Derby-Skegness HST

[met331]

The hst is used for 3 reasons. Firstly the route was cleared for them in BR days. Secondly the August loading on Butlins changeover days can be horrific.
the third and best reason is that if they didnt use it it would sit spare at Etches park from Friday night until Sunday afternoon so they figured what the hell lets use it

 

[Roverman]

Did anyone use this last Saturday or know if it actually ran? Am thinking of going later this month but not buying a ticket until I know its actually run at least once!

 

[Tomnick]

It certainly ran last Saturday!

 

[causton]

Did anyone use this last Saturday or know if it actually ran? Am thinking of going later this month but not buying a ticket until I know its actually run at least once!

Yes it did

 

[Roverman]

Hey Causton great pics!

 

[Smethwickian]

It certainly ran OK on Saturday 3rd, when I enjoyed the mini-railtour around parts of Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire in a comfy declassified 1st class seat, than you very much. Reasonably busy but not unduly packed eastwards from Derby, a sparser crowd coming back (though of course we all filled 1st class first).

One thing - I was a little surprised the guard eastwards apologised a couple of times for the lack of refreshment service. But I wasn't aware one was advertised in the first place. Has there been one on other weekends?

 

[tom1649]

Will the HST be running to Skegness on Bank Holiday Monday 26th August this year does anyone know? If not, will the Sprinters be grossly overcrowded?

 

[causton]

Will the HST be running to Skegness on Bank Holiday Monday 26th August this year does anyone know? If not, will the Sprinters be grossly overcrowded?

Unfortunately RTT shows only Nottingham services operating, so no HST to/from Derby

 

[MCW]

tomorrow is the last HST for the season

 

[43167]

With respect, I would be very surprised if tomorrow was the last of the season, especially with next weekend been a bank holiday weekend.

 

[Tomnick]

There's definitely a schedule in for it next Saturday.

 

[MCW]

There's definitely a schedule in for it next Saturday.

oh fair enough, I stand corrected.

probs read the dates wrong on the WTT sched on RTT

 

[Derbyshire Gra]

Also runs on 31 August and 7 September, but reverts to Normal route via Nottingham for those two weeks, and only makes the one return trip from Derby to Skegness, and back again by early afternoon.

 

[tom1649]

That's a shame. I'm sure it has run on the Bank Holiday Monday on previous years. Hopefully the normal services will be strengthened for a Bank Holiday but I wouldn't get my hopes up.

 

[CockneySparrow]

tomorrow is the last HST for the season

Saturday 31st August last for the season, by the looks of the Nottingham - Skegness timetable its back on the original route this Saturday and the following

Has the service been busy this year between Peterborough and Skegness

 

[High Dyke]

Saturday 31st August last for the season, by the looks of the Nottingham - Skegness timetable its back on the original route this Saturday and the following

Has the service been busy this year between Peterborough and Skegness

Not certain where passengers initially boarded, but it has been full on the first trip to Skeg during the last two Saturdays.

Booked to Run on 24th August (via Peterborough). Reverts to direct route as of the 31st.

Due to final testing of the new signalling systems during the weekend of the 24th/25th there will be no passenger trains running in any of the areas affected by the Nottingham resignalling; this includes Grantham / Newark - Nottingham and to / from Beeston

 

[Roverman]

I've booked my ticket for Saturday found a £15 Rail voucher in my wallet so I've only paid £4.60! I'm guessing I need to heading for coaches F,G or J for a declassified First seat?

 

[Brunswick]

Thats right FC is the place to be, its like a mini railtour

 

[Roverman]

Bagged myself a lovely seat in Coach F. Journey was fine barring a small child who sounded like they were being exorcised! Poor thing! Clearly has not learnt yet that HST is the way to travel!

 

[tom1649]

Definitely no HST tomorrow then?

 

[causton]

No http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/search/advanced/SKG/2013/08/26/0200-0159?

 

[Max]

I noticed the HST at Grantham while travelling north on EC yesterday evening. A lot of people appeared to have disembarked at Grantham to change onto my train towards Leeds. Makes me wonder whether the Grantham call should be retained permanently in future years!

 

[STANDISH]

Just spoken to a friend who went on the train yesterday. Said it was full from Grantham, with some people standing. No problems coming back because of the later departure time.

 

[tom1649]

Standing on a HST?! That isn't good. Let's hope the train I catch tomorrow isn't a single 153 then.

 

[Roverman]

It was fairly full leaving Derby but there were spare seats left in F and G. A lot of people didn't realise it was declassified though so were ignoring First. The announcer said we'd be getting more full at Grantham (Nottingham passengers) but in reality only a handful got on.

 

[tom1649]

Just returned from my trip to Skegness, and the 07.34 departure from Nottingham was a 156+153 with hardly any passengers on board. Unfortunately there was a 15 minute delay just after we left Nottingham, due to "problems with lineside equipment". A few more joined at stations en route though, mainly at Grantham. The 16.10 return was another 156+153 combination with a decent loading of passengers this time, although I guess we got lucky as we passed a single 153 going in the opposite direction.

So all in all, not anything like as bad as I'd feared for a Bank Holiday. Just a shame about the lack of HST.

Derwent Valley Line is my local line, Nathan, so I'm very familiar with its workings.