Trivia: Unusual train services

[TurboFintan]

Don't forget Yarmouth to Barmouth...

I don't think there was ever a through service between the two, the name Barmouth to Yarmouth Railway probably derived from Central Trains' sphere of operations at their peak.

 

[Bikeman78]

I don't think there was ever a through service between the two, the name Barmouth to Yarmouth Railway probably derived from Central Trains' sphere of operations at their peak.

Birmingham to Aberystwyth trains did sometimes run as through trains to or from other destinations. I think they briefly had 170s on the Cambrian before the route transferred to Wales and Borders.

 

[Ianno87]

I don't think there was ever a through service between the two, the name Barmouth to Yarmouth Railway probably derived from Central Trains' sphere of operations at their peak.

For the same reason I now sometimes refer to GTR as the 'Watlington & Warblington'

 

[PHILIPE]

Birmingham to Aberystwyth trains did sometimes run as through trains to or from other destinations. I think they briefly had 170s on the Cambrian before the route transferred to Wales and Borders.

They also had 150s, 153s and 156s but now exclusively 158s.. No variety

 

[70014IronDuke]

Until the last timetable change, there was one odd Sunderland - Whitehaven daily working, sort of 18.30? ex Carlisle I think it was. Maybe a decade back or more, there used to be a couple more Newcastle - Cumbrian Coast workings. I can't remember if there were any the other way, strangely. But perhaps someone in here knows better (as they usually do). I wonder if these workings attracted any/many through passengers?

 

[Iskra]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C67069/2018/09/04/advanced

Can anyone explain this one? Is it related to the signalling work at Derby?

 

[DarloRich]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C67069/2018/09/04/advanced

Can anyone explain this one? Is it related to the signalling work at Derby?

Route knowledge retention?

 

[DavidGrain]

Back in Virgin Cross Country days there was a train from Paddington to Glasgow via Birmingham and Manchester. I think it left at 6.00am and took most of the day. I doubt if anyone travelled the full journey.

 

[PHILIPE]

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C67069/2018/09/04/advanced

Can anyone explain this one? Is it related to the signalling work at Derby?

There is one in each direction:-

WTT 0947 0946 Corby 1M06 EM Derby 0948 0948
WTT 1721 1721 Derby 1P68 EM Kettering 1723 1723

I believe that they are stock movements to move stock for Corby to St Pancras services to and from Etches Park which EMT thought that they might as well run as a passenger train. They run regularly and not connected in any way to the current Derby project.

 

[Iskra]

There is one in each direction:-

WTT 0947 0946 Corby 1M06 EM Derby 0948 0948
WTT 1721 1721 Derby 1P68 EM Kettering 1723 1723

I believe that they are stock movements to move stock for Corby to St Pancras services to and from Etches Park which EMT thought that they might as well run as a passenger train. They run regularly and not connected in any way to the current Derby project.

Thanks for the information. Good to see a TOC putting ECS moves into service.

I’ve arranged a trip on it!

 

[MotCO]

Admittedly the notion of a non-stop train from Orpington to London Bridge isn’t rare; but I assume your meaning is because it’s a 465/376 service and designed to be a contra-peak capacity buster?

No, I meant there are few trains which start at Orpington, first stop London Bridge. There are obviously other trains which are non-stop from Orpington to London Bridge, but they all start from further out.

 

[Esker-pades]

Contra-peak AM services from Cannon Street that don't stop at London Bridge (a few that run to New Cross, 1 to Lewisham and 1 all the way to Eltham).

 

[Ianno87]

No, I meant there are few trains which start at Orpington, first stop London Bridge. There are obviously other trains which are non-stop from Orpington to London Bridge, but they all start from further out.

Those are basically trains that stable between the peaks at Orpington.

2008-2010 there was at least one train non-stop in the morning contra-peak from Victoria to West Croydon only - a bounce back off an AM peak fast Tattenham Corner arrival onto an off-peak suburban diagram.

 

[bramling]

There is one in each direction:-

WTT 0947 0946 Corby 1M06 EM Derby 0948 0948
WTT 1721 1721 Derby 1P68 EM Kettering 1723 1723

I believe that they are stock movements to move stock for Corby to St Pancras services to and from Etches Park which EMT thought that they might as well run as a passenger train. They run regularly and not connected in any way to the current Derby project.

The current timetable has the southbound Derby to Corny service go on to form a one-off Kettering to Sheffield service that runs via the mainline. Outwardly I don’t get the point of this apart from perhaps to replicate something in the previous timetable where a train used to divide at Kettering, but equally I’ve never used the service in question so it may well be very well used.

The current morning Corby to Derby journey isn’t just a train returning to depot, as upon reaching Derby the 222 actually goes ECS to Nottingham to then do a London service. Again this may well be a messy way of continuing things which were in past timetables.

 

[4-SUB 4732]

No, I meant there are few trains which start at Orpington, first stop London Bridge. There are obviously other trains which are non-stop from Orpington to London Bridge, but they all start from further out.

What you mean is the same, really, as what I mean as these Orpington starters and fasts from/to there (both ways at peak) are all 376/465.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

The 1026 St Erth to Exeter St Davids on Summer Saturdays.

 

[Cambus731]

Not sure if it counts, but the service I caught the other day did strike me as being a bit odd.
I believe it may be Saturdays only, and also only temporary, but the direct Cross Country train from Aberdeen to Guildford did very much strike me as an odd one. Its difficult to imagine two less likely places to have a direct train between.
Obviously I'm trying to see this from the point of view of a normal, as opposed to a train crank. Obviously Aberdeen is a logical place for a service to commence, but at face value Guildford does seem an odd place to terminate it as opposed to what would seem a more logical place such as Reading, Southampton, or even Brighton.

 

[Cambus731]

Perth to Elgin is another odd one

 

[PHILIPE]

Not sure if it counts, but the service I caught the other day did strike me as being a bit odd.
I believe it may be Saturdays only, and also only temporary, but the direct Cross Country train from Aberdeen to Guildford did very much strike me as an odd one. Its difficult to imagine two less likely places to have a direct train between.
Obviously I'm trying to see this from the point of view of a normal, as opposed to a train crank. Obviously Aberdeen is a logical place for a service to commence, but at face value Guildford does seem an odd place to terminate it as opposed to what would seem a more logical place such as Reading, Southampton, or even Brighton.

This is only temporary working during the Derby Blockade closure when, as is usual with Cross Country, a train is diverted and emerges later on the normal route the other side it then drops back onto the next path usually half an hour or an hour later. This brings up different destinations other than the normal ones otherwise the whole of the Cross Country Timetable from Aberdeen to Penzance and to Bournemouth would have to be ripped up and started again from scratch. It can entail additional dwell times at stations to wait for the timings of the next path

 

[Cambus731]

I realised it was due to something like a blockade going on somewhere, but I was seeing it from the point of view of someone who wouldn't know.

 

[A Challenge]

There's probably a reason for this, but Kyle of Localsh to Elgin seems a bit of a strange service

 

[route101]

Perth to Elgin is another odd one

Used to be a Glasgow to Elgin , not sure if that still runs and a Glasgow to Kyle

 

[The Prisoner]

0630 Newcastle to Glasgow Central via the Tyne Valley and Dumfries is pretty strange.

Operates as a Northern service to Carlisle and then a Scotrail service for the rest of the journey. Heads back at 1613 and takes four hours....

 

[LowLevel]

Birmingham to Aberystwyth trains did sometimes run as through trains to or from other destinations. I think they briefly had 170s on the Cambrian before the route transferred to Wales and Borders.

There was a Skegness to Aberystwyth service once upon a time (booked for a 153 at the start of the journey!) but I don't believe the east coast had a through service to Pwllheli.

 

[43055]

There is one in each direction:-

WTT 0947 0946 Corby 1M06 EM Derby 0948 0948
WTT 1721 1721 Derby 1P68 EM Kettering 1723 1723

I believe that they are stock movements to move stock for Corby to St Pancras services to and from Etches Park which EMT thought that they might as well run as a passenger train. They run regularly and not connected in any way to the current Derby project.

The current timetable has the southbound Derby to Corny service go on to form a one-off Kettering to Sheffield service that runs via the mainline. Outwardly I don’t get the point of this apart from perhaps to replicate something in the previous timetable where a train used to divide at Kettering, but equally I’ve never used the service in question so it may well be very well used.

The current morning Corby to Derby journey isn’t just a train returning to depot, as upon reaching Derby the 222 actually goes ECS to Nottingham to then do a London service. Again this may well be a messy way of continuing things which were in past timetables.

The morning service comes off the Kettering to Corby shuttle after the London to Corby services start. The evening service use to continue to London in the path of a normal Corby service after Kettering but now the old 1700 is now a HST hence now finishing at Kettering and the Sheffield starting there.

 

[greyman42]

Is Berwick to Kings Cross unusual? I am not aware of anything starting or terminating at Berwick in modern times.

 

[John Bray]

Lovely train the 0846 Orpington to London Bridge. Presumably it allows one more peak journey, talking it out to Sevenoaks and back would add 25 minutes and make it miss the peak traffic. The odd stops for the Victoria fasts are probably because the trains have standing room for one extra station's worth, when the stoppers can't cope. Pixie Busters.

 

[A Challenge]

Another one - the 09:33 Redhill to Reading - most trains are either stoppers both sides of Guildford (and start at Redhill) or are semifasts both sides of Guildford (though one runs non stop Guildford to Wokingham, also a contender for this), which is all station to Guildford then Ash, Farnborough North, Sanduhurst, Crowthorne and Wokingham. Most semifasts go Guildford - North Camp - Blackwater - Wokingham, which makes this odd. I know that the Farnborough North stop is for Farnborough Sixth form college (10:03 though, strange time for a college), but that doesn't explain the other oddities, why not just replace the North Camp or Blackwater stops.

Also on the North Downs line the last train from Reading (23:34) is all stops (exc SWR stops to Wokingham, but inc Wanborough) and then Dorking Deepdene, Reigate, Redhill and Gatwick Airport (01:07), but on Friday skips Wokingham, with no other alterations. The 23:35 on Saturdays also skips Wokingham, and there is no equivalent train on Sunday (the last, the 23:15, does stop). There is (M-F) a 23:52 SWR to Ascot that calls at Wokingham at 00:12, so it would make sense except for the fact that it's only Friday. This train doesn't exist on Saturdays, meaning the last train is the 23:12 stopper, and on Sundays the 23:15 GWR is the last to Wokingham. Now that means that the last service on Saturday is earlier (by 3 minutes) than on Sunday, athough as it stops it arrives later.

 

[rg177]

Is Berwick to Kings Cross unusual? I am not aware of anything starting or terminating at Berwick in modern times.

It's basically done to give Berwick, Alnmouth and Morpeth a reasonably early arrival into London on weekdays (1002 vs 1041 on the first through service) and allows for the following service (The Scotsman) to run non-stop to Newcastle. From observations it's also a popular peak train into Newcastle from Morpeth.

In the evenings there's a decent assortment of services so there's no need to bother, although I suspect that diverting the 20:00 Sunderland up to Berwick instead might generate a few more passengers than carting some air over the Wear.

 

[MotCO]

What you mean is the same, really, as what I mean as these Orpington starters and fasts from/to there (both ways at peak) are all 376/465.

I get confused with the class numbers! If a 465 is a Networker, these are also on the Ashford services, stopping at Orpington then fast to London Bridge. If a 376 is the Electrostar, then, yes, that would be rare!