Trivia: passenger services that terminate then start another service continuing in the same direction

[brad465]

Apologies if this has been done before, it was hard to search for possible titles for this one.

As per the title, what services arrive at a station and officially terminate, but then start another passenger service carrying on the same direction of travel (i.e. does not turn back/reverse) on a different headcode?

To count the unit(s) involved have to start a new service without having done any ECS shunts in between and be two different advertised services/have two different headcodes, but there is no time limit between when the first one finishes and the second starts. Services that exist as a result of splitting off/joining onto another part-way along the route do not count.

I'll start with the services that inspired this thread: 2K22 05:16 Reading-Newbury forms 2T00 06:24 Newbury-Bedwyn.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

Any Sutton loop service in either direction at Sutton does this.

 

[Flange Squeal]

On weekdays, South Western Railway’s 1B60 1602 Bournemouth to Basingstoke arrives into platform 4 at 1739. The unit sits there for quarter of an hour, before continuing in the same direction as 2L62 1754 Basingstoke to London Waterloo.

During the daytime, the Portsmouth & Southsea to Southampton Central stopping services arrive at Southampton as 2Exx at xx45, before continuing further westwards as 2Bxx Southampton to Bournemouth stopping services at xx56.

 

[Djgr]

Anything apparently terminating on the Liverpool Loop will continue.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Anything apparently terminating on the Liverpool Loop will continue.

They only have 1 headcode and are 1 continous service, they are advertised on platform/train displays as to Liverpool Central, then after leaving James St becomes to the start point.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Anything apparently terminating on the Liverpool Loop will continue.

Nothing actually terminates on the Liverpool loop (except possibly at extremes of the day?) - services are e.g. Chester-Chester, Ellesmere Port-Ellesmere Port etc. False destinations are used (it's a rare case where that's sensible, as not to do so would confuse the life out of people) - Liverpool Central is shown before reaching James St and I *think* at James St, and then after that the outer destination is shown again.

 

[mathstrains19]

Liverpool Central is shown [...] I *think* at James St

At least a few years ago it definitely was, as I remember being little and going the long way round the loop having to take the lottery of which train was the right one.

 

[The exile]

Must surely be some examples at New Street and Newcastle - though it’s stretching a point somewhat!

As a counter example, I’ve come across at least one train in the Czech Republic that had about a 3/4 hour layover at an intermediate station before continuing its journey - with the same train number.

 

[Bletchleyite]

For a while it was the case that Blackpool South to Preston services then went on to become an Ormskirk service*, shown as two services in the timetable (which had the irritating effect of telling people they had to wait an hour rather than be on a one-direction-only through train).

I'm fairly sure this has now changed, with the addition of an extra unit, such that Blackpool South-Preston is now self contained and separate from Preston-Ormskirk and Preston-Colne which still interwork.

* May have been the other way round but was only in one direction, the other way round it was an Ormskirk/Blackpool S becoming a Colne or vice versa.

 

[Hbbz9392]

Not UK but Marmaray trains which terminate at Pendik tend to turn around the station and start service again, in the opposite direction, as Ataköy (or Zeytinburnu if it’s past 9 PM) trains.

 

[Bill57p9]

There is still a daily "Fife outer circle" that does this: arrives and terminates at Glenrothes with Thornton at 0748 from Edinburgh via Dunfermline, leaves at 0750 to Edinburgh via Kirkcaldy.

Discounted by the OP's "no intermediate ECS" rule, however there is a slightly curious case at Dumfries where the 2001 arrival from Carlisle on platform 1 forms the 2049 departure to Glasgow Central from platform 1, however in between it shunts into the yard to be coupled to the 1932 arrival from Glasgow Central - which itself shunts ECS from platform 2 to the south of the station, back into platform 1 then south to the yard before receiving the unit from the 2001 arrival from Carlisle.
Presumably this dance is required due to signalling constraints, such as the lack of a calling on signal into platform 1

 

[Twingo37175]

Normally the stopping services between Sheffield and Adwick are provided by services that run through on 1 headcode. However, 2R06 (06.27 from Sheffield) terminates on platform 8 in Doncaster before then forming 2R93 from Doncaster to Adwick. I am sure in the past it used to be a through train, but at some point has been split.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

On the Blackpool trams Fleetwood ferry stop is on a circular loop, so trams terminate, wait a bit, then continue on in the same direction.
Not NR but I think we've just about reached the end of that list.

 

[Shrewbly]

The last Bromsgrove to New Street on weekdays used to be timetabled as a through service to Coventry (where it stabled). It still does this sometimes*, but it now runs as two separate services with separate headcodes and a lengthy layover at New Street.

*Looking at recent days it seems a bit more variable now. It's not always the pair of 730s from Bromsgrove that form the service to Coventry.

 

[Djgr]

Nothing actually terminates on the Liverpool loop (except possibly at extremes of the day?)

There are one, perhaps two, trains that apparently start first thing in the morning on the Loop but none that terminate on it late at night.

 

[enginedin]

Some services which merge have the same effect (but might not what be the OP is asking). I was on a service last week that was timetabled as Manchester Picadilly (18:30) - Leeds, but at Leeds it was joined to the Manchester Victoria to Scarborough service, so in effect the unit I was on did become a new service (I have no idea why both Manchester services aren't just advertised as going to Scarborough)

 

[Merle Haggard]

The 222 forming the morning EMR Up Inter City service from Melton combines with a Nottingham starter at Kettering and runs through to St Pancras. However, on RTT it's shown as Melton - Kettering and, if you use NRES, a journey from Melton or intermediate stations is shown to require a change at Kettering.

 

[Ianigsy]

Nothing actually terminates on the Liverpool loop (except possibly at extremes of the day?) - services are e.g. Chester-Chester, Ellesmere Port-Ellesmere Port etc. False destinations are used (it's a rare case where that's sensible, as not to do so would confuse the life out of people) - Liverpool Central is shown before reaching James St and I *think* at James St, and then after that the outer destination is shown again.

There are a couple of workings first thing in the morning - a Rock Ferry-Liverpool-Ellesmere Port and a Hilton-Liverpool-Chester but nothing like the situation about 30 years ago when everything interworked.

Line 6 of the Paris Metro terminates at Charles de Gaulle- Étoile, but because of the single track terminal loop, trains proceed to the next station at Kléber and wait for time there.

 

[AMD]

The 1825 North Berwick to Edinburgh (2Y01), continues from Edinburgh as the 1904 to Dunblane (2P15).

 

[thenorthern]

By the looks of it the 12:18 arrival at Barrow from Corkickle then forms the 12:51 departure to Lancaster.

In Newcastle, a small number of trains enter via either the King Edward VII Bridge or High Level Bridge terminate then form a new service and depart over the other bridge without reversing.

 

[Kite159]

One example from Salisbury which springs to mind is the arrival of the 158 working 2S39 14:07 Romsey to Salisbury sits on platform 4 for around 10 minutes before forming
1L89 15:25 Salisbury to Gillingham (Dorset).

 

[FenMan]

An example from today ....

IV64 19:29 from Gatwick Airport arrives on Platform 7B at Reading at 20:57. It then departs as 2J67 for Basingstoke at 21:01.

As the stopover fouls the 7 minute minimum connection time at Reading, Gatwick passengers heading to Reading Green Park etc are advised to catch the 21:35 service instead of staying on the train.

 

[zwk500]

There's a late night service from Bristol Temple Meads (or possibly Weston-super-Mare) to Avonmouth that sits in the station for half an hour before forming an Avonmouth to Severn Beach service.
I think its to leave space for a freight path on the single line branch.

 

[enginedin]

There's a late night service from Bristol Temple Meads (or possibly Weston-super-Mare) to Avonmouth that sits in the station for half an hour before forming an Avonmouth to Severn Beach service.
I think its to leave space for a freight path on the single line branch.

the only one I could find was the 1410 Weston-super-Mare to Avonmouth, but that doesn't run onto Severn Beach. I didn't know there were any services that just ran Avonmouth to Severn Beach :/

 

[The exile]

the only one I could find was the 1410 Weston-super-Mare to Avonmouth, but that doesn't run onto Severn Beach. I didn't know there were any services that just ran Avonmouth to Severn Beach :/

2012 ex Bristol arrives at Avonmouth 2040 then hangs around and forms a separate Severn Beach service about half an hour later. New one on me as well! Weekdays…

 

[britishrail375]

A small number of trains at Ramsgate do this, at least according to RTT. Some Charing Cross trains from the Thanet Parkway direction terminate at Ramsgate, wait for a few minutes, then form a service to Victoria via Broadstairs, thus continuing in the same direction. As far as I can see, it mainly happens on weekdays; for example, 2R40 from Charing Cross arrives at 16:41, then departs as 1P53 to Victoria at 16:50. This also happens in reverse, with one example being 1S39 arrives from Victoria at 17:21, then forms 2W81 to Charing Cross departing at 17:46.

I believe these workings result from the Charing Cross - Dover services being extended to Ramsgate via Sandwich during the peaks (as is the case for 2R40), as well as the extra Victoria - Ramsgate trains during the peaks. The Charing Cross - Ramsgate via Dover trains use the false destination of Sandwich to stop passengers for Ramsgate accidentally boarding a slower train, as the Charing Cross - Ramsgate via Canterbury West trains are faster. I'm not sure where the destination of the Sandwich trains switches to being Ramsgate (its true destination).

 

[Parallel]

Many of the SWR Portsmouth to Southampton stoppers terminate at Southampton Central, then re-start as another stopping service towards Bournemouth around 10 minutes later.

 

[Ellwill]

A small number of trains at Ramsgate do this, at least according to RTT. Some Charing Cross trains from the Thanet Parkway direction terminate at Ramsgate, wait for a few minutes, then form a service to Victoria via Broadstairs, thus continuing in the same direction. As far as I can see, it mainly happens on weekdays; for example, 2R40 from Charing Cross arrives at 16:41, then departs as 1P53 to Victoria at 16:50. This also happens in reverse, with one example being 1S39 arrives from Victoria at 17:21, then forms 2W81 to Charing Cross departing at 17:46.

I believe these workings result from the Charing Cross - Dover services being extended to Ramsgate via Sandwich during the peaks (as is the case for 2R40), as well as the extra Victoria - Ramsgate trains during the peaks. The Charing Cross - Ramsgate via Dover trains use the false destination of Sandwich to stop passengers for Ramsgate accidentally boarding a slower train, as the Charing Cross - Ramsgate via Canterbury West trains are faster. I'm not sure where the destination of the Sandwich trains switches to being Ramsgate (its true destination).

A similar thing (technically) happens with Highspeed services at Ramsgate too. 1L34 arrives from St Pancs via Folkestone & Dover at 14:51, and about 20 mins later 1C34 via Faversham rocks up and attaches to the front of it, and then it gets dragged back to London via Faversham as 1C49.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Apr 2026 ==

As per the title, what services arrive at a station and officially terminate, but then start another passenger service carrying on the same direction of travel (i.e. does not turn back/reverse) on a different headcode?

Prior to the Levenmouth rail link opening, most of Scotrail's Fife Circle stoppers would "terminate" at Glenrothes with Thornton in this fashion. There is one morning peak service that still does:

2G11 arrives from Edinburgh via Dunfermline at 07:48, departs two mins later as 2K08 to Edinburgh via Kirkcaldy.

 

[saismee]

The first East Suffolk service of the day is 2D66 0617 to Saxmundham, which terminates and then forms 2D68 0744 to Lowestoft. In the new May timetable it will become 2J67 Ipswich to Norwich.

 

[Shaun_92]

Monday to Friday 2R70 2248 Scunthorpe to Sheffield, but on a Saturday it run as 2P32 2248 Scunthorpe to Doncaster (was Monday to Saturday till December 2025 Timetable Change), then 2R70 2238 Doncaster to Sheffield

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