Oddball Journeys (Trivia)

[Kite159]

There is a evening Crewe - Shrewsbury TfW service, but rather than going via Nantwich it goes via Wrexham.

Seems to have replaced a Wrexham - Shrewsbury service which arrived in Wrexham ECS which connected with the daily Euston - Wrexham train. So better these days, at least when Avanti cancel the Wrexham train there isn't a large gap from Chester towards Shrewsbury via Wrexham

 

[GordonT]

The 1611 ex Oban - Dalmally and 1747 ex Dalmally - Oban deserve a mention. Caters for some of the exodus of school children from Oban.

 

[The exile]

Was that when Temple Meads was being remodelled?

IIRC XC were diverting and reversing back into Bristol, GWR just ran the Portsmouth-Cardiff straight past.

Nothing to do with that. For years until (I think) 2021, the direct service was Filton - Bath in the afternoon. It then was swapped to running the other way in the morning (when, I suspect, it is a) more useful and b) operationally less of a nuisance.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 25 May 2026 ==

The 1611 ex Oban - Dalmally and 1747 ex Dalmally - Oban deserve a mention. Caters for some of the exodus of school children from Oban.

And there’s a poster on Dalnally station headed “school rules” obviously aimed at the little darlings!

 

[route101]

Glasgow Central to Busby and vice versa. Historic.

Glasgow Queen St to Lenzie.

 

[High Dyke]

Again back in Central Trains days I got on a class 156 at Shrewsbury advertised through to Sleaford but I only went as far as Lincoln.

There also used to be a Skegness to Aberystwyth. I doubt you had many through passengers enduring a whole trip on a Class 153.

You can now get a Liverpool Lime Street to Sleaford train on a Saturday. Previously it was Nottingham to Sleaford, but the service was formed off an inbound unit from Liverpool, so made a bit of sense to become a once a week through service.

 

[Techniquest]

There is a evening Crewe - Shrewsbury TfW service, but rather than going via Nantwich it goes via Wrexham.

Seems to have replaced a Wrexham - Shrewsbury service which arrived in Wrexham ECS which connected with the daily Euston - Wrexham train. So better these days, at least when Avanti cancel the Wrexham train there isn't a large gap from Chester towards Shrewsbury via Wrexham

2023 Crewe-Shrewsbury via Wrexham I travelled on that on Monday just gone, albeit from Wrexham although that wasn’t by choice.

That night it was started back at Chester instead of Crewe due to delayed train crew. Let’s not talk about Monday evening though, I still haven’t recovered and am still scarred!

As for oddball journeys, there used to be a Hereford to Dorridge train in the late evening, I believe on Saturdays only, at around 2020. It’s been a long time since it ceased, so my memory is hazy. No other through trains to/from Hereford off/onto the Snow Hill lines, can’t recall why it happened!

 

[Charlie978]

The 0626 Chesterfield to Leeds has 3 quirky things about it.

It is the only passenger working to start (or finish) at Chesterfield.

It is the only direct train between Chesterfield/Dronfield and Normanton, runs in the express Sheffield to Leeds path but with an additional Normanton stop in there.

It runs in the wrong half hour for Northern services on the Nottingham to Leeds. Normally this path has an EMR Liverpool in it until Sheffield, and a Lincoln-Leeds after that.

 

[Springs Branch]

Not in the present timetable, but for a good few years over recent decades, throughout the day on Sundays, Northern's Southport - Wigan - Bolton - Manchester trains were linked via Oxford Road with the Mid-Cheshire line to Chester.

Not such an oddball - you might say - more an operational convenience for the TOC (although it did offer potentially useful through journeys like Wigan - Stockport, or Bolton - Altrincham)

The quirk here was that a normal ticket issued from Southport to Chester or vice versa was not valid on these trains.

There was no Any Permitted fare available between these two points, the only ticket offered being restricted "via Birkenhead".

Southport to Chester is a very plausible journey, with around 60 to 65 tickets per day being issued in recent years, according to origin/destination data. And this probably underestimates the number of journeys made, since a cheaper All Zones Merseytravel Saveaway is also valid.

One workaround - if you really wanted to spend almost 3 hours riding on the same Pacer back in the day - was to buy a Southport - Knutsford Day Return and stay on the train at KNF. At the time, that ticket was valid for travel both via Wigan and Chester.

 

[GordonT]

1Y25 the 1036 ex Glasgow (Queen Street) to Oban affords passengers the slightly surreal experience of passing through Glasgow (Queen Street) 13 minutes into its journey. Presumably for route retention this journey is routed via Springburn, Queen Street Low Level and Yoker before regaining the traditional route from Dalmuir.
Are there any other "deja vu" journeys anywhere which visit the same named station mid-journey for a second time? Georgemas Junction is the only other one that comes to mind as a possibility.

 

[The exile]

1Y25 the 1036 ex Glasgow (Queen Street) to Oban affords passengers the slightly surreal experience of passing through Glasgow (Queen Street) 13 minutes into its journey. Presumably for route retention this journey is routed via Springburn, Queen Street Low Level and Yoker before regaining the traditional route from Dalmuir.
Are there any other "deja vu" journeys anywhere which visit the same named station mid-journey for a second time? Georgemas Junction is the only other one that comes to mind as a possibility.

Haymarket used to be one when cross-countries went via the WCML. Do cross -Eastbourne trains stop at Hampden Park twice? (Or is the station spelt differently from the football ground?!)
I was frustrated by your Oban example last Saturday (or rather the afternoon departure which did the same). Heading for Helensburgh, I just missed the Oban at QS High Level so went downstairs to catch the emu to Helensburgh Central - only to be confronted with the Oban sat in the platform (doors firmly closed of course).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Do cross -Eastbourne trains stop at Hampden Park twice? (Or is the station spelt differently from the football ground?!)

Some services operating via Eastbourne do seem to call twice at Hampden Park (*) (Sussex), i.e. once when heading inbound into Eastbourne + again when heading out. Different platforms used.

(*) Exact same spelling as the Scottish Football Association ground in Glasgow which is served by Mount Florida + King's Park stations.

 

[johntea]

1017 Sheffield to Carlisle on Sunday

2133 Nottingham to Leeds on Sunday (the unusual part being it does Sheffield - Leeds slow all stations route)

 

[NSE]

Some services operating via Eastbourne do seem to call twice at Hampden Park (*) (Sussex), i.e. once when heading inbound into Eastbourne + again when heading out. Different platforms used.

(*) Exact same spelling as the Scottish Football Association ground in Glasgow which is served by Mount Florida + King's Park stations.

Off peak is as follows:

- The Victoria - Ore passes through non stop and then stops on its way out (XX23 of Eastbourne) and same on its return to London.

- The Brighton - Ore stops *from* Brighton to Eastbourne then heads out fast to Bexhill (XX11 off Eastbourne). It then stops when returning from Ore, reverses at Eastbourne and then heads out fast to Brighton. Essentially, it always leaves Eastbourne fast.

- The Ashford and both Victoria and Brighton terminators stop at Hampden Park on their only passage through.

During rush hours and very early and late times of day, all services can pick up Hampden Park stops both ways through.

 

[richard1976]

Until a few years ago there was a Greenbank to St Annes on the Sea service.

​

 

[Springs Branch]

Are there any other "deja vu" journeys anywhere which visit the same named station mid-journey for a second time?

I was about to mention Bare Lane - on account of 1 train per day which diverted from the WCML via Morecambe to meet TOC obligation to service the Hest Bank curve. Thereby stopping at Bare Lane twice.

However - checking current timetables, today's parliamentary train is a 05:19 Lancaster - Carnforth (reverse) - Morecambe. Which only stops at Bare lane once.

 

[dk1]

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

Also preceding privatisation there was an 03:00 Derby to Bedford Sprinter returning at 06:05.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 May 2026 ==

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.

Was to be the start of much greater things. Only one service weekdays started at Norwich and the evening service ran ECS from Ipswich complete with catering trolley & staff.

 

[43010]

1Y25 the 1036 ex Glasgow (Queen Street) to Oban affords passengers the slightly surreal experience of passing through Glasgow (Queen Street) 13 minutes into its journey. Presumably for route retention this journey is routed via Springburn, Queen Street Low Level and Yoker before regaining the traditional route from Dalmuir.
Are there any other "deja vu" journeys anywhere which visit the same named station mid-journey for a second time? Georgemas Junction is the only other one that comes to mind as a possibility.

Would the Romsey to Salisbury via Eastleigh, Southampton Central and Romsey services (generally XX07 and XX51 from Romsey, e.g. 2S11 0707 Romsey to Salisbury: https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:L84196/2026-05-30/detailed) qualify, albeit this is a consistent service pattern throughout the day rather than a one-off journey?

 

[Deepgreen]

One appeared last night and I was about to create a new thread as a trivia question. On the North Downs Line (NDL) trains normally run from Gatwick to Reading. Last night, 1V70 ran from Gatwick to Newbury in service, setting down only beyond Reading. Today, with engineering work, trains are running to Blackwater rather than Reading, so was this some form of positioning move? Previously the odd NDL train would run to Didcot or even Oxford, but this was the first I have seen to Newbury (and why to set down only beyond Reading?).

Screenshot from RTT attached.

 

[317 forever]

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!

You could otherwise set out from Brigg on a Friday, camp at Stalybridge then travel to Denton early that Saturday.

 

[route101]

1Y25 the 1036 ex Glasgow (Queen Street) to Oban affords passengers the slightly surreal experience of passing through Glasgow (Queen Street) 13 minutes into its journey. Presumably for route retention this journey is routed via Springburn, Queen Street Low Level and Yoker before regaining the traditional route from Dalmuir.
Are there any other "deja vu" journeys anywhere which visit the same named station mid-journey for a second time? Georgemas Junction is the only other one that comes to mind as a possibility.

Is that every day? I did not know there was this oddity.

 

[M60lad]

Not to sure whether its been mentioned but one oddball journey is Saturday only 18:51 East Midlands Railway Liverpool Lime Street-Sleaford service, not to sure why it runs to be honest as its only the Lime Street-Sleaford service as Mon-Fri and on Sundays this service terminates at Nottingham.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Is that every day? I did not know there was this oddity.

Possibly not routed via Queen St L.L. on Saturdays or Sundays.

 

[GordonT]

Possibly not routed via Queen St L.L. on Saturdays or Sundays.

I glanced at Real Time Trains and the equivalent train is routed via the normal route on Saturdays and Sundays but via Springburn, QS Low Level and Yoker on Mondays to Fridays. I believe the late 1950s North Clyde electrification infrastructure will soon need major works so perhaps the oddball route will be utilised more extensively when the "via Singer" section is being worked upon?

 

[Deepgreen]

I glanced at Real Time Trains and the equivalent train is routed via the normal route on Saturdays and Sundays but via Springburn, QS Low Level and Yoker on Mondays to Fridays. I believe the late 1950s North Clyde electrification infrastructure will soon need major works so perhaps the oddball route will be utilised more extensively when the "via Singer" section is being worked upon?

I wonder how many passengers do a double-take at QS the second time (and think it looks very different to the first time!)? Other circular/pan-handle services do the same, of course, although there are not likely to be passengers experiencing both on a genuine journey - e.g. the Waterloo 'roundabouts' at Clapham Junction and Vauxhall.

 

[mp01]

If we're doing historical stuff, I'm pretty sure I recall it being mentioned elsewhere in these forums that there used to be a though train from Treherbert to Gunnislake, or to Lostwithiel in Wales and West (Wales and Borders?) days - presumably the same sprinter from a valleys service then forming a Cardiff to Cornwall service.

 

[liamf656]

Pre COVID Northern ran a daily Lincoln to Hull service essentially joining two stoppers together. I believe it was even a Pacer at times!

https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Y50648/2018-02-15/detailed

 

[Techniquest]

I saw on the board at Norwich tonight, 31/05/2026, an 1856 to Derby. Normal stops to Nottingham that the Norwich to Liverpool route usually does, followed by Beeston, Long Eaton and Derby.

I can’t say I knew that ever happened, looked a bit odd and out of place!

 

[liamf656]

I saw on the board at Norwich tonight, 31/05/2026, an 1856 to Derby. Normal stops to Nottingham that the Norwich to Liverpool route usually does, followed by Beeston, Long Eaton and Derby.

I can’t say I knew that ever happened, looked a bit odd and out of place!

New from December 2025 I believe.

 

[Techniquest]

New from December 2025 I believe.

Thanks Definitely seems like a useful one, although I doubt I’ll be in Norwich again soon enough to make use of it.

 

[dk1]

Thanks Definitely seems like a useful one, although I doubt I’ll be in Norwich again soon enough to make use of it.

20:09 SX also operates direct from Norwich-Derby.