Marylebone service frequency LNER era

[ltsr96]

I was wondering if anyone knew the rough weekday service frequency on the old GCR main line out of Marylebone in the LNER era?

Unfortunately I can’t seem to make head nor tail out of the timetables I’ve found.

I’m particularly interested in slow stopping services.

Thank you for any information you might be able to share.

 

[30907]

It's difficult to summarise! Have you found this 1939 timetable?
https://timetableworld.com/ttw-viewer.php?token=bcb66fa5-4508-4447-a4f5-e13150a1c8ca and what would you like explaining?

Also, are you interested in the "country" section beyond Aylesbury/Princes Risborough, or the "suburban" sections which were jointly operated with LT and the GWR, or the busier sections further North?

 

[ltsr96]

Thank you for that resource. I’m particularly interested in the country sections beyond Aylesbury towards Leicester and Nottingham.

The timetable seems to suggest a handful of stopping services each day in both directions. I’m looking to potentially model this route so want a better understanding of the traffic using the line.

 

[Magdalia]

I was wondering if anyone knew the rough weekday service frequency on the old GCR main line out of Marylebone in the LNER era?

Forget the concept of frequency! There was no regular interval service in those days.

I don't have any LNER timetables, but I do have ER timetables going back to the period before the Great Central London Extension was transferred to the LMR.

I’m particularly interested in the country sections beyond Aylesbury towards Leicester and Nottingham.

Between Aylesbury and Rugby the local service was very sparse, north of Rugby there were more local trains.

For example, here are all of the departures from Culworth in 1958:

7.47am to Marylebone (7.40am from Woodford Halse)
8.34am SO to Marylebone (6am from Nottingham Victoria)
8.44am SX to Marylebone (6.20am from Nottingham Victoria)
10.25am to Leicester Central (7.47am from Marylebone)
3.35pm SX to Marylebone (1.15pm from Nottingham Victoria)
3.50pm SO to Marylebone (1.30pm from Nottingham Victoria)
4.7pm SO to Woodford Halse (1.40pm from Marylebone)
4.32pm SX to Woodford Halse (1.30pm from Marylebone)
7.13pm to Woodford Halse (5pm from Marylebone)

 

[4069]

I have a Winter 1936 WTT for the section.

Taking Culworth again, at that time the passenger service was even sparser and weekday departures were:

Up
Around 7.40 am the 5.30 am from Nottingham to Marylebone via Aylesbury passed Culworth, calling at most other stations
10.51 am to Aylesbury (9.35 am from Leicester)
2.36 pm to Marylebone via Aylesbury (1.20pm SX/12.55pm SO from Leicester)
Around 9.0 pm the 6.50 pm from Leicester to Marylebone via Aylesbury passed Culworth, calling at all other stations

Down
9.5 am to Leicester (6.40 am from Marylebone via Aylesbury)
1.55 pm to Leicester (1.40 pm from Brackley)
8.4 pm SO to Woodford (7.35 pm from Brackley, ran every day but only called at Culworth on Saturdays)
Around 8.40 pm the 6.26 pm SX/6.25 pm SO from Marylebone to Leicester passed Culworth, calling at all other stations
Around 9.55 pm the 7.30 pm Marylebone to Woodford SX/Rugby SO passed Culworth, calling at all other stations

Not much of a service at all, really.

Further south, on the Ashendon - Grendon Underwood line, Akeman Street had closed in 1930. Wotton had only two trains a day each way: the 6.8 am from Marylebone called at all stations, terminated at Wotton at 7.50 am and returned whence it came at 8.17 am, reaching Marylebone at 9.54 am. The 4.50 pm from Marylebone to Brackley via High Wycombe called at Wotton at 6.15 pm, and its return working, from Brackley to High Wycombe at 7.55 pm, called at Wotton at 8.25 pm. Thus it was possible for a determined resident of Wotton to travel to London and return the same day, provided they wanted to do business between around 10 and 4.30! There was of course a much better service available from not too far away at Quainton Road, although since the previous November it no longer connected with Brill branch trains. Remarkably, the passenger "service" at Wotton clung on until 1953.