Trivia: services which are never crewed using depots along the route

[Watershed]

Most trains tend to be crewed using at least one traincrew depot that's located along the route. For example, trains from Norwich to Lowestoft are crewed from Norwich and Ipswich.

However, some services are exceptions to this 'rule'. For example, trains along the Greenford branch are crewed using Paddington drivers, who have to 'pass' to West Ealing (other than on the first and last trains of the day, which run from/to Paddington).

Can anyone come up with any other examples of similar services?

Bonus points to anyone who can come up with examples where this happens despite the existence of a traincrew depot along the route. For example, trains from Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber are crewed using EMR guards from Lincoln and Freightliner drivers from Knottingley, even though TPE have a depot at Cleethorpes.

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Most trains tend to be crewed using at least one traincrew depot that's located along the route. For example, trains from Norwich to Lowestoft are crewed from Norwich and Ipswich.

However, some services are exceptions to this 'rule'. For example, trains along the Greenford branch are crewed using Paddington drivers, who have to 'pass' to West Ealing (other than on the first and last trains of the day, which run from/to Paddington).

Can anyone come up with any other examples of similar services?

Bonus points to anyone who can come up with examples where this happens despite the existence of a traincrew depot along the route. For example, trains from Cleethorpes to Barton-on-Humber are crewed using EMR guards from Lincoln and Freightliner drivers from Knottingley, even though TPE have a depot at Cleethorpes.

SWR Brockenhurst to Lymington
SWR Aldershot to Ascot

South Eastern Sheerness to Sittingbourne

Overground Romford to Upminster

GWR Liskeard to Looe
GWR Falmouth to Truro
GWR St Erth to St Ives
GWR Slough to Windsor
GWR Maidenhead to Marlow
GWR Twyford to Henley
GWR Newbury to Bedwyn

XC Penzance to Plymouth uses XC Plymouth drivers taxi from Plymouth and there being a GWR drivers depot at Penzance

 

[scrapy]

Northern

Preston to Ormskirk
Preston to Blackpool South
Lancaster to Morecambe/Heysham
Windermere to Oxenholme/Lancaster/Preston
Wigan NW to Manchester Victoria (via Eccles)
Helsby to Ellesmere Port
Bradford FS to Ilkley
Stockport to Stalybridge
Stockport to Chester
Manchester Oxford Rd to Warrington Central

 

[Watershed]

SWR Brockenhurst to Lymington
SWR Aldershot to Ascot

South Eastern Sheerness to Sittingbourne

Overground Romford to Upminster

GWR Liskeard to Looe
GWR Falmouth to Truro
GWR St Erth to St Ives
GWR Slough to Windsor
GWR Maidenhead to Marlow
GWR Twyford to Henley
GWR Newbury to Bedwyn

XC Penzance to Plymouth uses XC Plymouth drivers taxi from Plymouth and there being a GWR drivers depot at Penzance

Thanks - expected there to be quite a few examples on GWR territory due to the number of branches. Newbury to Bedwyn is certainly an odd one out seeing as it's on a "main line" and not a branch.

I think I'll let the XC example slide It's a good one though, as it highlights the absurdity of some of XC's "duplicate" depots such as Plymouth.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Jul 2023 ==

Preston to Ormskirk
Preston to Blackpool South

These ones get bonus points - Avanti and TPE both have a depot at Preston. I wonder how long ago it was that these services were last worked by a Preston driver?

Wigan NW to Manchester Victoria (via Eccles)

I presume Victoria don't sign the route via Golborne?

 

[scrapy]

I presume Victoria don't sign the route via Golborne?

No, these services crewed from Wigan Wallgate, Blackpool North and Liverpool LS. Ok this one may be cheating a bit as Wallgate isn't far off the route, but it definitely isn't on the route.

 

[306024]

Liverpool St - Enfield Town
Liverpool St - Cheshunt
(GA depot at Liverpool St but these are TfL overground services - 2 bonus points?)
Romford - Upminster (already mentioned)
Wickford - Southminster
Witham - Braintree (Sunday)
Marks Tey - Sudbury
Manningtree - Harwich

 

[InkyScrolls]

Northern

Preston to Ormskirk
Preston to Blackpool South
Lancaster to Morecambe/Heysham
Windermere to Oxenholme/Lancaster/Preston
Wigan NW to Manchester Victoria (via Eccles)
Helsby to Ellesmere Port
Bradford FS to Ilkley
Stockport to Stalybridge
Stockport to Chester
Manchester Oxford Rd to Warrington Central

And which depot does Bradford F Sq to Ilkley pass?

 

[Watershed]

No, these services crewed from Wigan Wallgate, Blackpool North and Liverpool LS. Ok this one may be cheating a bit as Wallgate isn't far off the route, but it definitely isn't on the route.

Not cheating at all - it gets bonus points for having a depot that's not used along the route!

Liverpool St - Enfield Town
Liverpool St - Cheshunt
(GA depot at Liverpool St but these are TfL overground services - 2 bonus points?)

Yes, those are pretty unusual actually. I presume GA Liverpool St (and possibly Bishops Stortford) used to crew those services before they were hived off?

 

[Class 170101]

Yes, those are pretty unusual actually. I presume GA Liverpool St (and possibly Bishops Stortford) used to crew those services before they were hived off?

No for Liverpool Street, It was Chingford back before then plus Bishops Stortford and Cambridge.

 

[Anvil1984]

And which depot does Bradford F Sq to Ilkley pass?

Technically none but the first part of the question was which lines don’t have a traincrew depot en route so it would qualify. However I see your point as unlike Greenford to West Ealing, staff aren’t travelling pass to get there as it’s Skipton / Leeds staff doing their beloved triangle!

 

[306024]

Yes, those are pretty unusual actually. I presume GA Liverpool St (and possibly Bishops Stortford) used to crew those services before they were hived off?

Prior to the split Liverpool St GA only signed the GEML. Now there is a seperate WA link at Liverpool St which was set up to take the GA work that used to be at Chingford. Although there’s no traincrew depot on the Enfield or Cheshunt routes, the units inter work so the driver can simply stay with the same unit to cover those services.

 

[12LDA28C]

EWR Oxford to Milton Keynes (commencing Dec. 2024) is currently planned to be crewed by Chiltern drivers based at Banbury.

 

[craigybagel]

TFW's Wrexham - Bidston service, crewed by Drivers and Guards from Chester and also Guards from Shrewsbury - neither of which are on the route.

A rather weird example is the Heart of Wales line. At the North end there is a depot at Shrewsbury that supplies all the Drivers for the route and some of the Guards (along with Crewe). At the South end however (south of Llandrindrod/Llanwrtyd depending on the service) it is crewed for both grades exclusively by Carmarthen depot which isn't along the route, despite most services running to and from Swansea which has a GWR depot.