Named Trains

[EbbwJunction1]

Are there any officially named trains on British railways any more?

The reason I ask is that a couple of weeks before Christmas I was on Newport Station and caught the 08.52 to Maesteg as far as Cardiff Central. This is the 07.52 from Cheltenham Spa and, before it arrived it was announced as (either) "The Welsh Dragon" or "The Red Dragon" (I can't remember which!). The name was announced again on arrival.

However, when we arrived at Cardiff and the train was announced as leaving in X minutes for Maesteg there was no mention of it being a named train.

So ... is this an unofficial name, or was someone just taking the mick? As far as I can remember, the announcements were of the recorded kind, so how was this possible?

Your thoughts and advice will be appreciated - thank you!

 

[Mojo]

http://www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk/About-Us/Our-business/Named-Trains-of-First-Great-Western

Also see discussion here http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=75673

 

[Darandio]

Flying Scotsman, Highland Chieftan, Northern Lights.............

 

[221129]

There are loads down in the Southwest....

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thanks for this - and my apologies for not picking up the previous thread. I did use the search, but it didn't find that one!

Anyway, the train I travelled on was an Arriva Trains Wales service ... any thoughts, please?

Thanks again!

 

[SteamPower]

East Midlands Trains have a few, The Master Cutler, The Sheffield Continental, The Robin Hood. Those are the ones I can think of of the top of my head, there may be more.

 

[jopsuk]

At Kings Cross you'll see the boards displaying "The Cambridge Express"

 

[221129]

AFAIK ATW don't have any named trains And the only Named ones in Wales are: The St David, The Capitals United, The Pembrooke Coast Express and The Red Dragon.

 

[D365]

At Kings Cross you'll see the boards displaying "The Cambridge Express"

Formerly know as the "Cambridge Cruiser", currently operated by the Class 365 Networker Express every half-hour. Extended to King's Lynn, stopping, every hour.

 

[theboywho]

Surely the Night Riviera deserves a mention?

 

[221129]

Surely the Night Riviera deserves a mention?

That doesn't go into Wales and as has been stated FGW run many Named trains (18 to be exact)

 

[Manchester77]

Caledonian Sleeper?

 

[gazthomas]

This might be of interest:

http://www.classicmagazines.co.uk/product/View/productCode/5433/the-encyclopeadia-of-titled-trains

 

[CockneySparrow]

Formerly know as the "Cambridge Cruiser", currently operated by the Class 365 Networker Express every half-hour. Extended to King's Lynn, stopping, every hour.

One train out of Kings Lynn in the morning was called The Fenman, not sure whether that's been dropped now or not

 

[MidnightFlyer]

I'm certain the old Norwich headliner in a morning to Liverpool St (that called only at Diss, and not Ipswich) was called the East Anglian, but that's ended under Greater Anglia, it could possibly have even ended under NXEA when the Ipswich call was inserted a couple of years ago.

 

[Darandio]

That doesn't go into Wales and as has been stated FGW run many Named trains (18 to be exact)

The OP never mentioned anything about the named trains being Welsh. The OP asked if there were any named trains on British Railways.

 

[Cherry_Picker]

List of named passenger trains in the UK

It's from Wikipedia, so taking it with a grain of salt is required, but there have been loads of named services over the years. I guess which one is most famous (after The Flying Scotsman which I think most people will have heard of) really does depend on where you live.

 

[merlodlliw]

AFAIK ATW don't have any named trains And the only Named ones in Wales are: The St David, The Capitals United, The Pembrooke Coast Express and The Red Dragon.

ATW run an open access named train "Gerald Of Wales" it is the flagship service Y Gerallt Gymro,

 

[tsr]

Given that "Gatwick Express" is no longer the name of a TOC or indeed a company, does that mean that all services run under that brand are simply named trains?

 

[dave55uk]

One train out of Kings Lynn in the morning was called The Fenman, not sure whether that's been dropped now or not

When I started on the railway at Cambridge station, the 0848 non-stop to Liverpool Street (originating from Kings Lynn as CockneySparrow said) was "The Fenman". The closely following train from Cambridge to Liverpool Street was the 0858 (which made 3 stops (Audley End, Bishops Stortford and Harlow Town) before the terminus IIRC) was named "The Bury Fenman" (after Bury St. Edmunds) although the train originated at Ipswich.

Ditto with the down trains in the evening, but the timings escape me now - it's over 40 years ago!

 

[merlodlliw]

List of named passenger trains in the UK

It's from Wikipedia, so taking it with a grain of salt is required, but there have been loads of named services over the years. I guess which one is most famous (after The Flying Scotsman which I think most people will have heard of) really does depend on where you live.

They have missed out "The Armarda" Paddington to ? Its on the GW page

The Emerald Isle Express used to pass through Rhyl non stop at around 10p.m.
but it never had a section for Llandudno.

The Holyhead/Manchester/Holyhead boat train is also missing,it used to have
signage boards above the windows which were switched at Exchange & later Victoria stations. It left on its return to Holyhead at 1020p.m. for the 0315 sailing

Pity the Irish Mail has gone, being the first named train in the UK, so I was told

 

[AlexS]

The EMT ones appear in timetables and on some departure screens only - there's nothing on the trains themselves to say what they are and while the Master Cutler appears to be available as an auto announcement, it doesn't seem to play very often.

Needless to say on the rare occasions I manually announce a named train I always make sure to name it!

 

[dk1]

I'm certain the old Norwich headliner in a morning to Liverpool St (that called only at Diss, and not Ipswich) was called the East Anglian, but that's ended under Greater Anglia, it could possibly have even ended under NXEA when the Ipswich call was inserted a couple of years ago.

The East Anglian never stopped at Diss under Intercity or Anglia Railways it stopped only at Ipswich in both directions. The name was eventually dropped under Anglia when the up morning service first lost its restaurant, then became trolley only & finally ended up as a pair of 170s originating Great Yarmouth & Lowestoft which combined at Ipswich. The 17.00 down service has always been loco-hauled & did briefly run through to Great Yarmouth in 2004/5 as part of NXs 'one' franchise commitment.

Diss was inserted into the 'down' EA around 2006 & into the relaunched loco-hauled 'up' EA (now also stopping aditionally Diss) in 2010 when 90008 was also officially named The East Anglian.

Unfortunatley neither NX or GA do anymore than show it in the timetables with no mention in announcements or on departure screens.

 

[Temple Meads]

They have missed out "The Armarda" Paddington to ? Its on the GW page

The Devon Express and the modern day Capitals United appear to be missing too...

 

[EbbwJunction1]

Thanks very much .... I guess that the announcements were a bit of mischief making by the announcer, then!

 

[alastair]

They have missed out "The Armarda" Paddington to ? Its on the GW page

The Emerald Isle Express used to pass through Rhyl non stop at around 10p.m.
but it never had a section for Llandudno.

The Holyhead/Manchester/Holyhead boat train is also missing,it used to have
signage boards above the windows which were switched at Exchange & later Victoria stations. It left on its return to Holyhead at 1020p.m. for the 0315 sailing

Pity the Irish Mail has gone, being the first named train in the UK, so I was told

Your memory has betrayed you! I remember travelling on the Emerald Isle Express in the early 1960's and it most certainly DID have a portion for Llandudno. My LMR timetable for summer 1963 shows the train departing Euston 1740 and arriving Chester 2119,the main train going forward at 2130 to Holyhead calling only at Bangor,and the Llandudno section(detached at Chester) departing 2145 and calling at main stations to Llandudno. The timetable states,in the style of those days, "RC and TC London to Holyhead, TC London to Llandudno"

 

[flymo]

Just as a bit of fun, I put together the names I could find from the '84/'85 timetable. All just FYI and a blast from the past.

Some names I can't remember from then I must admit, particularly the Day and Hook Continentals. No mention of any names on the cross-country trains though although they may have been named regardless.

European	                Glasgow C/Edinburgh < > Harwich PQ
East Anglian	                Liverpool St. < > Norwich
Day Continental	                Liverpool St. < > Harwich PQ
Hook Continental	        Liverpool St. < > Harwich PQ
Aberdonian	                KX < > Aberdeen
Flying Scotsman	                KX < > Aberdeen
Nightrider	                KX < > Aberdeen
Night Scotsman	                KX < > Edinburgh
Night Aberdonian	        KX < > Aberdeen
West Yorkshire Executive	KX < > Leeds
Highland Chieftan	        KX < > Inverness
Bradford Executive	        KX < > Bradford
Talisman	                KX < > Aberdeen
Cleveland Executive	        KX < > Newcastle via Sunderland
Leeds Executive	                KX < > Leeds (Down to Harrogate)
Newcastle Executive	        KX < > Newcastle
Hull Executive	                KX < > Hull
Humber-Lincs Executive	        KX < > Cleethorpes
Master Cutler	                St. Pancras < > Sheffield
Nightrider	                Euston < > Glasgow C
Royal Highlander	        Euston < > Fort William / Inverness
Manchester Pullman	        Euston < > Manchester
Clansman	                Euston < > Inverness
Royal Scot	                Euston < > Glasgow C (Up from Ayr)
Glasgow Executive 	        Euston < > Glasgow C
Liverpool Executive	        Euston < > Liverpool
Irish Mail	                Euston < > Holyhead
Night Limited 	                Euston < > Glasgow C
West Midlands Executive	        Euston < > Wolverhampton
Night Riviera	                Paddington < > Penzance
Saint David	                Paddington < > Swansea
Brunel	                        Paddington < > Bristol TM
Merchant Venturer	        Paddington < > Bristol TM (Up from Weston SM)
Red Dragon	                Paddington < > Swansea
Mayflower	                Paddington < > Plymouth
Torbay Express	                Paddington < > Paignton
Cornish Riviera	                Paddington < > Penzance
Golden Hind	                Paddington < > Penzance
Jacobite	                Edinburgh < > Inverness
Orcadian	                Inverness < > Thurso/Wick
Hebridean	                Inverness < > Kyle of Lochalsh

Happy days....

 

[D841 Roebuck]

One or two of today's services have nicknames, particularly parliamentary services. I'm thinking particularly of:
- The Chathill Rattler
- The Flying Dentonian
- Von Ieuan's Express.

 

[flymo]

Looking through the '98 TT there are some others too.

Broadsman    	        Liverpool St. < > Norwich
East Anglian	        Liverpool St. < > Norwich
Norfolkman	        Liverpool St. > Norwich (down only)
Yorkshire Pullman       KX < > Bradford FS or Leeds
Scottish Pullman        KX < > Glasgow C
Flying Scotsman	        KX < > Glasgow C or Edinburgh
Highland Chieftan	KX < > Inverness
Northen Lights	        KX < > Aberdeen
Tees-Tyne Pullman	Newcastle > KX (Up only)
Hull Executive	        Hull > KX (Up only)
Newcastle Pullman	Newcastle > KX (Up only)
Armada (Southbound)	Leeds > Plymouth
Armada (Northbound)	Plymouth > Newcastle
Devonian (Southbound)	Newcastle > Plymouth via Paignton
Devonian (Northbound)	Paignton > Newcastle
Cornishman (Southbound)	Dundee > Penzance via ECML
Cornishman (Northbound)	Penzance > Edinburgh via ECML
Dorset Scot  	        Edinburgh < > Bournemouth via ECML
Wessex Scot       	Edinburgh < > Bournemouth via Glasgow C & WCML
Cornish Scot        	Glasgow C < > Penzance via WCML
Devon Scot         	Aberdeen < > Plymouth via WCML & Manchester
Sussex Scot        	Edinburgh < > Brighton via WCML
Midland Scot       	Edinburgh < > Birmingham NS
Pines Express       	Manchester < > Bournemouth
Robin Hood              St. Pancras < > Nottingham (up from Sheffield)
Master Cutler       	St. Pancras < > Sheffield (down to Leeds) 
Royal Scot          	Euston < > Glasgow C
Caledonian          	Euston < > Glasgow C
Welsh Dragon/
Y Ddraig Gymreig  	Euston < > Holyhead
Irish Mail             	Euston < > Holyhead
Thames-Avon Express	Paddington < > Stratford-upon-Avon
Thames Valley Limited	Banbury > Paddington (up only)
Regatta Express   	Henley-on-Thames > Paddington (up only)
Weymouth Sand &
Cycle Explorer      	Bristol TM < > Weymouth

Strange to see the 'Regatta Express' from Henley to London and the 'Sand & Cycle Explorer'. No named trains in the TT to the South West except the crosscountry trains. No named overnight trains either strangely.
The Broadsman and Norfolkman are names I have never really heard before.

 

[L&Y Robert]

"The Highwayman" from Newcastle to somewhere not actually London - Potters Bar, maybe, it ran sometime in the late 60s. Marketing was aimed at the student fraternity, and the proposition was that the clientelle didn't actually want to go to London, but somewhere "Down south", subsequently accessible by The Tube, or suburban services. Thinking about it now, it seems as if a potential traffic had been identified, but there weren't the paths available into KC, and someone came up with this "Not Quite" solution. I almost used the service once, but I seem to remember travelling on a service advertised as "London - four hours dead". Was it called "The Talisman"?