Leeds to Cornwall direct

[ess]

30 years ago there was 1 direct CrossCountry train per day Leeds to Cornwall (I think). It called at Oxford. Is there still a direct train Leeds to Cornwall? thanks

 

[JonathanH]

30 years ago there was 1 direct CrossCountry train per day Leeds to Cornwall (I think). It called at Oxford. Is there still a direct train Leeds to Cornwall? thanks

There are trains every hour in normal times from Leeds to Plymouth. Fewer of those are running through at the moment. Currently, one of those extends to Penzance leaving Leeds at 1311.

See https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...20-08-11/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

This coming Saturday, the 1211 and 1311 from Leeds run to Penzance.

There has never been a regular direct train from Leeds to Cornwall stopping at Oxford. However, there may have been occasions 30 years ago when such trains could have used the Oxford route to avoid engineering work.

 

[Senex]

There are trains every hour in normal times from Leeds to Plymouth. Fewer of those are running through at the moment. Currently, one of those extends to Penzance leaving Leeds at 1311.

See https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/se...20-08-11/0200-0159?stp=WVS&show=all&order=wtt

This coming Saturday, the 1211 and 1311 from Leeds run to Penzance.

There has never been a regular direct train from Leeds to Cornwall stopping at Oxford. However, there may have been occasions 30 years ago when such trains could have used the Oxford route to avoid engineering work.

There were through carriages (sleeping cars and restaurant car) over the Great Central line in the 1920s between Aberdeen and Penzance, calling at Oxford.

 

[JonathanH]

There were through carriages (sleeping cars and restaurant car) over the Great Central line in the 1920s between Aberdeen and Penzance, calling at Oxford.

OK, that is interesting - did it also go via Leeds? I guess that was the trap I set myself up for. Maybe I should have put 'in the recent past'. There weren't any such services 30 years ago (other than, of course, during engineering work).

 

[Senex]

OK, that is interesting - did it also go via Leeds? I guess that was the trap I set myself up for. Maybe I should have put 'in the recent past'. There weren't any such services 30 years ago (other than, of course, during engineering work).

No, not Leeds — classic GC route from York to Sheffield Victoria. There were quite a few of these odd routings in the period before and after WW1. Remember the use of the M&SWJn for instance, or Midland through coaches to the West via Bath, Templecombe, and the LSW.

 

[30907]

In loco hauled days (and after) there was a Wolverhampton WR to Penzance, later called The Cornishman, which mutated into a (Bradford?)-Leeds-Penzance, 1015 off New Street and lasted into the HST era.
There was a Leeds-Poole which combined with a Newcastle-Poole at Sheffield, and this obviously served Oxford (later the Newcastle was routed via Leeds).
There have been weekend timetabled diversions of Birmingham-SW services via Oxford in some years, though I can't be more specific.

 

[yorkie]

30 years ago there was 1 direct CrossCountry train per day Leeds to Cornwall (I think). It called at Oxford

That's a long way round; I'd be surprised if there was a service via Oxford rather than via Cheltenham.