Trivia : Which TOCs have consistent train direction?

[jammmmmsssssss]

It happens quite regularly mate. All down to stabling overnight at Parkeston Quay as well as moves to/from Norwich Victoria via the Wensum curve.

I thought it was only 720s at parkeston

 

[dk1]

I thought it was only 720s at parkeston

No a 745 used to stable there overnight and return to Ipswich to form the 06:39 Norwich. Doesn’t happen much now.

 

[LA50041]

You can't turn using the Brighton / Hove / Preston Park triangle for anything longer than 4 coaches; the only Brighton platform which can access both the Hove route and the lines heading north and/or to Lewes is Platform 3. And the connection to the Hove line turns off the (potentially 12-coach) platform just after the 4-carriage point counting from the buffers. There's an intermediate signal there to allow for anything within that southern 4-coach area to be signalled in either direction.

This is correct that platform 3 from the east/main lines can only be 4 cars.
I don’t think there is any booked east/west now, but there is a late night Vic-Worthing via platform 3

Theoretically formations up to eight-car can be turned via Hove, using the connection from Lovers Walk depot into Brighton platform 2. Obviously not for units in passenger service, and I doubt it's ever been used for a 700!

Whilst this is theoretically true, I don’t think any 700 drivers now sign the depot so would be very unlikely

 

[jammmmmsssssss]

No a 745 used to stable there overnight and return to Ipswich to form the 06:39 Norwich. Doesn’t happen much now.

I think the 06:39 is usually a 755 now

 

[dk1]

I think the 06:39 is usually a 755 now

Yes they’ve swapped things around. Was very wasteful as a 745 used to go ECS Norwich-Parkeston approx 23:00 returning around 05:15 to Ipswich. That may have ended when the Stansted Express went back to full strength last year.

A 745/0 was running around upside down on Monday.

 

[LickeyIncliner]

Surprised no one has mentioned LNER yet.
225 sets usually have the 91 at the country end and the DVT/first class at London end. The Azumas tend to stick to the same concept with first class at the London end.

My recollection is that this was also the usual practice with HSTs on ECML - though I'm open to correction on that. Was it also the case with loco-hauled trains before that - once fixed-formation trains had become standard?

 

[midland1]

Over a 100 years ago it was normal for most main line companies to have there 1st class at the London end of the train.

 

[Magdalia]

Was it also the case with loco-hauled trains before that - once fixed-formation trains had become standard?

Liverpool Street-Kings Lynn and Kings Cross-Cambridge trains usually had First Class in the middle, next to the buffet.

 

[Adrian1980uk]

It happens quite regularly mate. All down to stabling overnight at Parkeston Quay as well as moves to/from Norwich Victoria via the Wensum curve.

I have to admit I was surprised as I don't think I've seen one the wrong way round, as with 90s and 86s before that normally would be loco and first class at the London end but logically it will happen more frequently with the 745s as there is no difference which way round they are and you're not likely to marshal them round for the sake of it.

Of course other than the coach letters the Stansted express are exactly the same either way round

 

[dk1]

I have to admit I was surprised as I don't think I've seen one the wrong way round, as with 90s and 86s before that normally would be loco and first class at the London end but logically it will happen more frequently with the 745s as there is no difference which way round they are and you're not likely to marshal them round for the sake of it.

Of course other than the coach letters the Stansted express are exactly the same either way round

Oh believe me mate 90/DVT & 86/DBSO where wrong turned on so many occasions. So caught me & other drivers out with the neutral sections along the GEML.

 

[Taunton]

Over a 100 years ago it was normal for most main line companies to have there 1st class at the London end of the train.

Not really so - it was more common to have the Firsts distributed along the train, and a significant proportion, BR Mk 1 and former company stock, were Composites, both classes in one carriage. This was notably so in the considerable number of main line trains that divided into portions for different destinations.

 

[AlbertBeale]

This is correct that platform 3 from the east/main lines can only be 4 cars.
I don’t think there is any booked east/west now, but there is a late night Vic-Worthing via platform 3

Ah - so there is currently a once-a-day north-to-west connection at Brighton, using P3; I hadn't spotted that. But no east-to/from-west at all, and as far as I can remember there hasn't been for very many years.

 

[HullRailMan]

How consistent are Sleeper and the ECML open-access services?

Hull Trains always have first class at the London end. Very rare to see a reverse formation.

 

[LBMPSB]

I have no idea whether the London mayor played any part in the level boarding provision but it provides a major operational benefit in removing the faffing with ramps that would be otherwise required and could quickly disrupt services through the core.

Fully agree, but why should just certain parts of the trains have level boarding, why not make the platform level throughout? I know the answers so do not need anyone quoting why!

 

[snowball]

London end/country end does not apply for Thameslink.

But do they have a north end and a south end?

 

[bramling]

But do they have a north end and a south end?

I thought they were referred to by some as the “1 end” and the “12 end”, which is derived from the individual car numbering.

 

[duffield]

Not aware of any standard formation direction on Cross Country, and indeed even the data feeds for the platform information screens and Real Time Trains are regularly wrong. GWR are fairly consistent in First Class at the London end, and more reliable in terms of advising 'reverse' formations on their long distance services.

My experience with Cross Country is that the information for the Voyager formations is mostly right (maybe 80-90%). However, for the 170's on the Nottingham-Birmingham-Cardiff route, specifically at Derby where they reverse, the information is almost reliably wrong. So it's actually useful, if you just assume the opposite of what's being announced or shown!

Of course, with the 170's being fairly short and the Derby reversal taking a few minutes, there's plenty of time to get to the right part of the train anyhow.