Longest Gaps Between A Company Running A Service Between Two Towns/Cities

[tbtc]

Rather than divert the existing/interesting thread on franchise changes (https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...franchise-more-than-once.206597/#post-4673393), I thought I'd start a new thread to discuss the long gaps between a parent company running a service between two towns/cities (regardless of franchise changes etc).

For example, First ran services from Manchester to London Euston until May 2000 (the FNW service from Rochdale, via Victoria) and again from December 2019 (the Avanti service from Piccadilly). The same is true of Holyhead - Chester (FNW and Avanti). First also ran services from Glasgow to Carlisle until March 2015 (ScotRail) and again from December 2019 (aforementioned Avanti franchise)

National Express ran services from Doncaster to Leeds until November 2007 (Midland Mainline) and again from December 2007 (NXEC). They similarly ran services from Doncaster/Grantham to Peterborough until 2007 (Central Trains) and again from December 2007 (NXEC again). National Express also ran services from Edinburgh to Aberdeen/Inverness until October 2004 (ScotRail) and again from December 2007 (NXEC yet again).

Stagecoach/Virgin ran services between Doncaster/ Leeds - Edinburgh - Aberdeen until November 2007 (Virgin Cross Country) and again from March 2015.

Any examples welcome - as long as the parent company had some stake in the two franchises (whether minority or majority) and provided a link between two towns/cities (doesn't have to be the same two stations, doesn't have to be the same intermediate route - are there any other long gaps between a parent company running a train service between two places?

 

[Dr Hoo]

The (F)festiniog Railway Company ran its last passenger train between the towns of Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1939 but re-opened a through (albeit deviated) route in 1982, around 43 years later.

 

[Midnight Sun]

The (F)festiniog Railway Company ran its last passenger train between the towns of Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1939 but re-opened a through (albeit deviated) route in 1982, around 43 years later.

The Ffestiniog Railway Company also run the last passenger train on the Welsh Highland between Dinas and Porthmadog on 5 September 1936 and the last Goods train. in February 1937. The next passenger train between the two stations on the 19 February 2011 after a gap of 74 years, 7 months, 14 days.

In that 74 year gap, the Ffestiniog Railway surrendered its lease of the line in 1943. Two years before the authorities to requisition the movable assets for use in the Second World War. In the late 1980's and early 1990's there was the major legal battles between The Welsh Highland Railway Society and Ffestiniog Railway Company over control of the trackbed after the Ffestiniog offer to buy the WHR track bed from the official receiver for £16,000. after finaly winning control ,it re-opened the Welsh Highland railway in stages, starting in 1997. The line was completed through to Porthmadog from Dinas in 2011.

 

[Wallsendmag]

LNER King's Cross to Edinburgh December 1947 to June 2018

 

[Mcr Warrior]

LNER King's Cross to Edinburgh December 1947 to June 2018

Surely not the same company, just a similarly named one?

 

[Ianno87]

Liverpool and Glasgow; direct trains ran until the mid-1990s sometime (possibly up to about 2002?), and then re-instated in 2019.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Liverpool and Glasgow; direct trains ran until the mid-1990s sometime (possibly up to about 2002?), and then re-instated in 2019.

Was the direct Liverpool/Glasgow service from a couple of decades ago operated by a First Group company?

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

Was the direct Liverpool/Glasgow service from a couple of decades ago operated by a First Group company?

Nope ran by Virgin Crosscountry until 2001/02 i think.

A good example has to be Hull to Leeds or any part of the RR North East network between two major cities that was also part of Northern (2016-20) as they were both ran by Arriva!

Virgin between Doncaster to Edinburgh from 1997 until 2007 (part of XC) and from 2015-18 (as part of ICEC)

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

LNER King's Cross to Edinburgh December 1947 to June 2018

does not count it was a different company with the same name

 

[Wallsendmag]

Nope ran by Virgin Crosscountry until 2001/02 i think.

A good example has to be Hull to Leeds or any part of the RR North East network between two major cities that was also part of Northern (2016-20) as they were both ran by Arriva!

Virgin between Doncaster to Edinburgh from 1997 until 2007 (part of XC) and from 2015-18 (as part of ICEC)

Theres no way Virgin XC and Virgin EC are the same company, even the Stagecoach /Virgin split was different.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Any examples welcome - as long as the parent company had some stake in the two franchises (whether minority or majority) and provided a link between two towns/cities (doesn't have to be the same two stations, doesn't have to be the same intermediate route - are there any other long gaps between a parent company running a train service between two places?

Theres no way Virgin XC and Virgin EC are the same company, even the Stagecoach /Virgin split was different.

Probably not, but did they perhaps have a common parent company, as per the OP's original criteria?

 

[Wallsendmag]

Probably not, but did they perhaps have a common parent company, as per the OP's original criteria?

In that case the owner of LNER during WW2 and now would be the same would it not?

 

[Jorge Da Silva]

In that case the owner of LNER during WW2 and now would be the same would it not?

Well no because neither have the same parent company just the same name