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Last trains which should be later

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Nova1

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Sadly the last train from Stratford-Upon-Avon back towards Birmingham departs at 22:30 which isn't really late enough to get to the station after a show at the RSC theatre. There is a 23:30 departure but annoyingly it runs non-stop to Birmingham Moor Street then terminates at Snow Hill
 

Parallel

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The last Bristol - Weymouth train leaves at 20:49, though the 23:11 does run to Frome.

In the other direction, the last Weymouth to Bristol via Heart of Wessex line leaves at 20:20! I feel like there could be one a little later, maybe only running as far as Westbury though.
 

Some guy

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The 21:10 being the last service from Euston to preston is quite poor considering the last train to wolves is at 23:30 and even worse the last train from Birmingham to preston is 19:15
 

route101

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The 21:10 being the last service from Euston to preston is quite poor considering the last train to wolves is at 23:30 and even worse the last train from Birmingham to preston is 19:15
That 19:15 from Birmingham used to run to Glasgow.
 

6Gman

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A fast 23.00 departure [to Liverpool] would arrive back just after 01.00, that would be a proper service.

What time is the last departure to Manchester?
On the couple of occasions a year that Liverpool or Everton had an evening match in London it would be very busy.

On the other 310 nights of the year?
 

Acton1991

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I always thought the last train to Newbury from Paddington was far too early. Looking at next Saturday, the last direct train leaves at 20.04
 

Statto

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In contrast to the opposite direction the North Wales coast line has a very early finish eastbound. The last departure is 20.32 from Holyhead and 21.01 from Bangor.

You could take the last train to Chester and have more than 2 hours there before returning at 00.40, a very extreme imbalance.

Agreed & even worse, the last train from Llandudno to Chester departs Llandudno 21.45, Llandudno Junction 21.57 which is well too early, given the TMD is at Chester, whether scope for a train departing Holyhead or Bangor to Chester 11pm, certainly between 10pm & 11pm?
 

Llandudno

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Agreed & even worse, the last train from Llandudno to Chester departs Llandudno 21.45, Llandudno Junction 21.57 which is well too early, given the TMD is at Chester, whether scope for a train departing Holyhead or Bangor to Chester 11pm, certainly between 10pm & 11pm?
The last eastbound trains leave Bangor and Llandudno before the theatre, cinema and Venue Cymru closes, so no use for a attending a show, watching a film or attending a concert.

Arriva have recently cut a number of late evening buses in Llandudno/Conwy and the last eastbound bus now leaves Bangor at 2145, so again no good for evening events.

The other issue is that hospitality businesses in Conwy County are struggling for staff, perhaps, there would be a larger employment pool to recruit from if there were buses/ trains to get people home after 2200?
 
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Last train beyond Worcester towards Hereford from New Street is at 2100 (which has developed a nasty habit of terminating at Great Malvern recently) In which case last through train is at 1915.
 

swt_passenger

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The last train from Waterloo to Bournemouth now is a very reasonable 23:35 Mon-Sat / 23:05 Sun, although it's usually bustituted from Southampton Central onwards between Monday - Thursday.
Was the 0005 off Waterloo as recently as 2019, and back then there was also a later 0105 Waterloo to Southampton which was generally thought quite reasonable for the route - it was mentioned as a good example in earlier discussions on this subject.
 

miklcct

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Was the 0005 off Waterloo as recently as 2019, and back then there was also a later 0105 Waterloo to Southampton which was generally thought quite reasonable for the route - it was mentioned as a good example in earlier discussions on this subject.
The 0105 Waterloo to Southampton still runs nowadays which is the final departure out of Waterloo.
 

Deerfold

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The 0105 Waterloo to Southampton still runs nowadays which is the final departure out of Waterloo.

Having had a play with realtime trains, this seems to be Saturdays only.

Would probably be useful Fridays at least.
 
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Grumpy Git

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The other issue is that hospitality businesses in Conwy County are struggling for staff, perhaps, there would be a larger employment pool to recruit from if there were buses/ trains to get people home after 2200?

At the risk of going OT, it’s not the lack of ‘late trains’, but a certain vote in June 2016 which has caused this.
 

Bletchleyite

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At the risk of going OT, it’s not the lack of ‘late trains’, but a certain vote in June 2016 which has caused this.

Because British people won't do jobs which were basically slave labour? The industry needs to up its game and we need to be willing to pay more so people get acceptable work pay and conditions.

I am anti Brexit but this is not a negative.
 

A S Leib

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Admittedly there probably isn't tons of demand for one, but I'd like to have a Waterloo train leaving Poole at around 23:15 for meet the ferry from Guernsey. The same case - and issue - applies for a 00:00 train from Heysham (although in that case Liverpool's an alternative, as the afternoon sailing gets to Liverpool three hours before the last London and Newcastle trains leaves).
 

Statto

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The last eastbound trains leave Bangor and Llandudno before the theatre, cinema and Venue Cymru closes, so no use for a attending a show, watching a film or attending a concert.

Arriva have recently cut a number of late evening buses in Llandudno/Conwy and the last eastbound bus now leaves Bangor at 2145, so again no good for evening events.

The other issue is that hospitality businesses in Conwy County are struggling for staff, perhaps, there would be a larger employment pool to recruit from if there were buses/ trains to get people home after 2200?

Yep, as mentioned the last Holyhead train leaves Chester 00.40, so you can have a night out if you're heading towards Holyhead afterwards, but no point using the train without an overnight stay if heading towards Chester, it's daft.
 

Future

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The last non-sleeper departure towards Paddington from Penzance is 1745. Come on, GWR. Heck, the sleeper is only at 2145
 

VideozVideoz

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Last trains to several other stations in the Manchester area are around 23:30, but as with many things, Stoke and Macclesfield lose out when it comes to first and last trains.
23:14 back to Macc isn’t that bad… Agree that Stoke is a true outlier compared to other destinations.

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There’s a 2011 TPE from Edinburgh to Preston which connects into a northern through to Manchester at Preston; appreciate it’s not Wigan/Warrington/etc. but at least there’s something a bit later
There did used to be a later one to MIA. I often caught it at Carlisle around 23:37. Arrived in Preston around 00:55 and a Caledonian sleeper was usually on an adjacent platform
 

route101

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23:14 back to Macc isn’t that bad… Agree that Stoke is a true outlier compared to other destinations.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: ==


There did used to be a later one to MIA. I often caught it at Carlisle around 23:37. Arrived in Preston around 00:55 and a Caledonian sleeper was usually on an adjacent platform
Yes there was a TPE from Edinburgh that left just after 10pm.
 

VideozVideoz

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Yes there was a TPE from Edinburgh that left just after 10pm.
Yep, that’s the one I boarded at Carlisle at 23:37. ex EDB 10pm-ish. Only ever 2 or 3ppl on it. Once or twice I was the only passenger and was also offered to sit in first class on most occasions
 

route101

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Yep, that’s the one I boarded at Carlisle at 23:37. ex EDB 10pm-ish. Only ever 2 or 3ppl on it. Once or twice I was the only passenger and was also offered to sit in first class on most occasions
I imagine this service would load well during the Edinburgh festival.
 

Watershed

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Yep, that’s the one I boarded at Carlisle at 23:37. ex EDB 10pm-ish. Only ever 2 or 3ppl on it. Once or twice I was the only passenger and was also offered to sit in first class on most occasions
I don't think there's any prospect of it returning. It arguably has value in running as far as Carlisle, particularly as that would then also set it up nicely for an early morning Carlisle-Edinburgh service (which did run for a short period). The extension to Preston was only ever because of the traincrew depot being there.
 

VideozVideoz

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I don't think there's any prospect of it returning. It arguably has value in running as far as Carlisle, particularly as that would then also set it up nicely for an early morning Carlisle-Edinburgh service (which did run for a short period). The extension to Preston was only ever because of the traincrew depot being there.
I think there’s def more benefit of it providing an early morning service thru Lockerbie to Edinburgh. When that early morning one did run pre-pandemic, was it stationed at Carlisle overnight? I’d like to know how popular it was too. Not sure if TPE have arrangements there or not since there is no depot or train crew base

That late night EDB TPE service went to the airport, not just Preston. Saw a few suitcases on my many trips
 
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geoffk

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Some areas won't get get food late services because of where the operator reources the service from.

For example
Sheffield to Lincoln has an early finish
Lincoln to Sheffield a late start

This route is resourced from Sheffield, Northern have no depot in Lincoln as where as EMR do, historically this route I believe, it was said previously, was shared between at least Sheffield and Lincoln
Perhaps a good reason then to transfer the route to EMR.
 
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