Trivia: Trains with unusual stopping patterns

[Eagle]

And there are trains that call London Charing Cross and Waterloo East and then omit London Bridge.

Wait until next year when platforms start being closed at London Bridge...

 

[craigwilson]

On the Southeastern network:

From Charing Cross
2R06 0530 London Charing Cross to Ramsgate calls at Orpington, Chelsfield and Hildenborough, rare stops for Ramsgate trains.

Is there a reason for the 17-minute wait at Dover Priory?

 

[Antman]

There are a handful of trains from London to Brighton at XX:21 that don't call at Clapham Junction but do call at East Croydon - such as the 20:21 I think, which is quite unusual now that everything else except the Gatwick Express calls there.

And there are trains that call London Charing Cross and Waterloo East and then omit London Bridge.

All calculated to catch out the unwary commuter...
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There are a few unusual rush hour stopping patterns on the Fenchurch Street line. For example, 16:28 departure to Shoeburyness omits Barking and Upmister; 17:00 to S'ness first stop Benfleet, omiting Barking & Upminster and a few others. Plus similar inbound workings in the morning rush hour.

Quite a few peak hour train to/from Charing Cross or Cannon Street non stop London Bridge but all off peak trains stop there AFAIK.

Another odd one on South Eastern is the 00.10 Victoria to Ramsgate which runs fast to Rochester and usually means the guard making constant announcements before leaving Victoria "this train does not..........I repeat NOT call at Bromley South" which hopefully means nobody gets caught out?

I assume the reason for this is so the train can be diverted via Dartford if need be without having to provide replacement buses from Bromley South?

 

[jopsuk]

1H98 M-F 0803 London Liverpool Street to Cambridge - Only train to not call at Audley End

this appears to be a "stock return"- almost something that could run ECS, but that they've decided to leave in as an express (it is after all DOO) I wonder if there's even one passenger per carriage most days? It'll be a 12-car 379, to be split at Cambridge into an 8 and a 4 for off peak duties.

1R54 SuO 1553 Norwich to Manchester Piccadilly - Does not call at Ely

keeps that curve at Ely open to passengers services?

 

[SprinterMan]

this appears to be a "stock return"- almost something that could run ECS, but that they've decided to leave in as an express (it is after all DOO) I wonder if there's even one passenger per carriage most days? It'll be a 12-car 379, to be split at Cambridge into an 8 and a 4 for off peak duties.

Maybe it is of use for a handful of people who live in London and commute to Cambridge or something like that, otherwise it is bizarre it is not an ECS movement.

keeps that curve at Ely open to passengers services?

This is undoubtedly why it does not stop at Ely, but it still has an unusual stopping pattern because of this. :P

Adam

 

[transmanche]

Maybe it is of use for a handful of people who live in London and commute to Cambridge or something like that, otherwise it is bizarre it is not an ECS movement.

I'd say it would be bizarre if it were an ECS movement, being as it can earn a few quid for the TOC by running in service.

 

[SprinterMan]

I'd say it would be bizarre if it were an ECS movement, being as it can earn a few quid for the TOC by running in service.

Good point, I was thinking that if it was a passenger train it is just another risk to the all important lateness statistics.

Adam

 

[NSE]

Ahh I did not know this was a 379 diagram. When returning home to Cambridge from Tottenham Hale I would happily wake up early to ensure I got a 379 over a 317

 

[306024]

Treat yourself to another half hour in bed - the 08.33 Liverpool St to Cambridge is 12x379 as well, although that does call at Audley End.

 

[Pumbaa]

I'd say it would be bizarre if it were an ECS movement, being as it can earn a few quid for the TOC by running in service.

Or cause a delay and it can cost the TOC far more than it'd earn

 

[306024]

A bit of operational explanation. There are 3 x 12 car 379 trains that run up from Cambridge to Liverpool St in the morning peak. The problem is that a 12 car can only return towards Cambridge or run out to Orient Way. (Not a good idea to try splitting at Liv St in the middle of the morning peak). The first two return as extra passenger trains so the 379s can be used more productively off peak, the third goes to Orient Way once a path is available down the GEML for a wash and brush up.

 

[NSE]

Excellent, will add those two to my list of 379 diagrams. Many thanks.

 

[shaun]

- There is a Sunday-only London Midland service which runs Birmingham Snow Hill - Stourbridge Junction non-stop. No other services run non-stop between the stations.

- There is the daily London Marylebone - Kidderminster loco-hauled service which calls only Rowley Regis/Stourbridge Junc/Kidderminster after Birmingham Snow Hill...the only service to do so all day.

- A while ago Chiltern used to have loads of strange peak time patterns (may still do?). Some used to call Sudbury Harrow Road/Sudbury Hill Harrow then non-stop through South/West Ruislip.

- Some Chiltern's Aylesbury via Amersham services run non-stop through Rickmansworth in the peak...anyone even know why that is?

- In the 90s i'm sure LUL used to run an early-morning Metropolitan line service which called at all Jubilee line stations between Wembley Park and Finchley Road. Does that still run?

 

[Eagle]

From the new timetable there will be a late-night service from Stratford to Snow Hill that runs non-stop between Stratford Parkway and Moor Street. (It seems to be routed via Dorridge.)

 

[calc7]

A couple of Sunday Penistone Line trains run non-stop from Meadowhall to Barnsley. All other trains in the week stop at Chapeltown and Wombwell.

 

[NSE]

- There is a Sunday-only London Midland service which runs Birmingham Snow Hill - Stourbridge Junction non-stop. No other services run non-stop between the stations.

- There is the daily London Marylebone - Kidderminster loco-hauled service which calls only Rowley Regis/Stourbridge Junc/Kidderminster after Birmingham Snow Hill...the only service to do so all day.

- A while ago Chiltern used to have loads of strange peak time patterns (may still do?). Some used to call Sudbury Harrow Road/Sudbury Hill Harrow then non-stop through South/West Ruislip.

- Some Chiltern's Aylesbury via Amersham services run non-stop through Rickmansworth in the peak...anyone even know why that is?

- In the 90s i'm sure LUL used to run an early-morning Metropolitan line service which called at all Jubilee line stations between Wembley Park and Finchley Road. Does that still run?

I asked that very question regarding Rickmansworth and its to do with the length of the peak trains, which are actually longer than an 8 car Met train. And no the metropolitan line trains cannot call at the jubilee line stations because I believe there is no junction left at Finchley road to leave the jubilee line for the met. Neasden and Willesden Green excepted. I may be wrong but I don't think so.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

There are Metropolitan line platforms at Neasden and Willesden Green, yes, however as far as I can see (using Quail) it would be possible for a train coming from the Met line to cross onto the Jubilee tracks just north of Neasden station (roughly where the depot joins), stay on there, and then cross back onto the Met line just before the platforms at Finchley Road, however I'm not sure of the status of the crossovers, or how operationally convenient it would be...

 

[transmanche]

Or cause a delay and it can cost the TOC far more than it'd earn

Does that mean ECS movements don't get attributed delay minutes?

 

[causton]

There are Metropolitan line platforms at Neasden and Willesden Green, yes, however as far as I can see (using Quail) it would be possible for a train coming from the Met line to cross onto the Jubilee tracks just north of Neasden station (roughly where the depot joins), stay on there, and then cross back onto the Met line just before the platforms at Finchley Road, however I'm not sure of the status of the crossovers, or how operationally convenient it would be...

I believe they have been removed, or at least taken out of service. With the different Jubilee signalling now it would never happen anyway!
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Also don't forget the 2Y00 0410 Welwyn Garden City - King's Cross which omits Welham Green but calls everywhere else!

 

[NSE]

There are Metropolitan line platforms at Neasden and Willesden Green, yes, however as far as I can see (using Quail) it would be possible for a train coming from the Met line to cross onto the Jubilee tracks just north of Neasden station (roughly where the depot joins), stay on there, and then cross back onto the Met line just before the platforms at Finchley Road, however I'm not sure of the status of the crossovers, or how operationally convenient it would be...

I believe that junction has been removed, last year I used Finchley Road regularly and was interested to see if a junction existed but I believe it has been removed.

 

[tractakid]

I found an odd one for this thursday... a Heathrow Connect from Terminal 5 calling at T123, Hayes and Harlington, Southall, Ealing Broadway, Acton Main Line and Paddington.

Can anyone shed any light on this, or any other odd Heathrow workings either in the WTT or variations coming up?

 

[NSE]

This one caught me out last week. The 17:22 to Cheshunt skips Stamford Hill, but stops at every other station on the Seven Sisters line. Why does it do that?

 

[MK Tom]

Nobody's mentioned my favourite irregular stopping pattern...

The 18:29 Euston-Crewe, which south of Rugby runs Euston-Watford-Aplsey-Berkhamsted-Cheddington-Bletchley-MKC-Wolverton-Northampton-Rugby.

So between Watford and MKC it literally misses all the most important stops and stops almost everywhere else. The train immediately before it (which is an MKC terminator) does the exact opposite.

 

[IrishDave]

From the new timetable there will be a late-night service from Stratford to Snow Hill that runs non-stop between Stratford Parkway and Moor Street. (It seems to be routed via Dorridge.)

This one? The 2330 replaces the current 2136, which is non-stop from Stratford to Moor Street. Both presumably run via Dorridge to maintain route knowledge.

 

[The Planner]

Does that mean ECS movements don't get attributed delay minutes?

ECS movements can cause delays and have minutes/cost attributed to them, but a delay to an ECS movement does not provide the TOC with any compensation. If the train that the ECS forms is delayed by the original incident then the TOC will receive compensation for it.

 

[SprinterMan]

1G93 0515 Holyhead to Birmingham International and 1G31 0715 Holyhead to Birmingham International are the only trains that provide a direct service between North Wales and local stations between Crewe and Shrewsbury. Both are routed this way to give fast trains to Cardiff a path between Chester and Wrexham.

Adam

 

[bicbasher]

On Sundays, Southern have a 2tph service from London Bridge to West Croydon via Forest Hill which calls at all stations except Penge West and Anerley.

 

[Xavi]

Didn't notice DWW but TVP, Bridgwater, Highbridge & Burnham and Worle Are all omitted whereas EXT and Starcross are not...

The stops in Devon on these services originally came about as part of the infamous DMUs into storage episode when FGW franchise expanded and Wessex Trains ended. I remember the 'extra capacity' local press release because an HST replaced a DMU. They forgot to mention 2-car Cardiff to Portsmouth trains and the various other 3 into 2 across the regions that brought chaos courtesy (of course) of DfT.

Previously the up morning path was a Wessex 158; I think it terminated at Exeter Central. I was a bit surprised that the local stops on the London trains continued after the reshuffle west of Exeter when SWT pulled out and extra DMUs were drafted into FGW. But I suppose these were all needed for SWT cover plus growth.

 

[Zoe]

The 0509 Plymouth to Paddington is a little unusual west of Exeter: Plymouth - Newton Abbot - Teignmouth - Exeter St Davids. I doubt many people are going to use this train from anywhere west of Taunton though from Exeter it calls at Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Bridgwater, Highbridge & Burnham, Weston-super-Mare, Worle, Yatton, Naislea & Backwell, Bristol Temple Meads, Bath Spa, Chippenham, Swindon, Reading and London Paddington.

The 0530 Plymouth to Paddington is also unusual in that it calls at Dawlish but not Teignmouth although the reason for this is quite clear as Teignmouth is served by the 0509.

I'd be interested to know if there has ever been a service that called at Tiverton Parkway but not Taunton. I know there were services at one time that called at Totnes but not Newton Abbot and there was even once a Virgin Cross Country services which ran fast from Newton Abbot to Taunton without stopping at Exeter.

 

[30907]

On Sundays, Southern have a 2tph service from London Bridge to West Croydon via Forest Hill which calls at all stations except Penge West and Anerley.

That's a pre-Overground relic: Forest Hill and Sydenham were added to what used to be "fast" trains (the "Tats and Cats" I think*) many years ago, and then Brockley and Honor Oak Park to give them a 15 minute service.
There was indeed a period when Penge W and Anerley were closed on Sundays as an economy measure, so the differential pattern made some sense.

(*Sorry, Tattenham Corner and Caterham services, which used to split at Purley)