East Croydon to Charing Cross mystery service

[tom73]

One Saturday evening recently, I jumped on a Charing Cross train having just missed one to Victoria. It was definitely a direct service with no change involved. However, I cannot find a timetable for direct East Croydon to Charing Cross services. All I see are journeys involving a change at London Bridge.

 

[mmh]

One Saturday evening recently, I jumped on a Charing Cross train having just missed one to Victoria. It was definitely a direct service with no change involved. However, I cannot find a timetable for direct East Croydon to Charing Cross services. All I see are journeys involving a change at London Bridge.

On some recent weekends there've been diverted Southeastern services running London Bridge - East Croydon - Redhill - Tonbridge before rejoining the South Eastern mainline, it will likely have been one of those. Ordinarily there's no direct East Croydon to Charing Cross service, the last regular one, which was off-peak only I think, ended in perhaps 2005 or so.

 

[transmanche]

One Saturday evening recently, I jumped on a Charing Cross train having just missed one to Victoria. It was definitely a direct service with no change involved. However, I cannot find a timetable for direct East Croydon to Charing Cross services. All I see are journeys involving a change at London Bridge.

East Croydon is served by Southern and Thameslink trains. I'm pretty sure that only Southeastern trains serve Charing Cross these days.

Unless it was a Southeastern service diverted via East Croydon due to engineering work...

 

[Clip]

Unless it was a Southeastern service diverted via East Croydon due to engineering work...

Yeah i think these have been pretty regular for a while now - Think I made a thread about it but cant seem to search for threads only but they also pass through on a sunday too.

 

[akm]

This service perhaps:

1Z68 1750 Hastings - London Charing Cross (SE)
https://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/J15270/2018-09-08

(there are many other similar on that day, but not on earlier Saturdays having checked a few weeks back)

I think usually these run like this

1H68 1719 Hastings - London Charing Cross (SE)
https://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/W40133/2018-09-01

 

[Bensonby]

On some recent weekends there've been diverted Southeastern services running London Bridge - East Croydon - Redhill - Tonbridge before rejoining the South Eastern mainline, it will likely have been one of those. Ordinarily there's no direct East Croydon to Charing Cross service, the last regular one, which was off-peak only I think, ended in perhaps 2005 or so.

It was the December 2009 timetable change. It upset a lot of southeast Londoners to lose their direct link to the west end - albeit it was only a late evening service by that point. There is an article about it here:http://www.eastlondonlines.co.uk/2009/12/funeral-for-last-direct-train-to-charing-cross/

 

[USBT]

I’m not sure which Southern service ended in 2009, but the one I took (Caterham/Tattenham Corner, then fully decoupled Tattenham Corner) ended (switched to LBG) much earlier than that; I’m thinking 2004/5. And TAT-CHX ran fast from Norwood Junction. Maybe the decoupled CAT-CHX, calling all stations?

 

[greatkingrat]

It was the Tonbridge - Redhill - Charing Cross and Reigate - Redhill - Charing Cross services that were cut back to London Bridge in Dec 2009.

 

[Ianno87]

It was the Tonbridge - Redhill - Charing Cross and Reigate - Redhill - Charing Cross services that were cut back to London Bridge in Dec 2009.

That was the daytime, off-peak service that ended in Dec 2009.

Simultaneously, the late evening Charing Cross-Caterham all shacks via Sydenham service ended too.

 

[MichaelAMW]

I’m not sure which Southern service ended in 2009, but the one I took (Caterham/Tattenham Corner, then fully decoupled Tattenham Corner) ended (switched to LBG) much earlier than that; I’m thinking 2004/5. And TAT-CHX ran fast from Norwood Junction. Maybe the decoupled CAT-CHX, calling all stations?

It was once 8 cars half hourly in the evening all stations to Cat and Tat, splitting at Purley. Later on the Tat did indeed run separately and the local stations New Cross Gate onwards got an increase to 4tph in the evening as there was a new half hourly service from London Bridge. Trouble is that the Charing Cross service was much more useful, so although those stations still had 16 coaches per hour serving them, now only 8 were on the useful service. Result, 2 tph from London Bridge carrying few people and crush loading on the Charing Cross trains. Looked great on paper - Brockley, Forest Hill, Sydenham etc had a doubled service - but the stock allocation in effect meant the provision had been halved for most people.

 

[Bedpan]

Didn't East Grinstead / Uckfield trains run out of Charing Cross in the not too distant past? Or am I getting confused with the Hastings's.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

I think you’re getting confused.

 

[Bedpan]

I think you’re getting confused.

Must be getting mixed up with the Tat /Cats then.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

Indeed.