Weird Places for Services to Terminate

[Mikey C]

I still see it very occasionally. Presumably for depot access at Golders Green?

Yes. From the platforms at Golders Green you can also see the occasional train going straight from the depot into the middle tunnel, which is the southbound running track to Hampstead.

 

[rapmastaj]

Adwick always seemed an odd sort of place to terminate.

All of the stations from Fitzwilliam northwards get at least 2tph, and South Elmsall effectively does too considering Moorthorpe is so close. Terminating at Adwick gives Adwick and Bentley 2tph as well - and as they're in South Yorkshire, it supports commuter flows towards Sheffield and Doncaster.

 

[leytongabriel]

Fenchurch St to Grays (via Dagenham Dock) seems odd rather than continue to Tilbury.

 

[30907]

Fenchurch St to Grays (via Dagenham Dock) seems odd rather than continue to Tilbury.

Grays has a bay platform?

 

[pompeyfan]

The evening Waterloo - Fareham via Havant is an odd one, especially as it now runs empty to Southampton Central and then to Northam. The train an hour later completes the journey to Southampton central.

 

[Bishopstone]

Fenchurch St to Grays (via Dagenham Dock) seems odd rather than continue to Tilbury.

Grays terminators on the LT&S are long-standing, but until relatively recent times the services starting and finishing there came from Upminster, via Ockendon. (Or Romford, if we go back to the 50s).

If I have my timeline right, it was the opening of Lakeside shopping centre and nearby housing development at Chafford Hundred that saw ‘via Ockendon’ services extended through to Southend Central, and in parallel the ‘via Rainham’ service was cut back to Grays, though there is timetable variety in the peak hours.

Also in the mix was the closure of the spur to Tilbury Riverside in the early 90s. In its later years, Riverside took some ‘branch’ services from Upminster, along with some trains from London via Rainham which reversed there before continuing to Pitsea and beyond.

 

[30907]

The evening Waterloo - Fareham via Havant is an odd one, especially as it now runs empty to Southampton Central and then to Northam. The train an hour later completes the journey to Southampton central.

Fratton guard, perhaps?

Though Fareham as a terminus is nothing new in itself.

 

[pompeyfan]

Fratton guard, perhaps?

Though Fareham as a terminus is nothing new in itself.

Believe the Fratton guard takes it ECS to Southampton.

The train in question is the only booked LTP service to terminate at Fareham.

 

[scotLAN]

Used to be operated by the 'Mexican Bean' 104 for the school run.

I believe the ‘Mexican Bean’ class 104 was used on Oban - Crianlarich tourist shuttles (connecting with Fort William services) rather than school runs - from recollection the dedicated Oban High School service didn’t start until around a decade ago and was planned around the increase in daily services from three to six.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Not seen it before, but because of maintenence work at Teddington area, Kingston Loop services are terminating at Hampton Wick this weekend

 

[Avenger20]

There used to be a 1633 Glasgow Queen Street to Lenzie up until 2019. The 156 then ran empty to Edinburgh to form an additional to Glasgow Central.

We of course used to have the evening Cardenden terminator which was loco hauled/HST operated in its latter years. There were also a handful of services that terminated at Kirkcaldy rather than continuing to Glenrothes with Thornton.

 

[Harpo]

Grays terminators on the LT&S are long-standing…..

The LTS had loads of odd destinations in the past with the weirdest being an Ealing Broadway to Pitsea (pre WW2).

In steam days there was a morning Tilbury Riverside to Dagenham Dock once worked by an Immingham Britannia and possibly the only pacific on an LTS service train?

 

[Class 170101]

Grays terminators on the LT&S are long-standing, but until relatively recent times the services starting and finishing there came from Upminster, via Ockendon. (Or Romford, if we go back to the 50s).

If I have my timeline right, it was the opening of Lakeside shopping centre and nearby housing development at Chafford Hundred that saw ‘via Ockendon’ services extended through to Southend Central, and in parallel the ‘via Rainham’ service was cut back to Grays, though there is timetable variety in the peak hours.

Also in the mix was the closure of the spur to Tilbury Riverside in the early 90s. In its later years, Riverside took some ‘branch’ services from Upminster, along with some trains from London via Rainham which reversed there before continuing to Pitsea and beyond.

Used to be an Upminster to Tilbury Riverside service. With Lakeside it makes sense it was swapped as Tilbury Riverside was closed to passenger traffic.

 

[The exile]

There used to be a 1633 Glasgow Queen Street to Lenzie up until 2019. The 156 then ran empty to Edinburgh to form an additional to Glasgow Central.

We of course used to have the evening Cardenden terminator which was loco hauled/HST operated in its latter years. There were also a handful of services that terminated at Kirkcaldy rather than continuing to Glenrothes with Thornton.

For many years of course, almost all services heading north through Dunfermline terminated at either Cowdenbeath or Cardenden.

 

[D6130]

For a great many years until it's withdrawal in 1964, the local passenger service from Craigendoran Pier - originally worked by a steam-hauled or propelled two car push-pull set and from 1960 onwards a four wheel diesel railbus - terminated at the Loch Lomondside station of Arrochar and Tarbet. Even though at that time the two villages could barely count 500 inhabitants between them, it was a convenient point at which to terminate what was primarily a commuter service for wealthy Glasgow businessmen who lived in the opulent Victorian villas that had sprung up along the shores of the Gare Loch and Loch Long....and a small locomotive shed and train crew depot was established there.

 

[Gloster]

For a great many years until it's withdrawal in 1964, the local passenger service from Craigendoran Pier - originally worked by a steam-hauled or propelled two car push-pull set and from 1960 onwards a four wheel diesel railbus - terminated at the Loch Lomondside station of Arrochar and Tarbet. Even though at that time the two villages could barely count 500 inhabitants between them, it was a convenient point at which to terminate what was primarily a commuter service for wealthy Glasgow businessmen who lived in the opulent Victorian villas that had sprung up along the shores of the Gare Loch and Loch Long....and a small locomotive shed and train crew depot was established there.

It is doubtful that there ever was a shed structure there: the loco was stabled in the open on a siding at the south-west end of the station. This must have been keenly appreciated by the staff, especially night cleaners.

 

[MP33]

The service, that starts at Ingatstone, is primarily intended as a school service.

 

[D6975]

I believe the ‘Mexican Bean’ class 104 was used on Oban - Crianlarich tourist shuttles (connecting with Fort William services) rather than school runs - from recollection the dedicated Oban High School service didn’t start until around a decade ago and was planned around the increase in daily services from three to six.

The 104 used to do the school run from Oban to Dalmally. It first ran way back in the late 80s.

 

[trundlewagon]

Some WMR services starting from Bordesley after the Birmingham City game tomorrow (the corresponding services before the match all continue on to Moor Street though)

 

[Acfb]

I've thought Montrose is a bit of a strange place for southbound trains from Inverurie to terminate but I suppose that's partly to do with the single track at Usan and a lack of space to put southbound terminators at Dundee?

 

[james60059]

Not sure if engineering work is included but I've known of services terminating short of Nuneaton from Leamington at Bermuda Park with an RRB running to Nuneaton Station.

 

[Pokelet]

I believe there's a run round loop to the West of Great Malvern which allows trains to reverse and return on the other platform. It's single track between Great Malvern & Hereford (apart from Ledbury) station so I doubt you could extend many trains to Hereford without capacity issues.

Correct, Malvern Wells, just before the signal box and start of the single line. It used to be that HST's had to use the single line to change ends, not sure if this is still the case with 9car IET's

Could Worcestershire Parkway count, has been used as a terminus at various points including for Cross Country during engineering work.

Hazel Grove has always seemed a strange place to terminate

There's a regular terminating service approx 1am each morning. Set goes ECS DOO to the 'Hereford' sightings behind P3 at Shrub Hill.


Prior to the Cross City electrification there used to be a route retention special on a Saturday afternoon. Worcester Shrub Hill to BHM via Camp Hill, then return to Bromsgrove (unusual place to terminate in those days). Shunt and then Bromsgrove to BHM then off to Hereford to form the once per week service to Snow Hill.

 

[83G/84D]

In the past, Lelant Saltings and Danby (not on the same service). Battersby Junction is (was?) also a fairly odd one (from a number of passengers perspective).

Lelant Saltings was the park and ride station for trains to / from St Ives so can understand the logic of that. All trains that terminated there were from St Ives and then ran back to St Ives. No requirement for this anymore as the park and ride station is now St Erth.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Lelant Saltings was the park and ride station for trains to / from St Ives so can understand the logic of that. All trains that terminated there were from St Ives and then ran back to St Ives. No requirement for this anymore as the park and ride station is now St Erth.

You’re right about the P&R but the logic for turning round at Lelant Saltings was to create performance firebreaks in the service to aid recovery. Certainly in Wessex Trains days the (5-car) summer Saturday diagram was hard-pressed to maintain the timetable despite being provided with 2 drivers so the staff didn’t have to wade through the crowds to change ends!

 

[Taunton]

A weird pattern was the Anglia Railways Crosslink service via the North London line to Basingstoke in 2001, which had six services each way spread throughout the day, each of which eastbound terminated at a different station on the GEML - Stratford, Chelmsford, Ipswich, and others. Timetable here:

London Crosslink - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jfollows]

As the St Annes on the Sea - Greenbank was in addition to the regular Blackpool South hourly service, it would have been impossible to start it at Blackpool South as there would be nowhere to pass the 'regular' train. It followed the regular train to St Annes as an empty move, then departed to Greenbank while the regular service was still making its way to/from Blackpool South.

As for running to Greenbank, I think it then headed north empty on the WCML, presumably back to Preston Carriage Sidings. I think there was an evening return version, but I have a vague feeling it didn't start from Greenbank.

In 1996, when I used it, it started from Southport and returned there after a short ECS hop to Northwich.

 

[Old Yard Dog]

Up to the early 1980s there were a small number of Rock Ferry - Stanlow & Thornton workings in the morning & afternoon peaks. Stanlow & Thornton even had a small part-time ticket office.

Stanlow refinery employed far more people at the time than it does now and the extra trains were timed to fit in with shift patterns.

 

[Taunton]

Up to the early 1980s there were a small number of Rock Ferry - Stanlow & Thornton workings in the morning & afternoon peaks. Stanlow & Thornton even had a small part-time ticket office.

Stanlow refinery employed far more people at the time than it does now and the extra trains were timed to fit in with shift patterns.

It was the same nearby with Hawarden Bridge, which up until about 1970 when the Chester Northgate line closed had various services from Wales which terminated there. A few, at oddball times like 0530 in the morning, came up from Wrexham, terminated there, then ran the two minutes back to Shotton and came forward as a second service to terminate again, just across the river bridge. All for start of shift at the steelworks.

 

[Trainman40083]

Adwick always seemed an odd sort of place to terminate.

There are still also I believe trains from Leeds advertised to terminate at Poppleton and from York at Burley Park. These are of course through workings via Harrogate, but not advertised as such to avoid through passengers boarding what would be a very roundabout journey.

Adwick is probably about keeping the train from occupying the platform at Doncaster, where there are only really two through Northbound platforms. Only real alternative would be the south bay, that the Peterborough unit uses. There has been talk of another pair of platforms, West of platform 8. I guess the former works footbridge would have to come out first.

Some WMR services starting from Bordesley after the Birmingham City game tomorrow (the corresponding services before the match all continue on to Moor Street though)

I understand that station will close if/when they do the Camp Hill curves into Moor Street.

 

[sjm77]

Adwick is probably about keeping the train from occupying the platform at Doncaster, where there are only really two through Northbound platforms. Only real alternative would be the south bay, that the Peterborough unit uses. There has been talk of another pair of platforms, West of platform 8. I guess the former works footbridge would have to come out first.

Actually no, South Yorkshire PTE wanted Bentley and Adwick to be directly connected to Sheffield.