Trivia: Odd peak services?

[159jim]

Hi

I've noticed a lot of peak services around London that are quite odd and varied to normal peak/off peak services.

For example:

- Bedford-Beckenham Junction Thameslink
- London Bridge-Wimbledon
- London Victoria-Horsham fast services

Just out of interest, can you recall any 'odd' peak time services around London?

Thanks,
Jim.

 

[transmanche]

Just out of interest, can you recall any 'odd' peak time services around London?

A couple that spring to mind:

2J96 07:59 Woodgrange Park to Willesden Junction LL. I think all other services run Barking-Gospel Oak.

There are a few peak time semi-fast services between King's Cross and Welwyn Garden City (e.g. 2V47 17:27 King's Cross to Welwyn GC); otherwise, services generally run all-stations to/from Moorgate.

 

[greatkingrat]

The Marlow branch is an unusual one in the peaks, with the service split in two at Bourne End. Marlow to Maidenhead must be one of the few journeys that has a through service off-peak, but not in the peak.

 

[wimbledonpete]

Sheppertons via Richmond and Waterloo to Dorking semi-fasts are two I can think of.

 

[jnjkerbin]

Cannon Street - Ramsgate via Rochester is another odd one

 

[mister-sparky]

Charing Cross to East Kent via Maidstone East used to run peak only, unsure if they still do though.

 

[wimbledonpete]

Does anything still go round the corner into and out of Minster?

 

[neilm]

London Victoria to Seaford and any mainline southern from london bridge, like littlehampton and Eastbourne.

 

[Harlesden]

A couple that spring to mind:

2J96 07:59 Woodgrange Park to Willesden Junction LL. I think all other services run Barking-Gospel Oak.

Would anyone know why the normal three minutes journey time between Kensal Green and Willesden Junction on a 378 (or Bakerloo) somehow turns into 13 minutes on this 172 service?

 

[yorkie]

Would anyone know why the normal three minutes journey time between Kensal Green and Willesden Junction on a 378 (or Bakerloo) somehow turns into 13 minutes on this 172 service?

This service goes from Kensal Rise to Willesden Jn low level, thus is not comparable to a Bakerloo/LO journey from Kensal Green to Willesden Jn low level, nor is it the same as a LO journey from Kensal Rise to Willesden Jn high level.

In reality it will often arrive into Willesden Jn early (0852 today), but it depends on other traffic movements. There was a thread about this...

 

[Hartington]

Anyone remember the Post Office service from Clapham Junction to Kensington Olympia? I don't think it was shown in the timetable partly because the times kept changing and partly because it was intended for PO staff. I managed to ride it sometime in the last 1960s/early 70s but have no idea how I found the times.

Then there was the once daily train from Stratford (E.London) that wandered off up the Lea Valley, used a short bit of NLL and ended up heading towards Enfield Town, I think.

 

[David Goddard]

The Marlow branch is an unusual one in the peaks, with the service split in two at Bourne End. Marlow to Maidenhead must be one of the few journeys that has a through service off-peak, but not in the peak.

This all happens in order to increase the frequency. It is impossible to pass two trains on the branch so by splitting it into two shuttles you can double the frequency to (broadly) half hourly. There are also some through services from Bourne End to London, which using a three car unit are too long to go to Marlow.

 

[W230]

I've noticed a lot of peak services around London that are quite odd and varied to normal peak/off peak services.

For example:

- Bedford-Beckenham Junction Thameslink

There's also a few Bedford - Elephant & Castle services and another one that does Bedford - Kent House.

 

[Antman]

Charing Cross to East Kent via Maidstone East used to run peak only, unsure if they still do though.

They don't, there was also an off peak service between Ashford and Cannon Street via Maidstone East but that service was withdrawn when the high speed service started.

There are still a few peak hour trains between Ashford and Bedford via Maidstone East

 

[ValleyLines142]

Here's a few that I like:
1540 Ebbv Vale to Bridgend
1709 London Waterloo to Effingham Juncton
0642 Maesteg to Ebbw Vale
0550 Carmarthen to Cardiff
0807 Bridgend to Ebbw Vale

I do not understand why the 0744 Rhymney to Cardiff (the 1529 also) does not run through to Penarth, despite the latter arriving into Cardiff at 4.30pm.

 

[30907]

Charing Cross to East Kent via Maidstone East used to run peak only, unsure if they still do though.

I think you mean off-peak? They don't anymore since HS1 opened.

Most of the ex-Southern Region examples don't strike me as "odd," but then I grew up there and it was "normal" for extra peak trains to run to "City" termini. Maybe London Br-Wimbledon is an exception to the rule?

@Hartington: the Kenny Belle eventually appeared in the timetable IIRC; I don't recall the times changing at all for many years before that, except that the Friday afternoon trains ran half-an-hour earlier than FX.

 

[CMS]

In the later days of Silverlink and erlier days of London Overground, Stratford - Clapham Junction was a peak hour service, now it's broadly 2-4tph throughout the day, but still with short trips to Willesden Junction.

On the WLL, there are some obscure connecting Southern peak services such as:
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W73494/2013/07/08/advanced - 0731 Coulsdon Town to Watford Junction
http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/W72618/2013/07/08/advanced - 1747 Shepherds Bush to Purley

On the WCML, there is now a 321 peak shuttle service between Watford Junction and London Euston, which allows the Tring stoppers to have some very odd calling patterns.

And if I'm correct, I think there may be one or two semi-fast/fast services via Seven Sisters instead of Tottenham Hale on the WAML.

 

[Tom C]

You have one a day train starting at Downham Market, Huntingdon and Hitchin on the GN.

 

[12CSVT]

Some bizarre calling patterns on FCC services to / from Bedford during the peak

Some which skip-stop random stations north of St. Albans with little consistency as to where they stop.
Three northbounds during the evening peak which call at most stations between St. Pancras and St. Albans (even though they are all followed by an all stations St. Albans or Luton service).

There's also a Three Bridges 4 car service which has run to similar times since the mid 1990s.

 

[David Goddard]

07:54 Richmond to Guildford via Ascot
07:12 Reading to London Waterloo
The only two trains not to call at Virginia Water

 

[craigwilson]

I always thought the Ore - Cannon St Southeastern service was a bit odd in a station that is mostly dominated by Southern services.

Sent from my GT-I8160 using Tapatalk 2

 

[heart-of-wessex]

The one and only direct HST from the Avon Valley to Paddington for commuters:

http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/P00266/2013-07-09

 

[Captain Chaos]

The one and only direct HST from the Avon Valley to Paddington for commuters:

http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/P00266/2013-07-09

And I do believe the return service doesn't stop at Westbury on the way back either. Only service the runs non-stop from Pewsey to Trowbridge.

 

[cle]

There are some services from Sutton and beyond to London Bridge which are fast from West Croydon to London Bridge (maybe Norwood Juncton stop too, but you get the gist) - those might be from Guildford as mentioned, but I thought the Guildfords also ran via Peckham Rye?

Plenty of trains fast to Chelsfield, and skip Orpington which is the complete reverse in the off peak.

 

[glbotu]

There's a few around the Cambridge area. You get the 1824 Cambridge - Ely service run by Greater Anglia as a Class 317, as well as quite an 8 car Ely terminator from FCC. I think there are a few Greater Anglia Liverpool Street - Kings Lynn extensions too.

 

[heart-of-wessex]

And I do believe the return service doesn't stop at Westbury on the way back either. Only service the runs non-stop from Pewsey to Trowbridge.

Correct, and is advertised as terminating at Bradford-on-Avon at Paddington, and Bristol Temple Meads at Twyford.

 

[Buttsy]

Correct, and is advertised as terminating at Bradford-on-Avon at Paddington, and Bristol Temple Meads at Twyford.

It's shown as Bradford-on-Avon at Reading as well...

 

[MidnightFlyer]

The one and only direct HST from the Avon Valley to Paddington for commuters:

http://www.opentraintimes.com/schedule/P00266/2013-07-09

I also believe it's the only train that passes through but does not call at Bath Spa?

 

[mister-sparky]

I think you mean off-peak? They don't anymore since HS1 opened.

Most of the ex-Southern Region examples don't strike me as "odd," but then I grew up there and it was "normal" for extra peak trains to run to "City" termini. Maybe London Br-Wimbledon is an exception to the rule?

No, I mean peak which is why I said peak. I wasn't referring to the off-peak Cannon St - Ashford.

According to old timetables I had there was peak only services from Charing Cross to Dover/Ramsgate/Margate via the Maidstone East Line, some with route code 88.

 

[JamesRowden]

In 2010 or 2011 there was a late peak service from Charing Cross to Ramsgate via Grove Park and Chatham. It ran out of Charing Cross 5 minutes before a Hastings service that I once caught. I think that this odd Ramsgate service departed Charing Cross at 19:10. This path is presently used by a Charing Cross to Canterbury West & Dover via Tonbridge service. I suspect that the service via Tonbridge departed from Cannon Street instead.