Place with the smallest need for its current London service

[778]

I also think operating 165s and 168s on a line that small and slow is a waste of resources.

Would would you operate on the line instead of 165s and 168s? If you replaced them with another type of train it would be an even bigger waste of resources to maintain a microfleet for a small branch line.

 

[Nova1]

I'd like to nominate the 21:33 Chiltern Railways service from Stratford-upon-Avon to London Marylebone.
Often found running with just a 2-car set, it takes 2h33mins to do the journey.
This timing is totally useless for anyone seeing a show at the RSC, and arrives into London inconveniently late.
It's disappointing to see Stratford reduced to this level of service as there used to be pre-covid a semi regular London service from here, and even a couple of years back there was a 7am train into London which just got you in time for any commuters. Now this is all that remains.

 

[BlueLeanie]

Would would you operate on the line instead of 165s and 168s? If you replaced them with another type of train it would be an even bigger waste of resources to maintain a microfleet for a small branch line.

Perhaps a spare 196?

 

[cjw714]

Whimple and Feniton must be contenders.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Well that does still mean there's a service! If everyone was packed onto the trains, sitting and standing, 3 3-car 165s could carry all of Little Kimble's population inside.

To be fair the late evening service is I suspect largely about getting stock back from Marylebone to Aylesbury depot rather than because the service is justified in and of itself.

 

[frankmoh]

To be fair the late evening service is I suspect largely about getting stock back from Marylebone to Aylesbury depot rather than because the service is justified in and of itself.

Is the Aylsebury-Prince Risborough line a 'parlimentary' service by any chance?

I feel like that line really needs a name soon.

 

[Zomboid]

It has a regular service all day, doesn't it? Far from a parliamentary train.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It has a regular service all day, doesn't it? Far from a parliamentary train.

It does, just not to London.

 

[Bald Rick]

Could you fit the entirety of Crianlarich's population onto the Fort William portion of the sleeper including those standing, given thirty seats per carriage and a population of 185?

Not sure about Crianlarich, but you could certainly get all the permanent population* of Tulloch, Corrour and Rannoch comfortabky into one coach of the sleeper.

*Human population.

 

[Starmill]

To be fair the late evening service is I suspect largely about getting stock back from Marylebone to Aylesbury depot rather than because the service is justified in and of itself.

Indeed. There's a train that comes off Aylesbury depot and works a passenger service to London before the evening peak too, and early in the morning. But on weekends they run through all day.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Jul 2025 ==

Doing that forces anyone from the Chiltern mainline to Aylesbury to change.

You mean like they already do? Except weekends.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Out of the places which currently have direct trains to London, which ones need them the least?

If we are talking about stations rather than places, I'm going to suggest Newark Castle. 2 direct trains to St Pancras each weekday, but obviously any normal person is going to go from Northgate to Kings X

 

[Brubulus]

If we are talking about stations rather than places, I'm going to suggest Newark Castle. 2 direct trains to St Pancras each weekday, but obviously any normal person is going to go from Northgate to Kings X

Why do those Lincoln-St Pancras trains even exist? Much like the Oakham/Melton services, given the fleet situation they seem to be a waste of valuable units.

 

[Jimini]

Why do those Lincoln-St Pancras trains even exist? Much like the Oakham/Melton services, given the fleet situation they seem to be a waste of valuable units.

Not sure. However, they do pre-date the now relatively frequent Kings X <> Lincoln services (as I recall).

I remember reading an article citing Lincoln's Mayor celebrating the return of direct services to St. Pancras a fair few years back. Town Crier and all that jazz noting the occasion.

Now LNER are offering such regular services from London, I'm not quite sure (as a layman!) why EMT still persist with their services.

 

[Starmill]

Why do those Lincoln-St Pancras trains even exist? Much like the Oakham/Melton services, given the fleet situation they seem to be a waste of valuable units.

How else would you cover the 0741 arrival at Nottingham without them?

 

[Donny Dave]

Does Pontefract need a service to London?

 

[mike57]

Howden, served by Hull trains, pop. ~4000 would be at first look a strange stop. However it serves a pretty wide area, has easy access and free parking (The station is over a mile from the town centre). If you live anywhere in the area between Goole - Selby - Brough - Market Weighton thats not within walking distance of a station its a better rail head than Goole, Selby or Brough because of the access and parking.

 

[InTheEastMids]

Why do those Lincoln-St Pancras trains even exist? Much like the Oakham/Melton services, given the fleet situation they seem to be a waste of valuable units.

I assume that they exist to get commuters into Nottingham without needing a bigger fleet of Regional units. I guess the 222s would be at Etches Park a bit longer if they started their revenue earning day at Nottingham. Which as you imply might not be a terrible idea right now.

But obvs you need 158/170s to backfill them to change things

 

[321362]

Lostwithiel, Rowley Regis and Low Moor are my submissions.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Lostwithiel

Given that this is pretty much a tourist station I wouldn't be surprised if London was one of the main origins for people travelling to it.

 

[Jimini]

Given that this is pretty much a tourist station I wouldn't be surprised if London was one of the main origins for people travelling to it.

It already has direct Paddington services I think (I’m sure I’ve heard it on the auto P.A at Reading a fair few times)?

**Edit** I thought I was reading the places that should have a direct service thread. Ignore me!

 

[brad465]

Whimple and Feniton must be contenders.

If this route gets the hourly GWR Axminster service and associated upgrades, then these services could serve both and allow SWR Waterloo services to skip both.

 

[johntea]

Does Pontefract need a service to London?

It is perhaps a useful call for residents of the wider 'Five Towns' area (Castleford/Pontefract/Normanton/Featherstone/Knottingley) without having to faff around travelling into Wakefield (by car) although the car park is quite small at Monkhill

 

[cle]

If this route gets the hourly GWR Axminster service and associated upgrades, then these services could serve both and allow SWR Waterloo services to skip both.

Is this a Reading service? It's been interesting to see the (Sundays? disruption?>) expansion of SWR trains out of Reading as an alt terminus to Salisbury and the like.

 

[Jaydubya]

Mill Hill East - while over 1.6 million passengers it is the least used station on the Northern Line. Would a more frequent shuttle be better or is this really just an extra long turnback for trains that would otherwise terminate at Finchley Central?

 

[A S Leib]

Mill Hill East - while over 1.6 million passengers it is the least used station on the Northern Line. Would a more frequent shuttle be better or is this really just an extra long turnback for trains that would otherwise terminate at Finchley Central?

Mill Hill East to Euston alone is 93 passengers per day, or more than Blackpool North, Rugeley Trent Valley or Cheddington to Euston (I'm aware that there's a large discrepancy in population, distance and frequency).

 

[swt_passenger]

Is this a Reading service? It's been interesting to see the (Sundays? disruption?>) expansion of SWR trains out of Reading as an alt terminus to Salisbury and the like.

No, it’s planned to be a local GWR stopping service based on Exeter, part of Devon Metro. Possibly running through from somewhere north or west of Exeter. It’s not intended to run east of Axminster. I can’t see the existing SWR calls being seriously reduced, wouldn’t you expect existing users to be vocal in their objections? I’d see parallels with the fairly recent idea to remove through services from small stations on the Weymouth route, that went down like a lead balloon…

 

[Zomboid]

Would skipping Feniton and Whimple (which usually only get calls from alternate trains anyway) save any useful time in the London service? It's only really limited stop east of Salisbury anyway.