Trivia: Trains which only serve cities, not towns

[Pit_buzzer]

A bit of trivia that popped into my mind now Doncaster has been awarded City status.
Looking at the departure board at Leeds this morning and I see the 10.45 LNER departure serves Leeds, Wakefield, Doncaster, Peterborough and London.
All of these are cities, so how unusual is it for a train to only serve cities and not towns, villages, car parks and shopping centres

 

[ld0595]

The 5.40am LNER departure from Edinburgh only serves Edinburgh, Newcastle and Kings Cross.

 

[4F89]

Circle Line?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 May 2022 ==

Waterloo & City?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

As regards LNER services, are there any Northbound ones that meet the OP's criteria?

 

[AlterEgo]

A bit of trivia that popped into my mind now Doncaster has been awarded City status.
Looking at the departure board at Leeds this morning and I see the 10.45 LNER departure serves Leeds, Wakefield, Doncaster, Peterborough and London.
All of these are cities, so how unusual is it for a train to only serve cities and not towns, villages, car parks and shopping centres

Doncaster is not currently a city as it has not yet received the letters patent deeming it so. Same with all the lucky winners this year, I think.

 

[Clip]

Waterloo is not in the city of Westminster but the borough of Lambeth

Circle Line?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 23 May 2022 ==

Waterloo & City?

 

[BrettSy96]

As regards LNER services, are there any Northbound ones that meet the OP's criteria?

Quite a lot, as the xx:03 departure to Leeds from London just calls at Peterborough, Doncaster, Wakefield and then Leeds usually.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Reading and Swindon are not cities, but are there any trains which run non-stop between London, Bristol (Parkway), Cardiff and Swansea?

Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth?

I think all trains between London, Chelmsford, Colchester and Norwich are now all cities, but Ipswich is not.

 

[cuccir]

I don't think there are any LNER Scotland services that qualify northbound as all call at Darlington.

There is one night-time service that calls Manchester Aiport - Piccadilly - Leeds - York. The airport is in the Metropolitan Borough of Manchester so is part of the city. There is a reverse that does Leeds - Piccadilly only. Every other service in that area calls at Huddersfield I think.

There is one morning train that calls Lancaster - Preston - Oxford Road - Piccadilly - Airport, and one evening train that makes the same stops in reverse. Similarly, there is a morning Northern service running Lime Street - Piccadilly - Airport only.

Edit - a couple of Chester - Manchester Airport services in the morning, one of which calls only at Piccadilly and the other also calls at East Didsbury but both stations again are within Manchester.

 

[xotGD]

Services between Leeds and Bradford only serve stations within the administrative boundaries of the two cities' local authorities. But it is a bit of a fudge to say that Shipley station serves a city.

 

[Kite159]

Reading and Swindon are not cities, but are there any trains which run non-stop between London, Bristol (Parkway), Cardiff and Swansea?

Bristol, Exeter and Plymouth?

I think all trains between London, Chelmsford, Colchester and Norwich are now all cities, but Ipswich is not.

Don't forget about Manningtree & Diss where most of the Norwich trains call at

 

[nw1]

Historically (80s) there were always a few Paddington-Oxford non stop runs, that didn't go further. Not sure if any still exist.

Similarly, there were hourly Kings Cross-Cambridge non stop runs in the 90s, in the 317 and 365 era. On the opposite half hour to the Kings Lynn services, IIRC. Again, not sure if these still exist.

Euston-Coventry-International-New St? (Not sure if International is in the city of Birmingham, or whether this pattern still exists, though it used to).

 

[Gloster]

Are there any non-stop London-Brighton trains?

 

[nw1]

Are there any non-stop London-Brighton trains?

Not since before 1981. The 1981 timetable shows an East Croydon stop for all and AFAIK there have not been any since. Mind you Brighton was not a city then, which automatically disqualifies anything earlier.

 

[PTR 444]

Colchester - Colchester Town shuttle since last Friday?

 

[RailWonderer]

Similarly, there were hourly Kings Cross-Cambridge non stop runs in the 90s, in the 317 and 365 era. On the opposite half hour to the Kings Lynn services, IIRC. Again, not sure if these still exist.

Cambridge - KX still runs non stop half hourly, besides a few Letchworth and Royston calls at the peaks.

Historically (80s) there were always a few Paddington-Oxford non stop runs, that didn't go further. Not sure if any still exist.

Similarly, there were hourly Kings Cross-Cambridge non stop runs in the 90s, in the 317 and 365 era. On the opposite half hour to the Kings Lynn services, IIRC. Again, not sure if these still exist.

Euston-Coventry-International-New St? (Not sure if International is in the city of Birmingham, or whether this pattern still exists, though it used to).

It does. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P07549/2022-05-23#allox_id=0 and https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G64931/2022-05-23#allox_id=0 although I'm not sure if Dudley is technically in Birmingham or out.

 

[greatkingrat]

Birmingham International is in Solihull so doesn't count if you are being strict about boundaries.

 

[Kite159]

Cambridge - KX still runs non stop half hourly, besides a few Letchworth and Royston calls at the peaks.

It does. https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:P07549/2022-05-23#allox_id=0 and https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G64931/2022-05-23#allox_id=0 although I'm not sure if Dudley is technically in Birmingham or out.

However the vast majority of the nonstop London to Cambridge trains extend to either Ely or Kings Lynn calling at Waterbeach.

 

[norbitonflyer]

However the vast majority of the nonstop London to Cambridge trains extend to either Ely or Kings Lynn calling at Waterbeach.

Ely is a city of course, but Waterbeach isn't.

 

[akm]

Eurostar

 

[cuccir]

All but two Eurostars of course at the moment, as Calais/Ashford/Ebbsfleet are currently not used. The exceptions are the services to Disneyland!
-
Ah, same thought at same time!

 

[4F89]

Wrexham General to Wrexham Central

 

[Purple Orange]

Birmingham International is in Solihull so doesn't count if you are being strict about boundaries.

Ah but it's in a city region, therefore a city, if we're going to be pedantic. Its a bit like claim above that Waterloo is not in a city.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Wrexham General to Wrexham Central

In a similar vein, all services to and from Cardiff Bay apart from the first arrival of the day from Coryton. Thought it was mostly no longer operated as a shuttle, assume the reversion was a recent change?

Edit: Coryton is technically in the city of Cardiff- maybe a bit of a stretch, still!

 

[PTR 444]

Wrexham General to Wrexham Central

Those trains continue through to Bidston however, serving towns and villages rather than cities.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Those trains continue through to Bidston however, serving towns and villages rather than cities.

I think there's a couple of short workings at the start and end of the day.

 

[4F89]

Those trains continue through to Bidston however, serving towns and villages rather than cities.

Not the first one in the morning from general to central

 

[Some guy]

The 21:05 TPE MIA to Lancaster calls at Manchester, preston and Lancaster

 

[Western 52]

In a similar vein, all services to and from Cardiff Bay apart from the first arrival of the day from Coryton. Thought it was mostly no longer operated as a shuttle, assume the reversion was a recent change?

Edit: Coryton is technically in the city of Cardiff- maybe a bit of a stretch, still!

I think the City Line Coryton to Radyr is all within the Cardiff boundary?

 

[Tayway]

There's an early morning Cross Country service running non-stop from Dundee to Aberdeen in the current timetable.