Named trains - is there any point?

[Envoy]

The GWR timetable has several named trains listed. Last week, I travelled on ‘The Red Dragon’ and the name was not mentioned in announcements at stations or on board the train. Neither did it appear on screens on board or at station. Historically, the named trains tended to be the faster services on any particular route. Even the menus in restaurant cars would have the ‘name’ of the train along with suitable logos. What is the situation with other operators? Do you think that named trains have any purpose in today’s world or should these historic names be kept and promoted?

 

[E_Reeves]

I guess it's keeping the tradition going. I believe VTEC used to have a few named ones too, but not sure if LNER are still using them...

 

[Master29]

I guess it's keeping the tradition going. I believe VTEC used to have a few named ones too, but not sure if LNER are still using them...

They still use the Flying Scotsman, Highland Chieftain and Northern Lights titles. Personally, I like the idea of named trains. They always tell you on the West of England routes like the Cornish Riviera or Royal Duchy to name a couple.

 

[bramling]

The GWR timetable has several named trains listed. Last week, I travelled on ‘The Red Dragon’ and the name was not mentioned in announcements at stations or on board the train. Neither did it appear on screens on board or at station. Historically, the named trains tended to be the faster services on any particular route. Even the menus in restaurant cars would have the ‘name’ of the train along with suitable logos. What is the situation with other operators? Do you think that named trains have any purpose in today’s world or should these historic names be kept and promoted?

The names do feature in announcements and on station departure boards - on GWR at least.

EMT has a handful of named trains also.

 

[Envoy]

The names do feature in announcements and on station departure boards - on GWR at least.

EMT has a handful of named trains also.

Yes, I have noticed this at Exeter St.David’s when ‘The Armada’ was due. However, on non GWR managed stations managed by Transport for Wales, this appears not to be the case. Neither was it labelled as such on my GWR train and no announcements as such including the name.

 

[DarloRich]

rail fans love named trains because it panders to nostalgia for the days of summer expresses and a little tank engine huffing a couple of coaches along a little used branch to the sea. - I am not sure real people care or TIC's care.

What difference to my journey experience does a named train deliver above a standard train when everything is the same?

 

[PeterC]

They stopped being relevant when they stopped getting special pages at the front of the timetable.

 

[Highlandspring]

I am not sure real people care or TIC's care.

Tester In Charge?

 

[DarloRich]

Tester In Charge?

they care the least of all.

 

[Master29]

rail fans love named trains because it panders to nostalgia for the days of summer expresses and a little tank engine huffing a couple of coaches along a little used branch to the sea. - I am not sure real people care or TIC's care.

What difference to my journey experience does a named train deliver above a standard train when everything is the same?

That`s your opinion of course and you`re probably right. Most people probably don`t care. I don`t think it`s necessarily about steam either. I would be more at home with either diesel or electric. I always think it just adds an air of specialty about train travel which I enjoy. A bit quaint perhaps but not necessarily outdated.

 

[Deafdoggie]

The average passenger really doesn’t care. Indeed, it can add a layer of confusion and complexity for them. It adds nothing to their journey. Only rail enthusiasts are bothered about names. The West Coast Mainline functions perfectly well without any.

 

[cf111]

I like it but it doesn't make any difference to my day, nor would it bother me if they dissappeared overnight.

 

[vlad]

The average passenger really doesn’t care. Indeed, it can add a layer of confusion and complexity for them. It adds nothing to their journey. Only rail enthusiasts are bothered about names. The West Coast Mainline functions perfectly well without any.

They used to - Virgin got rid of them in the early days of the West Coast and Cross Country franchises.

I always wondered why they didn't do the same with the East Coast.

 

[Darandio]

They used to - Virgin got rid of them in the early days of the West Coast and Cross Country franchises.

I always wondered why they didn't do the same with the East Coast.

Because that was a Stagecoach franchise?

 

[route:oxford]

They used to - Virgin got rid of them in the early days of the West Coast and Cross Country franchises.

I always wondered why they didn't do the same with the East Coast.

Perhaps it was down to the strength of the titles?

"The Highland Chieftain" is what passengers, at least those who live north of Edinburgh, generally call the service.

When I've had rail travel vouchers, I've gone into Oxford station and asked to book journey on "The 'Chieftain", and they've known immediately that I'm going for the midday from Kings Cross - although they've had to ask for my final destination.

 

[DarloRich]

That`s your opinion of course and you`re probably right. Most people probably don`t care. I don`t think it`s necessarily about steam either. I would be more at home with either diesel or electric. I always think it just adds an air of specialty about train travel which I enjoy. A bit quaint perhaps but not necessarily outdated.

the named train offers nothing over a normal train these days. There is no selling point. Now, make the Tyne Tees Pullman Newcastle>Durham>Darlington> Kings Cross in 2,5 hours with a good menu and good on board facilities and you might be onto something.

"The Highland Chieftain" is what passengers, at least those who live north of Edinburgh, generally call the service.

Really?

 

[westv]

The Hull Executive will never die!

 

[Master29]

the named train offers nothing over a normal train these days. There is no selling point. Now, make the Tyne Tees Pullman Newcastle>Durham>Darlington> Kings Cross in 2,5 hours with a good menu and good on board facilities and you might be onto something.

Totally agree. It`s only GWR that do a Pullman nowadays and to be fair it`s a good one albeit pricey for pleb class.

 

[Highlandspring]

Really?

In fairness “the Chieftain” is one of about four trains that are referred to exclusively by name in Control, the others being “the Jacobite”, “the Dalstons” and “the Bulks”. Apart from every sleeper train being referred to as “the sleepers” and every flask train being referred to as “the flasks” of course.

 

[Norther Monkey]

In fairness “the Chieftain” is one of about four trains that are referred to exclusively by name in Control, the others being “the Jacobite”, “the Dalstons” and “the Bulks”. Apart from every sleeper train being referred to as “the sleepers” and every flask train being referred to as “the flasks” of course.

Aren't the sleepers also known by rail staff as 'The Beds'? That was certainly the term I heard used when a member of staff was organising a taxi to Crewe for me (after a delay meant I missed the last connection at Derby to meet 'The Beds).

 

[Surreytraveller]

It's a bit of nostalgia. There are unofficial named trains as well!

 

[Highlandspring]

Aren't the sleepers also known by rail staff as 'The Beds'?

No, in my experience that’s a trainspotter’s term. It may be different in England but I have never heard a professional railwayman use it. Certainly to those of us who work with them every night in Scotland they’re the sleepers (apart from on the West Highland Line where they talk about “the London”)

 

[DarloRich]

“the Dalstons” and “the Bulks”.

?????? Which servcies are they ????????

 

[tommy2215]

Named trains are really for rail enthusiasts, I think to most passengers a train is train.

 

[Mag_seven]

To me a named train has to have something special about it e.g be the fastest train of the day or have limited stops. With standard calling patterns even on "Inter-City" type routes these days naming trains is pointless.

 

[AngusH]

It's a very cheap form of marketing, it gives history to the thing, and an excellent excuse to get in the newspapers, see

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flyin...cotsman_-_Nicola_Sturgeon_and_David_Horne.jpg

The first minister, the director of VTEC and a piper were pictured at Edinburgh waverley with a name plate for the flying scotsman.

Maybe you could do this for the service in general, but I think it's more interesting to be more specific.

 

[Surreytraveller]

To me a named train has to have something special about it e.g be the fastest train of the day or have limited stops. With standard calling patterns even on "Inter-City" type routes these days naming trains is pointless.

I agree. Either a particularly fast train, or the only through train of the day or something of that nature. In Network SouthEast days trains on various routes were given the title of 'Network Express' - they might have been an hourly fast service on a given route, for example

 

[jamesst]

Being a driver, as long as the thing starts and stops I couldn't care less about any name on a train!!

 

[pt_mad]

Related thread here:

https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/gwr-and-other-toc-named-trains.162710/

 

[Bookd]

I agree that name trains should be something special.
The Elizabethan, for example (although steam hauled by an A4) was the only non stop train from London to Edinburgh.
In those days named trains normally had special features - if they do not then there is no point.