Trivia: Services that you wouldn't expect to run?

[swt_passenger]

Past services?

London Waterloo to Brighton via Eastleigh and Fareham, up until about 2008 there was one each morning.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

That's not a nice thing to say about Hull, RichmondCommuter. Hull has a paragon of a train station, countless Victorian museums, several shopping centres, and it's a big city and has the same things as similar sized places. I know the roadworks are bad, but that's no reason to insult the city.

Back on topic.
There's Christmas market trains to Lincoln by EMT.
Northern's service through Derby (once a day??).
Northern Sheffield to Retford high level via Worksop.
Are other 'unexpected' trains.

 

[Welshman]

The 1040 Holyhead-Llanelli and 1232 to Maesteg also deserve a mention.

Purely for operational convenience, of course [there's hardly a market for regular services from North Wales to Cardiff let alone Llanelli and Maesteg!].

But they give scope for confused second-glances at the departure boards by someone travelling from, say Colwyn Bay to Prestatyn.

 

[charley_17/7]

ISTR circa 2008 there was a daily Maesteg - Manchester Piccadilly service, arriving Piccadilly late at night. Class 158 operated, possibly went back ECS to Crewe or somewhere, definitely arrived later than the 2234 departure, as I caught it back PASS from Wilmslow a few times.

 

[PHILIPE]

Some of the services mentioned in this thread may sound strange, but if you split them up, i.e. Holyhead to Cardiff Cen and Cardiff Cen to Llanelli and the next one Holyhead to Cardiff Cen and Cardiff Cen to Maesteg followed by Maesteg to Cardiff Central and Cardiff Central to Manchester Picc that have been quoted, they could then be regarded as "proper" services in their own right. They become what they are because they have been merged into one train for unit diagramming purposes.

 

[Mark62]

As younger man if you had told me a four coach dmu would run between Glasgow and Plymouth on a regular basis I'd have thought you were insane.

 

[Bungle965]

The Great Western franchise agreement contains a requirement to run a sleeper service - the sleeper loses a shed load of money

Interesting I must have missed that part apologies.

It's an Orcats Raid on London to Leeds revenue.

Random example but it is the same in my opinion, the reason why ATW have started serving alderley edge.

Unexpected Trains...
For me it's the odd extentions or altered routing.

Manchester to Sheffield via Huddersfield TPE.
Rotherham TPE services.
Doncaster to Cleethorpes Northern service (not on map).
Cleethorpes to Sheffield Northern via Brigg causes confusion.
Cleethorpes to Nottingham Summer Sunday EMT service.
Derby to Skegness HST by EMT in Summer.
Beverley to London Hull Trains.
HST at Newark Castle by EMT.
Etc etc.

Manchester to Sheffield via Hud is to keep up diversionary knowladge via this route, in case the normal route is closed for whatever reason. Derby to Skegness is because of the demand during summer peak with a abnormal amount of passengers to the delightful resort that is Skegness.

I've often wondered why anyone runs trans to Hull. It's a cesspit of a city.

Someone has too!

That's not a nice thing to say about Hull, RichmondCommuter. Hull has a paragon of a train station, countless Victorian museums, several shopping centres, and it's a big city and has the same things as similar sized places. I know the roadworks are bad, but that's no reason to insult the city.

Being honest its a pretty bad city although is deffinatly improving just in time for them holding the Capital of Culture in 2017.
Sam

 

[ACBest]

Unexpected Trains...
For me it's the odd extentions or altered routing.

Manchester to Sheffield via Huddersfield TPE.
Rotherham TPE services.
Doncaster to Cleethorpes Northern service (not on map).
Cleethorpes to Sheffield Northern via Brigg causes confusion.
Cleethorpes to Nottingham Summer Sunday EMT service.
Derby to Skegness HST by EMT in Summer.
Beverley to London Hull Trains.
HST at Newark Castle by EMT.
Etc etc.

Which HST at Newark Castle is that then?

 

[tbtc]

I think that "Services that *I* wouldn't expect to run" could be taken four ways:

• Services that only run because they are parliamentary/franchise requirements (i.e. no commercial reason to operate) - a fairly well documented list that includes obvious ones like Stockport - Stalybridge
• Services that run for driver knowledge/ diversionary routes - e.g. Northern Rail via Derby, XC via Dunfermline
• Services that run for operational convenience - e.g. Gloucester to Stansted on XC - tagging two existing services together - Norther's Adwick to Manchester service
• Services that may not fit the TOC perfectly in the eyes of an enthusiast - e.g. the Crewe to Chester shuttle run by Arriva Trains Wales, Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes not being run by Northern/ EMT

...not sure which is the more interesting topic to discuss though.

It's an Orcats Raid on London to Leeds revenue.

Since all EMT services from Leeds to London are overtaken (by VTEC services down the ECML), how does it qualify for ORCATS money?

TPE's barrow, Blackpool, Glasgow and Edinburgh services also do not cross the Pennines, so it's hardly the only service not to that's run by TPE.

Does the Manchester Airport to Cleethorpes service cross the Pennines?

The Transpennine Trail starts north of Edale station, so the train doesn't cross it - something I've wondered before...

Glad to hear it. I often get the Liverpool South Parkway to Preston service as far as Lime Street because I know I will have a train to myself. I don't know why they run it. To make it weirder I get the train to Parkway from West Allerton to do it instead of getting the regular stopper straight in from West Allerton.

Is it a sponsored service (either by Merseytravel or the Airport) to give through services to the Airport from north of Liverpool)?

I don't know that it is, just curious.

Past services?

London Waterloo to Brighton via Eastleigh and Fareham, up until about 2008 there was one each morning.

Interesting, didn't know of that one

 

[cuccir]

There's a daily Newcastle-Guildford train which is a rather odd destination from the Toon, though the route itself is not particularly unexpected

 

[ACBest]

Just having a think about some now...

There are/were a couple of Lincoln to Leeds services on a Sunday running half way round the world to get there. (via Sheffield & Barnsley)

Similarly, there's a Lincoln to Hull service once a day.

I suppose you could go the whole hog and say that Lincoln to Adwick is a bit weird as a destination, but it's down to operating convenience.

The route knowledge retaining run once a day from The Ruislips to London Paddington and back is definitely an odd one out.

Then there's the first/last runs of the day from Nottingham to Spalding and vice versa! Which way will we go today...? (If I remember correctly, it's via Stamford heading out there M-S, and also via Stamford heading back M-F, but via the ECML and Grantham on a Saturday.)

 

[Bungle965]

Might as well add my own.
Manchester Victoria to Selby
Mancheter Victoria to Leeds via Huddersfield
Sam

 

[Whistler40145]

I don't know if you could include the Northern services from Blackpool North/Preston to Huddersfield, which there's no return working, unless you want to go to Wigan Wallgate!

 

[Statto]

In the late 80s early 90s there was a Liverpool-York stopper which went via Rochdale i remember the 155s in West Yorks Metro livery on the route.

Late 90s early 00s there was services Walsall/Four Oaks via Brum New Street-Liverpool.

 

[PHILIPE]

I could think of the GWR 06 00 Penzance to Cardiff for another but which is, in effect, several variations of passenger journeys all lumped together. I should hardly think any numbers would travel throughout especially with such an early start. Wouldn't be very pleasant with a 150/1 anyway.
The Heart of Wales Lines tends to be a "get on here and get off there" service rather than throughout journeys..

 

[bnm]

the Night Rivera i think seems to be profitable for First as they have kept it going even though it was not included in their franchise commitments.

Wrong on both counts. It's subsidised and is included in the franchise Service Level Commitment.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Which HST at Newark Castle is that then?

It's from Lincoln, often it's a Meridian but a HST is used occasionally.
I said Newark Castle to avoid confusion with East Coast services.

 

[dk1]

Wrong on both counts. It's subsidised and is included in the franchise Service Level Commitment.

'Keeping accountants awake at night' as it's often referred to. Love that phrase.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

One of the evening Penistone line services runs through to Retford, I can't imagine many do the full journey from Huddersfield. Likewise Southport to Leeds via everywhere in-between.

There used to be a Wales and West Alphaline service from London Waterloo to Manchester Piccadilly via Salisbury, Bristol, the Severn Tunnel, Newport East curve, Shrewsbury and Crewe. I actually did do the whole run in 2002.

 

[krus_aragon]

The 1040 Holyhead-Llanelli and 1232 to Maesteg also deserve a mention.

Purely for operational convenience, of course [there's hardly a market for regular services from North Wales to Cardiff let alone Llanelli and Maesteg!].

But they give scope for confused second-glances at the departure boards by someone travelling from, say Colwyn Bay to Prestatyn.

In my experience they are most confusing to students in Bangor and ferry passengers in Holyhead.

 

[northwichcat]

As younger man if you had told me a four coach dmu would run between Glasgow and Plymouth on a regular basis I'd have thought you were insane.

Technically Voyagers are DEMUs.

 

[Iskra]

Might as well add my own.
Manchester Victoria to Selby
Manchester Victoria to Leeds via Huddersfield
Sam

Not sure that service actually exists. Victoria-Huddersfield exists, as does Victoria-Leeds via Dewsbury, but unless its an obscure one, I'm not aware of Victoria-Leeds via Huddersfield.

 

[185143]

Not sure that service actually exists. Victoria-Huddersfield exists, as does Victoria-Leeds via Dewsbury, but unless its an obscure one, I'm not aware of Victoria-Leeds via Huddersfield.

Dosen't the Southport-Leeds go via Huddersfield?

 

[Esker-pades]

London to Glasgow/Edinburgh via Birmingham. Since a much faster London to Glasgow via Trent Valley service exists.

 

[Bungle965]

Dosen't the Southport-Leeds go via Huddersfield?

Not sure that service actually exists. Victoria-Huddersfield exists, as does Victoria-Leeds via Dewsbury, but unless its an obscure one, I'm not aware of Victoria-Leeds via Huddersfield.

Yes sorry it is this one.
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y90727/2016/02/22/advanced
Sam

 

[Iskra]

Dosen't the Southport-Leeds go via Huddersfield?

Oh yes, fair enough then!

Also there is the TPE Liverpool-Victoria-Huddersfield-Leeds-Newcastle which is fairly unexpected being the only TPE service that serves Victoria.

 

[PHILIPE]

London to Glasgow/Edinburgh via Birmingham. Since a much faster London to Glasgow via Trent Valley service exists.

They are, in effect, a London to Birmingham and a Birmingham to Glasgow/Edinburgh service joined up. Nobody would travel throughout on one but they do offer additional options in the Midlands, i.e. Coventry to Glasgow.

 

[NoMorePacers]

Oh yes, fair enough then!

Also there is the TPE Liverpool-Victoria-Huddersfield-Leeds-Newcastle which is fairly unexpected being the only TPE service that serves Victoria.

But in 2018 most TPE services will be re-routed via Victoria, when the Orsall chord will be finished. Victoria was actually the stationon the Transpennine route through Manchester until 1989.

 

[dk1]

They are, in effect, a London to Birmingham and a Birmingham to Glasgow/Edinburgh service joined up. Nobody would travel throughout on one but they do offer additional options in the Midlands, i.e. Coventry to Glasgow.

You'd be surprised. There are many tweets asking why the following Euston departure from Glasgow arrives before theirs & can they change into it in Preston. Virgin reply that it's it's an AP ticket & you must remain on the booked service. All down to price.

 

[najaB]

Nobody would travel throughout on one but they do offer additional options in the Midlands, i.e. Coventry to Glasgow.

Done it more than once having missed the via Trent Valley train.