Oddball Journeys (Trivia)

[GordonT]

Any examples of specific journeys whose unusual end to end coverage, perhaps only occurring once a day would potentially make them seem slightly bizarre to a "normal" passenger? An example which I would offer up would be the 0739 ex Carstairs to Garscadden, the significance of Garscadden being that it is a station immediately prior to Yoker Depot to where the unit continues out of service.

 

[trainmania100]

There are Brighton to Newhaven Harbour services that do not continue to Seaford for whatever reason.

Spontaneous, today there is one at Newhaven harbour at 1241, and one at 2141.

Everything else continues to Seaford.

 

[The exile]

The 07.04 Bath Spa to Filton Abbey Wood - importantly not calling at Bristol Temple Meads.
What’s more, the next westbound train at Bath, although very conventionally going to Bristol TM, originates at Fratton, not Portsmouth.

 

[lxfe_mxtterz]

On Mondays to Saturdays, the first and last Chertsey Line "Weybridge stoppers" as they're so called are diverted to instead start/end at Woking as 1S08 and 1S77 respectively.

On Sundays, however, all trains on the Chertsey Line are diverted to Woking and don't serve Weybridge.

 

[8ace]

There are Brighton to Newhaven Harbour services that do not continue to Seaford for whatever reason.

Spontaneous, today there is one at Newhaven harbour at 1241, and one at 2141.

Everything else continues to Seaford.

Does that go to Newhaven Marine for route retention purposes?

 

[SargeNpton]

Back in Central Trains days, there was one morning service from Northampton to Aberystwyth. Not sure how long it lasted.

 

[156401]

The 1229 Manchester Airport to Corkickle merits a place here.

 

[The exile]

Does that go to Newhaven Marine for route retention purposes?

Isn’t it to allow for engineering / measurement train access- otherwise there are no paths down to Seaford?

 

[trainmania100]

Isn’t it to allow for engineering / measurement train access- otherwise there are no paths down to Seaford?

No test trains run at all on the seaford branch during daylight hours / before 10pm, the only test trains are midnight (73s) and 2am (37s).

Seafords are every half an hour except for those two workings which result in seaford missing a service and being one train in an hour. No other trains occupy the seaford branch during this time.

 

[Llandudno]

Trying to travel by train from Denton to Brigg on the same day, impossible!

Denton only has a train on Saturdays and Brigg only has a train on Mondays to Fridays!

 

[Djgr]

The 07.04 Bath Spa to Filton Abbey Wood - importantly not calling at Bristol Temple Meads.
What’s more, the next westbound train at Bath, although very conventionally going to Bristol TM, originates at Fratton, not Portsmouth.

I gave two days of my life to travel on this 7.04 PSUL train (actually from Oldfield Park), and what I discovered was that it was very well patronised!

 

[Kite159]

Isn't those gaps at Seaford due to paths for the Rail head treatment trains for autumn time?

 

[Kilopylae]

I gave two days of my life to travel on this 7.04 PSUL train (actually from Oldfield Park), and what I discovered was that it was very well patronised!

It must be very strange to see from the platforms at Temple Meads!

 

[GordonT]

It must be very strange to see from the platforms at Temple Meads!

Are there any other journeys in the normal passenger timetable which pass through without stopping?

 

[The exile]

It must be very strange to see from the platforms at Temple Meads!

You can’t - see below.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 May 2026 ==

Are there any other journeys in the normal passenger timetable which pass through without stopping?

It doesn’t - it goes round the “Rhubarb Curve” from the Bath line to Filton Bank.

 

[Djgr]

You can’t - see below.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 May 2026 ==


It doesn’t - it goes round the “Rhubarb Curve” from the Bath line to Filton Bank.

Indeed. That's what make it a special train.

Highly recommend that you seek out the Passenger Train Services over Unusual Lines publication, which is regularly updated.

 

[Iskra]

Leeds to Ribblehead and vice versa
Knottingley to Wakefield Westgate
Sheffield to Wakefield Kirkgate

…the unusual bit for the last two being that they don’t continue to Leeds.

 

[Kilopylae]

Indeed. That's what make it a special train.

Highly recommend that you seek out the Passenger Train Services over Unusual Lines publication, which is regularly updated.

PSUL Introduction

 

[Eoch]

Trying to travel by train from Denton to Brigg on the same day, impossible!

Denton only has a train on Saturdays and Brigg only has a train on Mondays to Fridays!

Last Saturday, four trains to Cleethorpes ran the Brigg line because of works, stopping at all stations including Brigg and Kirton Lindsey! So the 8:42 2J44 to Stockport (arrival 8:58) direct, then the 09:22 1B70 to Sheffield (arriving 10:10) and then the 11:21 to Brigg (arriving 12:32).

 

[lione87023]

I'd say that CrossCountry's 1L98 0625 Bristol Temple Meads - Stansted Airport is worthy of mentioning.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I gave two days of my life to travel on this 7.04 PSUL train (actually from Oldfield Park), and what I discovered was that it was very well patronised!

In 2019 I took a train in the other direction at a much more civilised hour, about 4pm from memory.

 

[Djgr]

In 2019 I took a train in the other direction at a much more civilised hour, about 4pm from memory.

I can see direct trains but not one that avoids Temple Meads. I rely on the publication mentioned above for my planning!

 

[Mugby]

Past or Present?

If past is included, London Paddington to Hull.

 

[GordonT]

Past or Present?

If past is included, London Paddington to Hull.

Either. Also London Paddington to Edinburgh. Also the Anglia train that continurd onto the former Southern Region but I can't remember the details. Also various journeys to/from London Waterloo to provide connections with the original Eurostar terminal.

 

[structos]

The 07.04 Bath Spa to Filton Abbey Wood - importantly not calling at Bristol Temple Meads.
What’s more, the next westbound train at Bath, although very conventionally going to Bristol TM, originates at Fratton, not Portsmouth.

The Fratton > Bristol Temple Meads train also stops at Porchester. Quite rare for a GWR train to stop at Porchester.

 

[The exile]

I can see direct trains but not one that avoids Temple Meads. I rely on the publication mentioned above for my planning!

There’s no corresponding afternoon service - just the 07.04 from Bath.

 

[SECR 65]

No test trains run at all on the seaford branch during daylight hours / before 10pm, the only test trains are midnight (73s) and 2am (37s).

Seafords are every half an hour except for those two workings which result in seaford missing a service and being one train in an hour. No other trains occupy the seaford branch during this time.

Isn't there a 6V working from Newhaven in the early evenings heading up to London? But that doesn't go all the way to Seaford.

 

[Kilopylae]

Also the Anglia train that continurd onto the former Southern Region but I can't remember the details.

Another bizarre one in this vein was the Norwich to Basingstoke 'London Crosslink' although that wasn't an isolated exception so much as a deliberate 'thing' for a short while.

 

[LittleRedTrain]

There's a single daily return working from Paddington to Banbury, formed of a GWR IET, running in the evening peak only.
There's no corresponding morning working (killed off during Covid) and no other booked IETs to Banbury.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Isn't there a 6V working from Newhaven in the early evenings heading up to London? But that doesn't go all the way to Seaford.

Are there any trains from Seaford/Newhaven Harbour nowadays (In service or ECS) that don't continue off the branch to Brighton?