Strangest long distance through trains

[AngelicUpstart]

I may be getting confused with Blackpool South, but didn’t it have a service that went through the Castlefield corridor and then onto Chester via Northwich?

There was a St Annes on Sea to Greenbank in the morning that came back as a Chester-Blackpool North in the evening peak for many years.

For a couple of year in the late 80s/early 90s sort of time there was a 0700 (give or take) Blackpool South-Scarborough. I used to commute to Preston on it.

 

[gg1]

A 80s example

Walsall - Birmingham New Street - Wolverhampton - Stoke - Stockport - Manchester Piccadilly - Altrincham

Calling at all stations, must have been at least 40 stops.

 

[Bayum]

What is a 'through' service? A service whereby the initial journey is from point A to B but the following service run by that stock is to C creating an A-C journey?

 

[jfollows]

What is a 'through' service? A service whereby the initial journey is from point A to B but the following service run by that stock is to C creating an A-C journey?

No, this isn't a through service, I would suggest that a "through" service needs to be advertised as a through service and announced as such. That's not to say, in the case of the Paddington-Paddington services we discussed earlier, that it's advertised at its origin (Paddington) as going to Paddington, that would be silly, but these were services which were advertised as services which went through Birmingham rather than terminating there and restarting. So at Solihull, where I believe I got on one of the services, it was advertised as a service to Worcester at least, via Birmingham.

To take the post before yours, there were probably many Walsall-Birmingham services which then went on to form services from Birmingham to places other than Walsall, but they weren't advertised from Walsall as going further than Birmingham, except for the specific case of the one mentioned here (which didn't stop at Heaton Chapel or Levenshulme, I don't believe).

 

[nw1]

Not sure if this has come up yet but I recall a Horsham-Redhill-Tonbridge for a while. Run by a South Eastern microfleet of 508s, I believe, which also did things like Paddock Wood-Strood. Presumably just an operational-convenience thing: for whatever reason they (Connex, I think, who ran both South Eastern and Southern for a few years) found it difficult to operate two stoppers from Horsham to London per hour in that era, so made it a Horsham-Redhill, connecting into a London service, and then worked it on to Tonbridge.

I recall using a 508 to travel from Redhill to Tonbridge in 2000, on the way to a Eurostar connection at Ashford (there was some severe disruption meaning Waterloo as a whole was closed: I recall having to turn round at Wimbledon and then proceed via Guildford, Redhill and Tonbridge to Ashford - and I was heading for Nimes.. I did eventually get there, and yes, the same day!) - though not sure if that had originated at Horsham. But probably this kind of era.

 

[GNERman]

I'd say Hull-Halifax is a bit of a random one.

Not as weird as when it used to be Selby - Wakefield Westgate, during the Northern Rail era. Again, perhaps not long-distance, but I think it was about 2 and half hours end to end. Was routed Selby-Leeds-Bradford Interchange (reverse)-Halifax-Huddersfield (reverse)-Wakefield Kirkgate (reverse)-Wakefield Westgate. All stops (except Deighton) I think.

 

[mister-sparky]

Not sure if this has come up yet but I recall a Horsham-Redhill-Tonbridge for a while. Run by a South Eastern microfleet of 508s, I believe, which also did things like Paddock Wood-Strood. Presumably just an operational-convenience thing: for whatever reason they (Connex, I think, who ran both South Eastern and Southern for a few years) found it difficult to operate two stoppers from Horsham to London per hour in that era, so made it a Horsham-Redhill, connecting into a London service, and then worked it on to Tonbridge.

I recall using a 508 to travel from Redhill to Tonbridge in 2000, on the way to a Eurostar connection at Ashford (there was some severe disruption meaning Waterloo as a whole was closed: I recall having to turn round at Wimbledon and then proceed via Guildford, Redhill and Tonbridge to Ashford - and I was heading for Nimes.. I did eventually get there, and yes, the same day!) - though not sure if that had originated at Horsham. But probably this kind of era.

it ran as 2tph Tunbridge Wells to Redhill, with 1tph to Horsham and the other 1tph to London Bridge via East Croydon, with 508s.

 

[newtownmgr]

Regional railways/Central trains used to run a 14:50 Cardiff-Cleethorpes using a 156

 

[D9006]

The summer Saturday , New street to Ramsgate and return Ramsgate to Glasgow in late 90s l all the better as booked D9000 haulage traction too to and from New Street

 

[dk1]

The summer Saturday , New street to Folkestone and return Folesrone to Glasgow in late 90s l all the better as booked D9000 haulage traction too to and from New Street

I only remember D9000 doing the Ramsgate.

 

[D9006]

My apologies meant Ramsgate, old age memory loss

 

[dk1]

My apologies meant Ramsgate, old age memory loss

Haha. You had me scratching my head.

 

[DaventryRabbit]

Sometime I believe around 2002 I recall there was a through Penzance to Pembroke Dock service operated by either Wales and Borders or Wales and West. I seen to recall travelling on it from Cardiff to Kidwelly one weekday whilst on a Freedom of Wales Rover in 2002..
I am willing to be shot down in flames and corrected by anyone if needs be!
Also Northampton to Lincoln and Northampton to Aberystwyth for a short period early on weekday mornings (0620 I think) around the turn of the Century. Run by Central Trains and usually a 158 I remember..

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Sometime I believe around 2002 I recall there was a through Penzance to Pembroke Dock service operated by either Wales and Borders or Wales and West. I seen to recall travelling on it from Cardiff to Kidwelly one weekday whilst on a Freedom of Wales Rover in 2002..
I am willing to be shot down in flames and corrected by anyone if needs be!
Also Northampton to Lincoln and Northampton to Aberystwyth for a short period early on weekday mornings (0620 I think) around the turn of the Century. Run by Central Trains and usually a 158 I remember..

The one way Northampton to Aberystwyth has already been noted - but who recalls the Stanstead to Liverpool of Central trains ? - often a Cambridge to Crewe in reality..........(due to late running) - broken to be a Birmingham serice in both parts.

 

[Halish Railway]

The one way Northampton to Aberystwyth has already been noted - but who recalls the Stanstead to Liverpool of Central trains ? - often a Cambridge to Crewe in reality..........(due to late running) - broken to be a Birmingham serice in both parts.

Am I right in thinking that prior to the introduction of the Liverpool to Stansted service which was operated by 158s & 170s, was the Liverpool to Birmingham leg operated by a soul Centro/Central trains 323?

Also has anyone mentioned the Coventry-Skegness via Nuneaton (ceased in 2004) which became impossible to operate thanks to the remodelling of Nuneaton station as well as the Birmingham New Street to Nottingham via Leicester service?

 

[dk1]

The one way Northampton to Aberystwyth has already been noted - but who recalls the Stanstead to Liverpool of Central trains ? - often a Cambridge to Crewe in reality..........(due to late running) - broken to be a Birmingham serice in both parts.

The Stansted/Cambridge-Liverpool (sometimes originating Norwich) only seems like yesterday to me.

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

The Stansted/Cambridge-Liverpool (sometimes originating Norwich) only seems like yesterday to me.

The residents of Penkridge certainly rejoiced when that aberration was ended.

 

[Doctor Fegg]

The one way Northampton to Aberystwyth has already been noted - but who recalls the Stanstead to Liverpool of Central trains ?

Oh, I remember that, principally because of the time I was coming back from visiting a friend in Anglesey. Got off the NWT train at Crewe to find the monitors advertising a direct service back home (to Oakham) on the next platform. Win!

Wait... that's a 310. That isn't going through to Oakham. I will place money on that.

We were de-trained at New Street to get onto, I think, a 158.

(Though my favourite Central Trains memory from New Street was again trying to get back home to Oakham when they decided to couple a few 15Xs together. Didn't work first time. Didn't work second time. Ok, let's back it up a bit more and really give it some. I think it finally coupled on the fifth attempt with increasing degrees of force, by which time I was starting to worry about the structural integrity of the units.)

 

[John Hunt]

Does this qualify as 'strange'? (current timetable, Leicester to Grimsby.

Realtime Trains - 2L67 1143 Leicester to Grimsby Town

Realtime Trains is an independent source of live realtime running information for the Great British railway network.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[BoroAndy]

Some are surely 2 journies using the same unit, like Scarborough to York via Hull.

 

[Bletchleyite]

This may not seem obscure but there is an East Croydon to Milton Keynes service via Kensington Olympia. This may currently be alerted sis to covid vut it was running previously.

When I worked in Harrow, some colleagues referred to it as the Magic Bus as they couldn't believe there was such a useful service, whereby one could get on a train at East Croydon and alight at Harrow & Wealdstone, without having to go through central London.

I don't think there's anything strange about it. It's just a second slightly quieter Thameslink, and while only hourly (with some short turnbacks in the peaks) it is very useful, and its present absence due to COVID staff shortages quite annoying.

Its original form of Gatwick-Rugby (known as GatRug for that reason) was even more useful, but it's too hard to path south of Clapham Jn.

 

[Steve Harris]

Back in Central Trains days there was a Cambridge to Liverpool Lime Street service that was usually a 158, but sometimes a 156. I think it called at Ely, March, Peterborough, Stamford, Oakham, Melton Mobray, Leicester, South Wigston, Narborough, Hinckley, Nuneaton, Birmingham New Street, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Tipton, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Crewe, Winsford, Runcorn, Edge Hill and finally Lime Street.

Not that strange as there had previously been a Cambridge - Liverpool Lime Street in BR days (1980's pre Sprinterisation, normally Class 47/4 hauled).

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Some are surely 2 journies using the same unit, like Scarborough to York via Hull.

Which, when advertised as a through train enable journeys such as Bridlington or Beverley to Brough or Selby without having to change.

 

[james60059]

Back in Central Trains days there was a Cambridge to Liverpool Lime Street service that was usually a 158, but sometimes a 156. I think it called at Ely, March, Peterborough, Stamford, Oakham, Melton Mobray, Leicester, South Wigston, Narborough, Hinckley, Nuneaton, Birmingham New Street, Smethwick Galton Bridge, Tipton, Wolverhampton, Penkridge, Stafford, Crewe, Winsford, Runcorn, Edge Hill and finally Lime Street.

I must admit, Central Trains had some quirky routes back in the day.

 

[Mat17]

There's a 15:20 Carlisle to Nottingham via Settle and Leeds operated by Northern, arriving at Nottingham at 8pm.

I was going to mention this. If memory serves correct it also runs from Leeds via Wakefield Westgate (without stopping), and runs down to Wakefield Kirkgate and then reverses to go via Barnsley.

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

Late 1980s / early 90s (cannot remember the exact date), there was a Bristol - Weymouth summer Saturday service which ran via Southampton Central where the loco ran round. It passed the ‘return’ working somewhere in the New Forest.

Not a regular service, but a diversion when Wrexham and Shropshire were unable to use the Chiltern Line. Use the WCML from the West Midlands to Willesden, reverse and run via Acton Bank and Greenford to South Ruislip before reversing to reach Marylebone. Great for track and mileage enthusiasts, but less so for regular passengers, would have been so much easier for them to have been taken direct to Euston rather than a convoluted tour of west London.

 

[Cambus731]

In 2018 I caught a Cross Country train from Berwick to York that due to engineering works was terminating at Guildford.
I did think it kind of surreal that there would be a train originating at Aberdeen that finished its journey at Guildford.
Back in 1989 thete was one train a day M-F that originated at Colchester and finished its journey at Barrow in Furness.
I realise it makes operational sense, but at face value, Redcar does seem an odd final destination for Transpennine Trains.

 

[dk1]

I realise it makes operational sense, but at face value, Redcar does seem an odd final destination for Transpennine Trains.

Possible extension to Saltburn on the cards.

 

[Gloster]

Late 1980s / early 90s (cannot remember the exact date), there was a Bristol - Weymouth summer Saturday service which ran via Southampton Central where the loco ran round. It passed the ‘return’ working somewhere in the New Forest.

It had been around for a number of years, but you had to read the timetable carefully to find it. In 1980 it was the 12.55 Weymouth-Cardiff via Salisbury using the stock off the 09.00 Cardiff-Weymouth via Castle Cary. In the reverse direction the 09.50 Cardiff-Weymouth via Salisbury returned as the 16.01 Weymouth-Cardiff via Cary.

 

[Skipness]

Whitby to Hexham is a very good current example. I bet very few make the entire journey.

The May timetable proposals will see an end to this. Would have been an interesting journey a couple of years ago when it was scheduled for a Pacer