Trivia: Longest crewed service?

[gka472l]

Going back a fair few years but Virgin XC Preston TM's used to work Preston - Penzance throughout and work the return the following day......

 

[Tom Quinne]

I'll bet that some freight services are likely to be winners, DRS for example (Crewe to Bridgewater?)

Margam to Westerleigh, shunt, taxi to Parkway, passenger to Port Talbot.

Troeste to Landore Street or Cardiff Docks to Derby.

Quite a few long distance freight jobs about.

 

[Journeyman]

The Fort Bill sleeper is around 12 hours and well over 500 miles. I doubt that drivers ever work through, but I'm fairly sure the stewards do.

The guards change over at Edinburgh, but yes, the Sleeper hosts and team leaders do the full journey out and then the following full journey back.

 

[greyman42]

That will be because few on here will have access to crew diagrams to give accurate answers. Lots of guessing and ‘I think’.

Kings Cross to Newcastle and back in a shift (or vv) always strikes me as a good days work. Lots of time in the chair on those diagrams. To add another guess though, wasn’t there a TV programme recently that if I recall correctly said Newcastle drivers worked to Inverness as a lodge turn. Stand to be corrected there as that is over five hours with just a short break at Edinburgh.

I saw the same programme but I am not sure whether it was a Newcastle or Edinburgh driver.

 

[Bromley boy]

The guards change over at Edinburgh, but yes, the Sleeper hosts and team leaders do the full journey out and then the following full journey back.

Out of interest where are the drivers relieved?

I would assume the London driver is taken off well before reaching Scotland, given the length of journey involved.

 

[Pseudonym]

Out of interest where are the drivers relieved?

I would assume the London driver is taken off well before reaching Scotland, given the length of journey involved.

Watching Railcam the drivers for the Highland service change at Crewe

 

[driver9000]

Out of interest where are the drivers relieved?

I would assume the London driver is taken off well before reaching Scotland, given the length of journey involved.

At least one of them changes crew at Preston.

 

[InOban]

In the Caledonian Sleeper thread there are several reports of a northbound service being delayed at Preston for the crew off the southbound service which was running late.

 

[Andy Pacer]

What are the legal limits for drivers and guards/train managers?

 

[pompeyfan]

Legally isn’t the issue, I’d imagine working conditions agreed with TUs are much tighter than the legal limits.

 

[Andy Pacer]

Legally isn’t the issue, I’d imagine working conditions agreed with TUs are much tighter than the legal limits.

I wasn’t referring to any “issue” I was just interested. Apologies for posting out of turn.

 

[pompeyfan]

I wasn’t referring to any “issue” I was just interested. Apologies for posting out of turn.

Sorry my post wasn’t meant to come across like that. Just stating that legally crew may be allowed to do much more than they do do, but the unions have agreements that staff won’t do more than X hours.

 

[387star]

Having just watched a Brighton - Malvern service depart, it got me thinking....
Which services are crewed by the same traincrew for the longest in terms of both mileage and duration?

I’d imagine an east coast diagram will take the longest in terms of mileage, but duration I’m not quite sure. Waterloo - Weymouth via Guildford will knock on 4 hours and I’ve known Bournemouth crew to work it throughout.

You're probably aware Fratton don't sign Malvern but only as far as Bristol Parkway
Indeed we normally changed crews at Westbury and that train has circa five changeovers lol. Weird service but understand it is two services made into one

 

[387star]

From memory the Malvern to Brighton is..

Gloucester to Gloucester
Bristol to Bristol Or is it Westbury?
Westbury crew to Westbury
Fratton crew to Havant
Fratton crew again again to Brighton

That's guards Fratton drivers relieve at Fareham !

 

[387star]

In terms of duration on Thameslink up until the timetable change we did several Bedford to Bedford trains via central London then around the Wimbledon loop and back up again. Some were other 4 1/2 on stop driving.

Isn't that why Bedford has been cited as one of the worst depots for work on the country along with a 2 AM start?

Having driven Sutton rounders I am glad I will never go round there again

Of course some love them

 

[pitdiver]

When my wife and I travelled up to Fort William on the Cally Sleeper we were talking to one of the stewards who said he had been on duty for 17 Hrs.

 

[route101]

Crosscountry southbound from Glasgow , i assume Edinburgh crew to York , Leeds or Newcastle i think . Northbound seen them change at Edinburgh on Glasgow bound services .

 

[route101]

TPE catering work full Glasgow to Manchester route ive seen

 

[Minilad]

We can do Birmingham to Bournemouth at around three hours or Derby to Southampton at around three hours twenty. There is also Birmingham to Stansted at around three hours ten.
The longest time driving without a break though is Birmingham to Cardiff and back. Two hours each way plus a shunt move at Cardiff means you are in control of the train for four hours fifteen straight.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

GNER had a Newcastle - Inverness driving turn - drive to Edinburgh and PNB , then onto Inverness , including berthing the stock . Lodge overnight. Same in reverse the other way. Very efficient.

 

[craigybagel]

GNER had a Newcastle - Inverness driving turn - drive to Edinburgh and PNB , then onto Inverness , including berthing the stock . Lodge overnight. Same in reverse the other way. Very efficient.

AIUI, lodging still exists at Inverness - but because there is insufficient time between getting off the set at Inverness at night and getting back on in the morning, it involves 2 crews, and something along the lines of
Day 1: Newcastle - Edinburgh, Edinburgh - Inverness.
Day 2 Pass Inverness - Aberdeen, work Aberdeen - Edinburgh, Edinburgh - Newcastle

And a second driver does the reverse, arriving in Inverness early enough to get enough rest to work the morning departure to Edinburgh the next day.

I could be wrong though - that's what I was told a while back.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

AIUI, lodging still exists at Inverness - but because there is insufficient time between getting off the set at Inverness at night and getting back on in the morning, it involves 2 crews, and something along the lines of
Day 1: Newcastle - Edinburgh, Edinburgh - Inverness.
Day 2 Pass Inverness - Aberdeen, work Aberdeen - Edinburgh, Edinburgh - Newcastle

And a second driver does the reverse, arriving in Inverness early enough to get enough rest to work the morning departure to Edinburgh the next day.

I could be wrong though - that's what I was told a while back.

Extremely interesting work IMHO