Penzance to Aberdeen in one go?

[kingqueen]

Hi,

Am I right in thinking please, that there's no "reverse" of the day-long single leg journey from Aberdeen to Penzance? I think from Realtime Trains, that the reverse "only" goes Penzance to Dundee, not to Aberdeen, but would appreciate confirmation - thank you.

Am I also right in thinking, that either direction - Aberdeen to Penzance, or Penzance to Dundee - is always a Voyager? Never an HST?

Thank you

 

[Mag_seven]

Hi,

Am I right in thinking please, that there's no "reverse" of the day-long single leg journey from Aberdeen to Penzance? I think from Realtime Trains, that the reverse "only" goes Penzance to Dundee, not to Aberdeen, but would appreciate confirmation - thank you.

Am I also right in thinking, that either direction - Aberdeen to Penzance, or Penzance to Dundee - is always a Voyager? Never an HST?

Thank you

The answer to your two questions is yes and yes.

 

[kingqueen]

Thank you

 

[PG]

Yes you're correct in that only the southbound working reaches Aberdeen.

The northbound working now terminates at Dundee and has done for a good few years though I can't now remember exactly when it was changed...

Something to do with reducing ECS movements and hence crew costs, I believe, as XC stock was/is refueled/cleaned at Craigentinny although that may have chamged since Hitachi took over with the impending introduction of IEP's on the ECML.

I couldn't be certain about HST's never appearing but it'd definitely be a rarity.

 

[kingqueen]

Thank you

I have been idly contemplating like 36 hours continuous travel: the Caledonian Sleeper London to Aberdeen, the longest UK single stage railway journey Aberdeen to Penzance, then the Night Riviera Penzance to London. 1,550+ miles over 30 hours.

I don't think it's viable because it is a 2-minute change at Penzance. I guess I could play it safe and change at St Erth but that lacks closure in some way, and in any case I should probably be sensible and shelve the whole idea anyway, particularly given much of the waking hours would be on a Voyager.

Cheers

 

[PG]

IIRC isn't the approach to Penzance station a single line?

So if your inbound train was RT at St Erth you be able to make the connection as your outward train couldn't depart before you'd arrived... not sure I'd risk it myself anyway, all it takes is a slow door release and a sharp doors locked ready for departure

 

[kingqueen]

Plus in my case, assistance with ramps off one, a dash across in my wheelchair, and assistance with ramps onto the other

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

Hi,

Am I right in thinking please, that there's no "reverse" of the day-long single leg journey from Aberdeen to Penzance? I think from Realtime Trains, that the reverse "only" goes Penzance to Dundee, not to Aberdeen, but would appreciate confirmation - thank you.

Am I also right in thinking, that either direction - Aberdeen to Penzance, or Penzance to Dundee - is always a Voyager? Never an HST?

Thank you

I'm told that in the May 2019, the 09:25 on Fridays from Penzance to Dundee is an HST , subject to availability. This replaces the 09:35 Penzance to Manchester service - the 09:35 starts at Plymouth at 11:50.

 

[Ianno87]

Yes you're correct in that only the southbound working reaches Aberdeen.

The northbound working now terminates at Dundee and has done for a good few years though I can't now remember exactly when it was changed...

Something to do with reducing ECS movements and hence crew costs, I believe, as XC stock was/is refueled/cleaned at Craigentinny although that may have chamged since Hitachi took over with the impending introduction of IEP's on the ECML.

I couldn't be certain about HST's never appearing but it'd definitely be a rarity.

It has certainly been only to Dundee northbound since 2008 (and probably longer - I think the 2008 change introduced Aberdeen-Penzance as the longest journey, previously being Aberdeen-Plymouth and Dundee-Penzance).

 

[Spartacus]

Thank you

I have been idly contemplating like 36 hours continuous travel: the Caledonian Sleeper London to Aberdeen, the longest UK single stage railway journey Aberdeen to Penzance, then the Night Riviera Penzance to London. 1,550+ miles over 30 hours.

I don't think it's viable because it is a 2-minute change at Penzance. I guess I could play it safe and change at St Erth but that lacks closure in some way, and in any case I should probably be sensible and shelve the whole idea anyway, particularly given much of the waking hours would be on a Voyager.

Cheers

From May it becomes a 5 minute connection SX, 8 when 1A40's booked via Bristol from 15/07-09/08.

 

[kingqueen]

From May it becomes a 5 minute connection SX, 8 when 1A40's booked via Bristol from 15/07-09/08.

Thank you
I think I shall have to do that then.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

I don't think it's viable because it is a 2-minute change at Penzance. I guess I could play it safe and change at St Erth but that lacks closure in some way, and in any case I should probably be sensible and shelve the whole idea anyway, particularly given much of the waking hours would be on a Voyager.

I had exactly this problem when I did this a while back. Ended up having to bail at St Erth unsurprisingly, due to a cascade of delays en-route (as well as a unit swap at Birmingham!).

 

[hexagon789]

I believe you have one each of:

Aberdeen-Penzance
Penzance-Dundee
Dundee-Plymouth
Plymouth-Aberdeen

 

[WesternLancer]

I'm told that in the May 2019, the 09:25 on Fridays from Penzance to Dundee is an HST , subject to availability. This replaces the 09:35 Penzance to Manchester service - the 09:35 starts at Plymouth at 11:50.

That sounds very appealing! No other downside then the fairly poor quality XC food offer, but plenty of positives.
Could come in off the sleeper Friday morning, enough time for a decent breakfast. Take the HST north to Dundee.

Go towards mid summer for maximum daylight. Friday 221st June has a XC Adv fare of £124 on offer at the moment Penzance to Dundee.

 

[221129]

That sounds very appealing! No other downside then the fairly poor quality XC food offer, but plenty of positives.
Could come in off the sleeper Friday morning, enough time for a decent breakfast. Take the HST north to Dundee.

Go towards mid summer for maximum daylight. Friday 221st June has a XC Adv fare of £124 on offer at the moment Penzance to Dundee.

Just be aware that train is a horrific experience on a weekend north of Edinburgh especially.

 

[WesternLancer]

Just be aware that train is a horrific experience on a weekend north of Edinburgh especially.

are we talking alcohol consumption? or overcrowding?

 

[6026KingJohn]

When there are engineering works XC diversions take up the path of the following train after the diversion. Therefore 1S43 the 0628 Penzance to Glasgow becomes the 1S45 0925 Plymouth to Aberdeen after diverting. I did this in September 2017 by catching the 0628 at Penzance, running as 1S45 all the way to Aberdeen. The unit was 221132 and, travelling via Newport, arrived on time at 2048 (14 hours 20 minutes). Over 800 miles and three countries. I did try it in 2016 but the train in front hit a cow near Chepstow and the train returned to Newport. To get to Aberdeen I then travelled to Paddington, tube to Euston, Glasgow (walk Central to Queen Street), Queen Street to Aberdeen arriving at 2322 after travelling 958 miles, 52 chains.

 

[WesternLancer]

Just be aware that train is a horrific experience on a weekend north of Edinburgh especially.

Surely a 20.15 departure from Edinboro on a Friday eve on an HST is not some sort of booze fueled anti-social experience is it?

 

[221129]

Surely a 20.15 departure from Edinboro on a Friday eve on an HST is not some sort of booze fueled anti-social experience is it?

Worst train of the week for us, so yes it is.

 

[Statto]

Haven't looked at the timetable for a whilst, but doesn't the northbound Aberdeen service start at Plymouth, i think the train returns in service from Aberdeen to Edinburgh?

 

[221129]

Haven't looked at the timetable for a whilst, but doesn't the northbound Aberdeen service start at Plymouth, i think the train returns in service from Aberdeen to Edinburgh?

Correct.

 

[LowLevel]

Haven't looked at the timetable for a whilst, but doesn't the northbound Aberdeen service start at Plymouth, i think the train returns in service from Aberdeen to Edinburgh?

It is rather regularly cancelled north of Edinburgh due to crew shortages of late though.

 

[221129]

It is rather regularly cancelled north of Edinburgh due to crew shortages of late though.

It needs 2 drivers which doesn't help things

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

It needs 2 drivers which doesn't help things

Why does it need 2 drivers? Issues with the location of depots and turn lengths? Or am I getting the wrong end of the stick?

 

[221129]

Why does it need 2 drivers? Issues with the location of depots and turn lengths? Or am I getting the wrong end of the stick?

It can be done with a single driver, however he'll need a longer break at Aberdeen which gives you a late start heading back and if you end up behind the sleepers you can easily be 45late back into Edinburgh. The unit then needs to go onto Craigentinny for servicing before heading out on 5A01 in the morning back to Aberdeen.

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

It can be done with a single driver, however he'll need a longer break at Aberdeen which gives you a late start heading back and if you end up behind the sleepers you can easily be 45late back into Edinburgh. The unit then needs to go onto Craigentinny for servicing before heading out on 5A01 in the morning back to Aberdeen.

There we are, I wasn't too far off

Will servicing at Craigentinny continue after the IEPs start invading? It seems a bit of a mad trek down and back up, but then again I suppose that's the story of CrossCountry's Voyager servicing in a nutshell!

 

[221129]

There we are, I wasn't too far off

Will servicing at Craigentinny continue after the IEPs start invading? It seems a bit of a mad trek down and back up, but then again I suppose that's the story of CrossCountry's Voyager servicing in a nutshell!

It's already been relegated to a light servicing point, fuel and tanking if you're lucky.

 

[WesternLancer]

Worst train of the week for us, so yes it is.

sorry to hear that!

 

[Busaholic]

Thank you

I have been idly contemplating like 36 hours continuous travel: the Caledonian Sleeper London to Aberdeen, the longest UK single stage railway journey Aberdeen to Penzance, then the Night Riviera Penzance to London. 1,550+ miles over 30 hours.

I don't think it's viable because it is a 2-minute change at Penzance. I guess I could play it safe and change at St Erth but that lacks closure in some way, and in any case I should probably be sensible and shelve the whole idea anyway, particularly given much of the waking hours would be on a Voyager.

Cheers

I can only tell you of my own observations as the partner of someone who travels occasionally from Alnmouth to Penzance, where I pick her up. The gate to the sleeper platform would have been closed and doors locked almost certainly by the time your XC arrived, except possibly in the unlikely event of a 5 min early arrival, which hardly ever happens ime.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

That sounds very appealing! No other downside then the fairly poor quality XC food offer, but plenty of positives.
Could come in off the sleeper Friday morning, enough time for a decent breakfast. Take the HST north to Dundee.

Go towards mid summer for maximum daylight. Friday 221st June has a XC Adv fare of £124 on offer at the moment Penzance to Dundee.

Best to wait for an updated XC HST diagrams on the 125 Group website and then check with XC - just telling you what I'm told . But note a Voyager you might just have to love instead if it substitutes for an HST!