Fabled running times

[MidnightFlyer]

This question might be aimed slightly more at traincrew than punters but it's open to all. A couple of recent posts on here have got me wondering what, if any, timings are aimed for on certain runs by the crew who work them? For example, are there any yardsticks that crews aim to pass within an hour of London or to cover certain point-to-points in that are very rarely achieved?

Cheers

 

[Failed Unit]

Nice to see Grantham go past on the hour mark on a non-stop York service.

 

[DasLunatic]

I've heard it's technically possible to do Liverpool Street - Ipswich under an hour, if it's running non-stop on greens all the way. I haven't seen it done myself.

 

[louis97]

I've heard it's technically possible to do Liverpool Street - Ipswich under an hour, if it's running non-stop on greens all the way. I haven't seen it done myself.

There is a train booked to do just that, 58 and half minutes.

 

[Phil.]

Paddington to Reading in twenty minutes until the spoilsports put limiters on the HSTs.

 

[Cowley]

Paddington to Reading in twenty minutes until the spoilsports put limiters on the HSTs.

Dare I ask Phil (theoretically speaking of course) what kind of speed could be reached doing that? Just interested.

 

[LAX54]

There is a train booked to do just that, 58 and half minutes.

Does it quite often in 57 mins, and sometimes 56

 

[TheEdge]

There is always the East Anglian broken record of Norwich in 90...

 

[Mugby]

About twenty years ago the Down 'Master Cutler' was timed to reach Leicester (99 miles) in 60 minutes.

It was found to be regularly unachievable and extra minutes were inserted. They still can't do it today.

 

[ComUtoR]

On every single route I drive there is a timing point which I tend to take more notice of. Mostly they are stations where I will NEVER make the timetable but I am consistently X minutes late. If I am X+ minutes late, then I know I'm actually running late.

Similarly there are places where you tend to catch time back.

 

[306024]

Back in the 1980s I remember a Parkeston driver saying London to Harwich Parkeston Quay with a class 86 on the non-stop Hook Continental was a challenge in 60 minutes, but only possible between Christmas and New Year when other trains weren't running.

 

[Richard_B]

You hear about people seeing far they are up the Trent Valley by 60 mins on fast Virgin services. Whether these are just punters or competitive train crew I don't know.

 

[IanXC]

Nice to see Grantham go past on the hour mark on a non-stop York service.

In the other dirction, calling at Grantham, I've been on a Hull Trains service arriving at King's Cross in 61 minutes.

 

[nuneatonmark]

I have done Euston to Nuneaton on a Pendo in 52 mins a few times as a passenger of course.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Paddington to Reading in twenty minutes until the spoilsports put limiters on the HSTs.

In my experience the fastest train of the day to Reading now is the 20:35 Plymouth; can often make it to Reading in 23 or 23 1/2 minutes, and as it pulls in on Platform 7 (the old Platform 4) at Reading you can just walk straight out through the barriers without having to go up the escalators and over the massive bridge - that can easily add another couple of minutes to the PAD-RDG journey time.

 

[Hairy Bear]

About twenty years ago the Down 'Master Cutler' was timed to reach Leicester (99 miles) in 60 minutes.

It was found to be regularly unachievable and extra minutes were inserted. They still can't do it today.

I beg to differ. Several months back I did it in exactly 60 mins.
Cannot currently do it due to the number of tsr's .
Most are timed at 62/63 mins which is normally achievable when you have power on all cars and no more than 1 tsr.

 

[westv]

In the other dirction, calling at Grantham, I've been on a Hull Trains service arriving at King's Cross in 61 minutes.

Pity it can't be 61 mins for the whole route!

 

[theageofthetra]

There were many stories of 'enthusiastic' running of Bulleid Pacific's & other on their last legs locos in the last days of Southern Steam. Did anyone ever properly record or verify these endevours or was the Nine Elms Ton up club just another depot shaggy dog story?

 

[Phil.]

Dare I ask Phil (theoretically speaking of course) what kind of speed could be reached doing that? Just interested.

Sorry, late reply. Best I personally knew was an indicated 132 through Sonning. True speed was probably circa 129-30.

 

[matt_world2004]

I did Hayes and Harlington to Ealing Broadway in 4 minutes once.

 

[CMS]

St Albans to St Pancras LL in 16mins on a 319.

Now almost everything stops at West Hampstead TL - you're lucky to do it in about 25!

 

[causton]

As I have recently posted elsewhere, Euston to Leighton Buzzard on a non-stop 350 is supposed to be 28 minutes or less, which I have only witnessed once!

Likewise, Euston to Milton Keynes is supposed to be 29 minutes on a Pendolino but it requires precision to actually happen in real life, in reality a couple of minutes more are often needed!

 

[Cherry_Picker]

In 2011 when Evergreen 3 came in there were a couple of London bound trains which were last stop Warwick Parkway. The 08:09 ex Kidderminster was one such train and it could get paths where you didn't see anything other than green signals once it had reached Birmingham. It could and did do Moor Street to Marylebone in less than 90 minutes (calling at Solihull & Warwick Parkway) regularly. Those 'fast' peaks all stop at Leamington Spa these days too and I'd imagine the Oxford services have put the squeeze on all green paths south of Bicester too so we probably won't see those timings for a while again but if Chiltern wanted a sub 90 minute headline time for the Birmingham to London service then it's definitely possible.

 

[D1009]

Today 1E01 0540 Edinburgh Kngs Cross actually completed the journey in its scheduled 4 hours. That must be rare!

 

[Bevan Price]

Selected point to point fastest recorded times can be accessed on the Railway Performance Society website. Note, you will need to be able to read MS Excel format files to view some of the tables. The tables cover most "Inter City" & "Cross Country" types of service.

Some of the tables can look a bit complicated at first, but scroll through the files and you often find what you are looking for. Note that most of the records are for everyday scheduled services, rather than charters or other "special" runs. Further details are accessible if you are a member of RPS.

http://www.railperf.org.uk/index/fastest-times-listing

 

[jimm]

Paddington to Reading in twenty minutes until the spoilsports put limiters on the HSTs.

What limiters? The timing between Paddington and Reading was extended as result of the installation of the Automatic Train Protection system on the GWML.

In my experience the fastest train of the day to Reading now is the 20:35 Plymouth; can often make it to Reading in 23 or 23 1/2 minutes, and as it pulls in on Platform 7 (the old Platform 4) at Reading you can just walk straight out through the barriers without having to go up the escalators and over the massive bridge - that can easily add another couple of minutes to the PAD-RDG journey time.

The 15.52 Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh* frequently does the run to Reading in 23 minutes, Monday this week being just one example.

*Edit - but enjoy it while you can - this train will be calling at Slough from December and will leave Paddington at 15.49 to allow for the stop.

 

[silverfoxcc]

With regard to the Southern finale. I knew a few chaps who lived nearby and regularly did the Basingstoke-Woking stretch. and v/v They told me money used to change hands at Basingstoke and should three figures be achieved a bonus was added at Woking as a thankyou. It could well be a myth but there were fights for these evening runs as it was a nice little tax free 'earner'

 

[A0]

About twenty years ago the Down 'Master Cutler' was timed to reach Leicester (99 miles) in 60 minutes.

It was found to be regularly unachievable and extra minutes were inserted. They still can't do it today.

Given some of the curves north of Bedford, I'm not surprised - Wellingborough being a case in point.

I do recall being on a late night Meridian out of St Pancras which seemed to get to Luton rather more quickly than usual......
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

St Albans to St Pancras LL in 16mins on a 319.

Now almost everything stops at West Hampstead TL - you're lucky to do it in about 25!

At least two of the Bedford's per hour go fast from St P to St Albans.....

 

[trac]

Paddington to Reading in twenty minutes until the spoilsports put limiters on the HSTs.

From the rail performance website there is a run on 20.11.88 of 20 minutes and 46 seconds from Paddington to Reading....

The HSTs with worn tyres go the fastest don't they?

 

[Phil.]

What limiters? The timing between Paddington and Reading was extended as result of the installation of the Automatic Train Protection system on the GWML.



The 15.52 Paddington to Moreton-in-Marsh* frequently does the run to Reading in 23 minutes, Monday this week being just one example.

*Edit - but enjoy it while you can - this train will be calling at Slough from December and will leave Paddington at 15.49 to allow for the stop.

Jimm, the limiters that cut the power at 126mph.