C2C express services

[Sad Sprinter]

I commuted briefly on C2C in 2010 and remember express services were far more common. There was an evening train that went non-stop from Basildon to Fenchurch Street, and at least one in the morning that missed out Limehouse and West Ham. Now, most trains seem to stop all stations to Shoeburyness.

Does anyone have any memories of LTS fast services?

 

[JonathanH]

Tkmetable recast in December 2015 added more stops in the London area - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/c2c-new-timetable.124262.

As you say, some trains used to go non stop over much longer distances. I think some were non stop from Fenchurch Street to Benfleet.

 

[jfollows]

2010 working timetable at https://history.networkrail.co.uk/uncategorized/IO_a6360508-25df-4e48-89b7-8cb61c943e7d/, section LC, if it's of interest.

For example, 1B42 17:00 Fenchurch Street to Benfleet first stop a. 17:32.5, well remembered.

 

[Bishopstone]

There were many interesting stopping patterns back in the 80s and 90s. I recall services that skipped Southend Central, whilst calling at a selection of the smaller stations in the Southend conurbation.

Leigh and Laindon starters, but these were not necessarily ‘all stations’. When I commuted from Upminster, I think there was a Laindon starter that ran fast from Upminster to Fenchurch Street, and was the train of choice.

 

[Sad Sprinter]

There were many interesting stopping patterns back in the 80s and 90s. I recall services that skipped Southend Central, whilst calling at a selection of the smaller stations in the Southend conurbation.

Leigh and Laindon starters, but these were not necessarily ‘all stations’. When I commuted from Upminster, I think there was a Laindon starter that ran fast from Upminster to Fenchurch Street, and was the train of choice.

Wow. Laindon, West Horndon, Upminster and Fenchurch Street

 

[wls1]

With the current timetable fast services are much more limited than 9 years ago.
Three fast services in the morning:

0648 Shoeburyness - Fenchurch, non-stop from Laindon - Fenchurch
0702 Shoeburyness - Fenchurch, non-stop from Chalkwell - West Ham
0718 Shoeburyness - Fenchurch, non-stop from Chalkwell - Basildon - West Ham

Evening peak is more complicated,

1846 Fenchurch - Shoeburyness which takes 60m is the fastest time wise
1743 Fenchurch - Shoeburyness has the fewest calling points, fast West Ham - Laindon - Benfleet
1716 & 1816 Fenchurch - Shoeburyness both take 1hr 1m however they both have different calling patterns

Until Dec 2017 the 1701 Fenchurch - Shoeburyness was fast West Ham - Benfleet and until May 2019 the 1743 Fenchurch Street - Shoeburyness was also fast West Ham - Benfleet until Laindon was added. The last fast service in terms of stopping pattern was the 1813 Fenchurch - Leigh-on-Sea which was fast West Ham - Benfleet as this was only 4 carriages. This ran until the Covid timetable reductions which eliminated 4 carriage trains on c2c.

December 2015 timetable introduced a more standard calling pattern with only very few trains missing Barking, West Ham or Limebouse, and removed the majority of the Laindon terminators. The missing stations were added into the fast Shoebury trains and additional new Leigh-on-Sea trains. However these were subsequently changed weekly as they fine tuned the timetable after it was introduced over the space of a few months

Pre 2015 there were also occasional limited stop trains on the loop until 2015, such as:
0716 Pitsea - Fenchurch via Ockendon which was non-stop from Upminster - Fenchurch, and return 1702 Fenchurch - Grays via Ockendon non-stop Fenchurch - Barking.

Perhaps the oddest addition of the Dec 2015 timetable was the very brief stint of the 0710 Fenchurch - Southend, which called at Limehouse, West Ham, Barking, Basildon and Southend Central.

The timetable now is very much more standard and uniform, with very little alterations in calling patterns outside of peak flows and somewhat slower journey times.

 

[JBuchananGB]

I remember in the late 90s there was a non-stop Basildon to London just at the end of the morning peak, about 9.20am. With my office adjacent to Basildon station that was great to get to meetings in London.

 

[wls1]

I remember in the late 90s there was a non-stop Basildon to London just at the end of the morning peak, about 9.20am. With my office adjacent to Basildon station that was great to get to meetings in London.

0855 Shoeburyness - Fenchurch Street 0956 (0925 at Basildon) in 2002 timetable, Benfleet - Basildon - Fenchurch

There was also a fast at 0911 from Basildon which was fast from Laindon - Fenchurch

 

[JBuchananGB]

0855 Shoeburyness - Fenchurch Street 0956 (0925 at Basildon) in 2002 timetable, Benfleet - Basildon - Fenchurch

That'll be the one. Leave desk 0920, on train 0925. London in 31 minutes.