Trivia: Shortest Class 1 and Longest Class 2 & Class 3 or 5 headcode journeys

[GordonT]

I've avoided including Class 9s as they are generally a bit enigmatic.

 

[MerlinRail 804]

Chiltern have some morning class 1s from Wycombe to Marylebone in the weekday (28m 11ch)
There’s also 2H86 the 2133 from Stratford down to Marylebone (104m 21ch) which is probably their longest class 2. Probably not exactly record breaking though.
I think there also used to be an empty from Marylebone to Stourbridge depot at the weekend but I don’t think that’s a thing anymore.

Are we doing this by time or distance?

 

[trainmania100]

Some VARs in for GWR between Gatwick and Guildford. Class 1, run finishes in under an hour.
Usually these go to reading but for the next few days (into next week) they terminate at Guildford

Eg;

Train P08521 On Is No Longer Valid

Live Train Times for Train to departing on | Rail Record

live.rail-record.co.uk

Looking at other examples, the Guildford to Redhill operates as class 2, so it seems the Redhill to Gatwick section pushes it into as a class 1. So shame no just Redhill to Gatwick, would probably be like 5 mins lol

 

[GordonT]

Are we doing this by time or distance?

Let's go for the pragmatic option of either!

 

[mm333]

1J10 is the evening LNER from Hull to Doncaster via Selby, which is timetabled to take 54 minutes. It stops running from the December timetable change.

 

[trainmania100]

Wemyss bay to Glasgow runs are 1W and under an hour.

 

[DanNCL]

1N73 runs from Newcastle to Prudhoe, distance of 12 miles and 1 chain, and a journey time of 22 minutes.

Meanwhile the Carlisle train behind it is a class 2, I’ve never been able to wrap my head around why the head codes on the Tyne Valley are the way they are as they don’t seem to fit with normal head code logic.

 

[amn]

In the December timetable, by distance, suspect it's 1F19 07.35 SX Colchester Town to Colchester for the shortest, and 2C87 17.58 Cardiff to Penzance for the longest.

 

[Magdalia]

Many ECS trains run as class 3 not class 5. Here in the Fens we have 3H84 Cambridge-Liverpool Street which runs empty to form 1H84 1737 Liverpool Street-Cambridge North, and 3S11 Hornsey-Cambridge which forms 9S11 0723 Cambridge-Brighton.

From December 1H87 0650 Ely-Liverpool Street runs empty back to Cambridge as 5H92, and with a bit of extra mileage because it is booked via Southbury. The running time is exactly 2 hours.

 

[GordonT]

Many ECS trains run as class 3 not class 5.

Thanks - I wonder why that is? I have edited the thread title accordingly.

 

[Magdalia]

Thanks - I wonder why that is?

ECS trains that are going to form a passenger service are usually class 3, ECS trains that are going to the sidings are usually class 5.

 

[jfollows]

Thanks - I wonder why that is? I have edited the thread title accordingly.

Class 3 are “important” ECS workings, eg not just empty to the depot but rather empty workings to form another service, such as contra-flow workings after an early morning peak service.
So https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:Y33821/2025-11-17/detailed, 3Y15 07:15 King’s Cross to Welywn GC. Forms 9Y15 08:02 Welwyn GC to Sevenoaks.

 

[ls2270]

The Lymington branch service would surely be the shortest Class 1s. They are numbered 1Jxx. SWR might also be able to claim second place with their Waterloo to Dorkings which are 1Dxx!

In terms of long distance Class 2s I think the Cumbrian Coast services that do all of the line when open qualify?

 

[Thepinkpig73]

All services between Inverness and Wick run as 2HXX, which at nearly 4 hrs 30 mins and 168 miles (including the branch to Thurso) must be up there as one of the longest.

Also in Inverness; services between Inverness and Elgin run on 1HXX, which at ~45 mins and 37 miles is probably among the shortest.

 

[xotGD]

Isn't there due to be a daily Manchester to Euston from the timetable change?

Class 2 services over the S&C take many hours.

 

[jfollows]

Isn't there due to be a daily Manchester to Euston from the timetable change?

Class 2 services over the S&C take many hours.

3R19 in place of 1R19 07:00 Manchester Piccadilly to Euston, calling at Stockport only. Culled although Avanti apparently want to run the service. I used it frequently until I moved away from Manchester to Wilmslow in 2008.

 

[FGW_DID]

ECS trains that are going to form a passenger service are usually class 3, ECS trains that are going to the sidings are usually class 5.

Class 3 trains are "Empty Coaching Stock train if specially authorised" as per Module TW1 of the Rule Book.

Just because the ECS is going to form a passenger service doesn't guarantee it being made a Class 3.

The vast majority of our ECS departures are all Class 5. looking at the morning, out of 8 departures, 7 are Class 5 with 1 running as a Class 3.

 

[jfollows]

Class 3 used to be parcels trains, and class 9 used to be unfitted freight trains, but both have been repurposed more recently.

 

[FGW_DID]

Class 3 used to be parcels trains, and class 9 used to be unfitted freight trains, but both have been repurposed more recently.

Parcels trains can still run as Class 3, nominated postal or parcels trains can run as Class 1:

 

[Lewisham2221]

Crewe - Chester's run as 1K** and 1D** and only take ~20 minutes

 

[Bevan Price]

08:44 Wigan NW - Liverpool Lime Street semi-fast runs as Class 1 (19 miles)

 

[MerlinRail 804]

Class 3 trains are "Empty Coaching Stock train if specially authorised" as per Module TW1 of the Rule Book.

Just because the ECS is going to form a passenger service doesn't guarantee it being made a Class 3.

The vast majority of our ECS departures are all Class 5. looking at the morning, out of 8 departures, 7 are Class 5 with 1 running as a Class 3.

Why are ECS trains specially authorized? Like what's the criteria I guess?

 

[1D53]

There's no strict criteria, it is generally used for ECS moves going to form a key peak time train, or one with a tight turnaround before a passenger train, or a ECS that has to negotiate complex areas and risks being 'lost' amongst lots of passenger services and needs some priority accordingly.

For example you'll note a number of ECS moves into Liverpool Street in the evening peak run as Class 3 where they have a tight turnaround for a passenger train. LNER use Class 5 for trains leaving Neville Hill for Leeds, but those that go beyond Leeds to Skipton, Bradford and Harrogate run as Class 3.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Class 3 are “important” ECS workings, eg not just empty to the depot but rather empty workings to form another service, s

Class 3 are often training pr mleage-accumlationn

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Nov 2025 ==

The Lymington branch service would surely be the shortest Class 1s. They are numbered 1Jxx. SWR might also be able to claim second place with their Waterloo to Dorkings which are 1Dxx!

Sheppetron via Richmond services are 1Hxx. And even shorter are the rugby extras between waterloo and Twickenham, which are 1Rxx and 1Yxx

 

[j37401]

A contender for the longest class 2 or ‘stopper’ could be the central Wales line service which takes over 4 hours from Swansea to Shrewsbury.

 

[Falcon1200]

Mon-Fri;

1N12 0750 Glasgow C-Neilston
1N05 0807 Neilston-Glasgow C

Both less than 30 minutes. There used to be evening peak 'express' services too, but not any more.

 

[GordonT]

Thanks for all the responses to my post. I hadn't appreciated how apparently arbitrary the judgement can sometimes be between determining whether specific journeys are allocated Class 1 or Class 2 headcodes (or Class 3 or Class 5 for that matter) even though there are general principles applying in most cases.

 

[Flange Squeal]

The multi-purpose vehicles performing railhead treatment trains from places such as Effingham and Eastleigh will often complete a day's duty on one Class 3 running number for 8-10 hours, however I'm not sure if that's quite in the spirit of this thread's intention?

 

[Peter749]

This might be one of the longest ECS Moves

Realtime Trains | 5S00 0611 London Euston to Stirling | 16/02/2026

Real-time train running information for 5S00 0611 departure from London Euston to Stirling on 16/02/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[800001]

ECS trains that are going to form a passenger service are usually class 3, ECS trains that are going to the sidings are usually class 5.

Vast majority of ecs coming off depot going to nearest main station run as class 5, eg Neville Hill to Leeds, Bounds Green to Kings Cross even if they are going straight into passenger service.

Class 3 are for services running beyond the first main station, eg Neville Hill to Harrogate, Bradford and Skipton rather than to Leeds.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Nov 2025 ==

This might be one of the longest ECS Moves

Realtime Trains | 5S00 0611 London Euston to Stirling | 16/02/2026

Real-time train running information for 5S00 0611 departure from London Euston to Stirling on 16/02/2026. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Driver training runs for Lumo, so not a true ECS.
As soon as crews are trained, and Lumo are ready to operate, this will change to a Class 1 service.