the opposite direction.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W93181/2015/01/09/advanced

Pair of 456s as well . . . .

 

[Springs Branch]

2F25 06.44 Wigan NW - Liverpool Lime St.

There are lots of Wigan/Liverpool trains via St Helens Central, but this is the only one routed via Golborne Jct, Newton-le-Willows then all stations on the L&M to Lime St.

It's the only Northern pacer to go bouncing down the WCML Up Fast from Wigan to Golborne & the only passenger train using the curve from Lowton Jct to N-l-W Jct.
No service in the opposite direction, and no indication of this train's route in Northern's timetables or route diagrams.

 

[Condor7]

1630 Euston-Glasgow (M-F), only one intermediate stop at Preston

Yes I have often wondered why this was never a named train. It is the only through passenger service at Carlisle.

 

[Spamcan81]

Indeed. You would be surprised just how busy peak services are from Ely into Cambridge in the morning and back in the evening.

Except the train in question is a Cambridge - Ely working,

 

[Tomnick]

Except the train in question is a Cambridge - Ely working,

...in the evening, which fits the flow described perfectly.

 

[PHILIPE]

1B96 and 1B97 Fishguard boat trains, only trains to use Swansea district line and only trains not to call at Carmarthen, Pembrey and Port Talbot

Not quite correct. The following also use the Swansea District Line but call at the listed stations:-

1W48 05 03 (EWD) Carmarthen to Manchester Picc
1v62 18 30 (FSX) Manchester Picc to Carmarthen
1E16 12 05 (SUN) Cardiff Cen to Milford Haven

On Saturdays 1B97 travels via Swansea Loop West and not the District Line.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

The Far North line is timetabled with a note that services may be 15mins late on some days due to freight.
The new Blackpool to London service is also unusual as it is slower than services which require a change.

All trains stopping at Polesworth as they don't stop there on the way back.
EMT to Scarborough.
The EMT summer Sundays Cleethorpes to Nottingham service.
The Highland Chieftain by Eastcoast is another odd train.

 

[najaB]

The Highland Chieftain by Eastcoast is another odd train.

How so?