Virgin CrossCountry Paddington trains

[Martin_1981]

I'm trying to figure out when Virgin CrossCountry trains ceased to run into London Paddington. I know there were a small number of Class 47 hauled trains between Manchester/Birmingham and Paddington back in the 90's and early 2000's, but I'm trying to find out if they ceased to run into Pad when they ceased using loco hauled trains in August 2002? Or did they run to Pad with Voyagers for a while?

I don't seem to recall Voyagers going into Paddington, but can anyone confirm please? I seem to vaguely remember a VXC HST going into Pad though around that time.

 

[ushawk]

I saw a picture the other day with a VXC Voyager at Paddington going to Manchester Picc in about 2003 - cant remember where though.

 

[MCR247]

I believe Paddington was where the 'off to bed' photo was taken so voyagers must Have been there

 

[Ferret]

I'm trying to figure out when Virgin CrossCountry trains ceased to run into London Paddington. I know there were a small number of Class 47 hauled trains between Manchester/Birmingham and Paddington back in the 90's and early 2000's, but I'm trying to find out if they ceased to run into Pad when they ceased using loco hauled trains in August 2002? Or did they run to Pad with Voyagers for a while?

I don't seem to recall Voyagers going into Paddington, but can anyone confirm please? I seem to vaguely remember a VXC HST going into Pad though around that time.

They definitely ran Voyagers into Padd after Operation Princess began - I worked at least one!

 

[David Goddard]

I have some old timetables somewhere so will root them out.
In the meantime this thread might have some clues:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=41793

 

[ainsworth74]

I believe Paddington was where the 'off to bed' photo was taken so voyagers must Have been there

It was indeed.

 

[MCR247]

I thought that picture was lost forever on fotopic?! hock:

 

[David10]

Virgin continued to service Paddington until 2003 when the XC map was recast by the SRA after the Operation Princess disaster. XC also ceased going to Blackpool, Liverpool and Portsmouth at the same time. I remember seeing a service for Liverpool departing Paddington. There were only a few XC services from Paddington each day.

HSTs generally didn't operate Paddington services, but one did operate into Platform 1 in 2001 for 43102 to be named HST Silver Jubilee.

 

[ainsworth74]

I thought that picture was lost forever on fotopic?!

As did I, so my reaction was somewhat similar to yours when I saw someone post it up!

 

[HSTEd]

Does anyone have a timetable from the Operation Princess era from before they stopped serving all these extra destinations?

I assume extending some of the Reading Terminators to Paddington would not be allowed now even if stock was available as it would be considered to primarily abstract FGW revenue on the London-Oxford route?

 

[MCR247]

And the voyagers would need ATP

 

[bnm]

I assume extending some of the Reading Terminators to Paddington would not be allowed now even if stock was available as it would be considered to primarily abstract FGW revenue on the London-Oxford route?

Not only that. Paths as well.

In 2003 the GW Cardiff's were only hourly and there was no Heathrow Connect.

Approaches to Paddington are full. No room for anything else until the CrossRail/Heathrow recast.

 

[TomJ93]

Why did they not need ATP before?

 

[ATW Alex 101]

I have some old timetables somewhere so will root them out.
In the meantime this thread might have some clues:
http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=41793

My thread
Here are some pictures:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3084/2502501700_c1a8b1eff8_z.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/translboro/2502501130/
http://images.upixa.com/images-thum...mps/Rush_hour_Virgin_train_at_Padd-003015.jpg

 

[Zoe]

In 2003 the GW Cardiff's were only hourly and there was no Heathrow Connect.

The September 2001 timetable shows Cardiff as half hourly. I seem to remember in May 2001 some West of England services went back to loco hauled so that HSTs would be available for the half hourly Cardiff service due to the delay in the introduction of the 180s. There was no Heathrow Connect back then but there was a Thames Trains stopping service to Slough.

 

[gerryuk]

I seem to remember catching a train in Sheffield to Birmingham that was a Paddington service. If my memory is correct i think this was a York - Paddington service? Can't remember the year, me thinks early 80s.

 

[David Goddard]

Remember that when Virgin first won Cross Country they proposed a Paddington - Swindon - Cheltenham - Birmingham service (VT0 in their route numbering scheme, suggesting that if withdrawn it would not leave an obvious gap in their route numbers)

 

[chefchenko]

i remember upto about 2002 regularly catching the 17.10 off manc piccadilly that used to go to paddington and called at my local station congleton

 

[northofthesand]

Might of been before Virgin xc but i remember a train to Paddington from Preston can't remember where it originated ?

 

[Zoe]

I seem to remember an Edinburgh departure from Paddington in the 1990s although this may have been in the last days of BR.

 

[Lampshade]

Might of been before Virgin xc but i remember a train to Paddington from Preston can't remember where it originated ?

I know there was a Glasgow Central - Paddington service, not sure whether it went via Manchester though (I know one did, might have been the Bournemouth service).

 

[TheWalrus]

May 2003 they were withdrawn.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

I know there was a Glasgow Central - Paddington service, not sure whether it went via Manchester though (I know one did, might have been the Bournemouth service).

Not via manchester i think.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Might of been before Virgin xc but i remember a train to Paddington from Preston can't remember where it originated ?

I think there was one from Preston and one from Glasgow.

 

[VTPreston_Tez]

I know there was a Glasgow Central - Paddington service, not sure whether it went via Manchester though (I know one did, might have been the Bournemouth service).

The Bournemouth service was the one that went through Manchester.