Making stops on diverted services

[Kite159]

That's exactly what they do.

The Romsey Rocket just goes Salisbury to Eastleigh via Southampton, then usually does the ¾ mile shunt to Allbrook, before returning whence it came.

Or in the case of when Southampton was closed, Salisbury to Romsey and back to Salisbury

 

[Drsatan]

Whenever Exeter St Davids to Waterloo services are diverted via Southampton, they additionally call at Romsey, Millbrook and Redbridge. The 'Romsey Rocket' also operates as normal, meaning that all three stations see an enhanced service, along with a through service to London.

 

[Taunton]

Depends on the train planners, as there is often no consistency when the same diversions happen a few weeks apart. A good example is on the west coastway when Brighton to Victoria services are diverted via Littlehampton and Horsham.

This recalls a diversion this way some years ago. 12-car from Victoria to Brighton got stopped at Three Bridges and then announced it was being diverted. Went off through Horsham and all the way into Littlehampton station, reversing back to the junctions and thence along the coast towards Brighton.

Several groups had walked all the way down to the front of the 12-car at Victoria and were now at the back ..... and so now very grumpy, they all walked and thumped right through the train, falling over people and luggage as they went to the front car.

Given that the west facing platforms at Brighton are few and short, and to set the train up to return direct to London, at Hove we turned left round the triangle to Preston Park, stopped, and reversed into the main platforms. With these people now at the back again.

Did we laugh? Not 'arf

 

[Crossover]

No two weeks seem the same with XC diversions via Chepstow. Sometimes they go past Severn Tunnel Jn and reverse at Newport (as a booked stop) other times they reverse at Severn Tunnel Jn (without calling at the station). They then sometimes go into Bristol Parkway (reverse) or stop at Patchway and miss out Bristol Parkway.

The one time I did it, I was on from Taunton, we went through to Newport, booked call, reversed, onward to Bristol Parkway, booked call, reversed again then on to Gloucester (where we also had a booked call)

 

[Class 170101]

Sometimes trains don't stop because they don't have rights to stop there. For example when XC were diverted between Peterborough and Leicester via Nottingham they wouldn't have a public stop at Nottingham as it was percieved to be stealing EMTs reveneu between Peterborough and Nottingham. However a crew stop was required as Cambridge crews had to be changed for Leicester / Birmingham crews.

Of course never mind the better convienence for passengers of direct trains between Stansted and Nottingham (or fewer changes required).

 

[Mugby]

A few years ago, I travelled one Saturday evening on an EMT service from Sheffield to Leeds which was diverted via the Barnsley branch. On arrival at Wakefield Kirkgate the conductor announced that although it wasn't a booked stop, he would open the doors for anyone who found it more convenient to alight there whilst the driver changed ends.
I though it was a very reasonable thing to do.

Some time later, I was making the same journey on an XC service which was also diverted via Barnsley. I was chatting to the conductor and asked him if he would be doing the same. "Oh no" he replied "We don't do things like that!"

 

[Class 170101]

Oddly enough I have wondered why XC don't call there when diverted via Barnsley vice Westgate with a conecting bus between Kirkgate and Westgate. same for EMT, rather than the longer bus to / from Leeds.

 

[Rich McLean]

I've noticed that during the upcoming blockade between Castle Scary & Taunton, that FGW have been copying another neighbouring TOCs tactics in that they've cut out a considerable number of WoE services and the one's going through are stopping at Didcot, Swinedon, Chippenham, Bath & Temple Meads before continuing to Taunton & principal stations West thereof.

Plymouth Terminators will be calling at Didcot, Swindon, Chippenham, Bath and Bristol Temple Meads, leaving Padd at xx30 rather than the later time of yy03/yy06, then extending to Plymouth. This is two services combined into one.
The Penzance Terminators will Run Non Stop Reading - Taunton via Bristol, with the two crack expresses departing at 0930 and 1130 first stop Exeter after Reading via Bristol. In place of the Penzance departure, A Bristol Service departs at xx33, will calls at the usual places and terminates at Bristol.

No services to the West of England have been cut, but Plymouth Terminators are now Extensions of the Bristol TM service, effectively packing two train loads onto one

 

[Liam]

Glasgow to Aberdeen services are diverted via Fife 25/26 October and 1/2 November, calling additionally at Linlithgow and Inverkeithing.

I wonder if this is to allow a route trained driver to board?

 

[Class 170101]

Seems a bit odd in that if Glasgow don't sign via Inverkeithing I would imagine the route conducting driver would be on the train between Linlithgow and Dundee.

 

[mm333]

My favourites are one Sunday when Virgin Cross Country were diverted between Leeds and Sheffield via Barnsley, and they called at Wakefield Kirkgate. These days, if XC go that way, they expect Wakefield passengers to use other operators to get to Sheffield or Leeds.

And Transpennine sometimes using Brighouse as the interchange point in the middle of the night for Huddersfield passengers when they're diverting via the Calder Valley Line. (That's happening all day on Sunday 19 October)

As an aside, on the weekend when East Coast divert via Lincoln, they never stop any services there and the regular KX-Lincoln are bustituted from Newark or Grantham to free up diesels. Doh!

 

[Class 170101]

That service along with the Scarborough to Manchester Aiport services will be packed across the Pennines. I hope they are six carriage trains.

 

[mm333]

Some time later, I was making the same journey on an XC service which was also diverted via Barnsley. I was chatting to the conductor and asked him if he would be doing the same. "Oh no" he replied "We don't do things like that!"

But they'll happily call at Lichfield City, Reading West and Didcot Parkway when needs be.

Another one that VXC once did was call at Wakefield Westgate, then do the Westgate Curve and reverse at Kirkgate towards Barnsley and Sheffield. Don't think current XC have done that ever.

 

[swt_passenger]

But they'll happily call at Lichfield City, Reading West and Didcot Parkway when needs be.

...and similarly during engineering blocks at Southampton they've spent whole weekends with Eastleigh as the southern terminus, well at least since Arriva took over.

AFAICR Virgin XC never called at Eastleigh, they must have reckoned it wasn't posh enough...

 

[Minilad]

But they'll happily call at Lichfield City, Reading West and Didcot Parkway when needs be.

Another one that VXC once did was call at Wakefield Westgate, then do the Westgate Curve and reverse at Kirkgate towards Barnsley and Sheffield. Don't think current XC have done that ever.

Because usually those stops enable passengers to transfer to road transport to stations missed because of the diversion

 

[Kite159]

I've noticed the FGW Sunday diversions between Reading & Wales (via Newbury and Westbury North) are calling additionally at Bath & Bristol Temple.

 

[HarleyDavidson]

I noticed that everything to the WoE was having SSOs put on them, when they could have started & terminated PAD-BRI at Reading! But no, let's just cram every sod onto one train.

 

[Flamingo]

I've noticed the FGW Sunday diversions between Reading & Wales (via Newbury and Westbury North) are calling additionally at Bath & Bristol Temple.

That's so as to avoid having to run additional services too/from Bath & Bristol. They are combining two trains into one - having said that, last Sunday the doubling up did not result in much more crowding, as the lack of Chippenham, Swindon & Didcot passengers cancelled it out. In fact, the afternoon train I worked up was the quietest I have ever seen on a Sunday afternoon!