Unrealistic Musing: "Coaster" Overnight Service

[ccityplanner12]

This would be conventional carriages behind a class 73 locomotive. It would go from London to Weymouth round the coast.
Out late on a Friday night calling at:

London Victoria > Denmark Hill [3] > Lewisham [4] > Welling > Dartford > Gravesend > Strood > Rochester > Chatham > Gillingham > Rainham > Sittingbourne [2] > Faversham [3] > Whitstable > Herne Bay > Birchington-on-Sea > Margate [1] > Ramsgate [2] > Sandwich > Deal > Dover Priory [1] > Folkestone Central > Ashford [6] (reverses & switches to diesel mode) > Rye > Ore (switches back to electric mode) > Hastings [2] > St Leonards Warrior Square > Bexhill > Eastbourne [3] (reverses) > Hampden Park > Lewes [4] > Falmer > Brighton [3] (reverses) > Hove [3] > Portslade > Shoreham-by-Sea > Lancing > Worthing [3] > Durrington-on-Sea > Angmering > Bognor Regis [2] (reverses) > Barnham [3] > Littlehampton [1] (reverses) > Chichester > Havant > Hilsea > Fratton [2] > Portsmouth & Southsea [3] (reverses) > Fratton [1] > Cosham > Portchester > Fareham > Swanwick > Woolston > St Denys [4] > Southampton Central [4] > Totton > Brockenhurst [3] > New Milton > Christchurch > Bournemouth > Poole > Dorchester South > Weymouth [1] (reverses) > Upwey (switches to diesel mode) > Dorchester West > Yeovil Pen Mill > Castle Cary [2] > Bruton > Frome > Westbury [3] > Trowbridge > Bradford-on-Avon > Bath Spa > Bristol Temple Meads

Returning on a Saturday night calling at:

Bristol Temple Meads > Bath Spa > Bradford-on-Avon > Trowbridge > Westbury [2] > Bruton > Castle Cary [2] > Yeovil Pen Mill > Dorchester West > Upwey (switches to electric mode) > Weymouth [1] (reverses) > Dorchester South > Poole > Bournemouth > Christchurch > New Milton > Brockenhurst [2] > Totton > Southampton Central [1] > St Denys [3] > Woolston > Swanwick > Fareham > Portchester > Cosham > Fratton [2] > Portsmouth & Southsea [3] (reverses) > Fratton [1] > Havant > Chichester > Barnham [3] > Littlehampton [1] (reverses) > Bognor Regis [2] (reverses) > Angmering > Durrington-on-Sea > Worthing [2] > Lancing > Shoreham-by-Sea > Portslade > Hove [2] > Brighton [3] (reverses) > Falmer > Lewes [3] > Polegate > Eastbourne [3] (reverses) > Bexhill > St Leonards Warrior Square > Hastings [3] > Ore (switches to diesel mode) > Rye > Ashford [6] (reverses & switches back to electric mode) > Dover Priory [2] > Deal > Sandwich > Ramsgate [3] > Margate [3] > Birchington-on-Sea > Herne Bay > Whitstable > Faversham [2] > Sittingbourne [1] > Rainham > Gillingham [2] > Chatham > Rochester > Strood [2] > Gravesend > Dartford [2] > Welling > Lewisham [3] > Denmark Hill [4] > London Victoria

This journey will undoubtedly be very long, but that's kind of the point. It's to give clubbers & low-budget tourists who have been out late at night a place to get some sleep without having to pay for a hotel/hostel.
Perhaps first-class passengers could ask to be woken up when they reach their destination (would make more money by encouraging more people to buy first-class).

Based on National Rail Enquiries searches, this service would take 10 hours 30 minutes if it were to go all the way to Bristol, or 8h33m if it were to terminate at Weymouth.

 

[johnr57]

And when the mk5’s come in use the old cally sleeper stock (at a premium of course)

 

[TheEdge]

As ridiculous suggestions go this is well up there, and I for one love it and support it on that basis alone.

I'm not sure it beats a time erstwhile member HMS Ark Royal suggested cascading class 373s to North Korea to run a service to South Korea, close, but not quite.

 

[Bedpan]

What are the numbers in brackets for? Projected numbers of passengers alighting?

 

[island]

Feels like platform numbers.

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Fantastically mad, if everyone put that much effort into their fantasy proposals I wouldn't mind them half as much. Just a couple of operational pointers though: if the boxed figures are platform numbers, you'd have to use 1 or 2 only at Ashford to access the line toward Rye, and doing coastway to coastway at Brighton limits you to one platform (3) and about three coaches.

 

[Lemmy99uk]

Many years ago, a friend and me travelled from Birmingham to London to a concert that finished at 1 a.m.

Our cunning plan was to fill a box in on our free pass and travel Victoria to Gatwick until morning and then wander over to Euston.

Sadly, we failed to check the diagrams out with the result that we were woken up at 6 in the morning in Brighton!

After much mirth, the staff at Brighton made us tea and sent us back on our way north.

 

[Dr Hoo]

What has Sheerness done to upset the OP. An easy in-and-out coastal reversal.

Are Sheppeyites for ever to be shunned for having once produced the Good Doctor?

 

[Bald Rick]

It would be cheaper in a hotel...

 

[Bedpan]

Feels like platform numbers.

That makes a bit more sense. Is it possible to access platform 3 at Brighton from the East Coastway line though? Also, it would have to be a pretty short train to be able to leave platform 3 for the west.

 

[swt_passenger]

Would it actually get to Bristol in time to start back? I think we need timings. Ah, just saw them.

 

[jamesthegill]

That makes a bit more sense. Is it possible to access platform 3 at Brighton from the East Coastway line though? Also, it would have to be a pretty short train to be able to leave platform 3 for the west.

It is, as long as it runs "wrong road" from Lewes. Also as stated prior it would need to be 3 coaches max as the west coastway services from platform 3 have a maximum length of four - leaving aside the problems with running round the stock!

 

[backontrack]

As ridiculous suggestions go this is well up there, and I for one love it and support it on that basis alone.

I'm not sure it beats a time erstwhile member HMS Ark Royal suggested cascading class 373s to North Korea to run a service to South Korea, close, but not quite.

Via Newhaven Marine of course

 

[ccityplanner12]

What are the numbers in brackets for? Projected numbers of passengers alighting?

The numbers in brackets are platform numbers.

It is, as long as it runs "wrong road" from Lewes. Also as stated prior it would need to be 3 coaches max as the west coastway services from platform 3 have a maximum length of four - leaving aside the problems with running round the stock!

Google Maps & Trackatlas both show a crossover just south of the bridge over the former freight branch. The train could reverse from Brighton to Hove with the locomotive running round there, if such a movement were permitted &/or a control car were available.

 

[backontrack]

This would be conventional carriages behind a class 73 locomotive. It would go from London to Weymouth round the coast.
Out late on a Friday night calling at:

London Victoria > Denmark Hill [3] > Lewisham [4] > Welling > Dartford > Gravesend > Strood > Rochester > Chatham > Gillingham > Rainham > Sittingbourne [2] > Faversham [3] > Whitstable > Herne Bay > Birchington-on-Sea > Margate [1] > Ramsgate [2] > Sandwich > Deal > Dover Priory [1] > Folkestone Central > Ashford [6] (reverses & switches to diesel mode) > Rye > Ore (switches back to electric mode) > Hastings [2] > St Leonards Warrior Square > Bexhill > Eastbourne [3] (reverses) > Hampden Park > Lewes [4] > Falmer > Brighton [3] (reverses) > Hove [3] > Portslade > Shoreham-by-Sea > Lancing > Worthing [3] > Durrington-on-Sea > Angmering > Bognor Regis [2] (reverses) > Barnham [3] > Littlehampton [1] (reverses) > Chichester > Havant > Hilsea > Fratton [2] > Portsmouth & Southsea [3] (reverses) > Fratton [1] > Cosham > Portchester > Fareham > Swanwick > Woolston > St Denys [4] > Southampton Central [4] > Totton > Brockenhurst [3] > New Milton > Christchurch > Bournemouth > Poole > Dorchester South > Weymouth [1] (reverses) > Upwey (switches to diesel mode) > Dorchester West > Yeovil Pen Mill > Castle Cary [2] > Bruton > Frome > Westbury [3] > Trowbridge > Bradford-on-Avon > Bath Spa > Bristol Temple Meads

Returning on a Saturday night calling at:

Bristol Temple Meads > Bath Spa > Bradford-on-Avon > Trowbridge > Westbury [2] > Bruton > Castle Cary [2] > Yeovil Pen Mill > Dorchester West > Upwey (switches to electric mode) > Weymouth [1] (reverses) > Dorchester South > Poole > Bournemouth > Christchurch > New Milton > Brockenhurst [2] > Totton > Southampton Central [1] > St Denys [3] > Woolston > Swanwick > Fareham > Portchester > Cosham > Fratton [2] > Portsmouth & Southsea [3] (reverses) > Fratton [1] > Havant > Chichester > Barnham [3] > Littlehampton [1] (reverses) > Bognor Regis [2] (reverses) > Angmering > Durrington-on-Sea > Worthing [2] > Lancing > Shoreham-by-Sea > Portslade > Hove [2] > Brighton [3] (reverses) > Falmer > Lewes [3] > Polegate > Eastbourne [3] (reverses) > Bexhill > St Leonards Warrior Square > Hastings [3] > Ore (switches to diesel mode) > Rye > Ashford [6] (reverses & switches back to electric mode) > Dover Priory [2] > Deal > Sandwich > Ramsgate [3] > Margate [3] > Birchington-on-Sea > Herne Bay > Whitstable > Faversham [2] > Sittingbourne [1] > Rainham > Gillingham [2] > Chatham > Rochester > Strood [2] > Gravesend > Dartford [2] > Welling > Lewisham [3] > Denmark Hill [4] > London Victoria

This journey will undoubtedly be very long, but that's kind of the point. It's to give clubbers & low-budget tourists who have been out late at night a place to get some sleep without having to pay for a hotel/hostel.
Perhaps first-class passengers could ask to be woken up when they reach their destination (would make more money by encouraging more people to buy first-class).

Based on National Rail Enquiries searches, this service would take 10 hours 30 minutes if it were to go all the way to Bristol, or 8h33m if it were to terminate at Weymouth.

Because this calls at Brighton, it should be operated by CrossCountry and with 442s, because two birds with one stone...

What are the numbers in brackets for? Projected numbers of passengers alighting?

 

[DarloRich]

As ridiculous suggestions go this is well up there, and I for one love it and support it on that basis alone.

I think I agree - it is so bonkers that I quite like it - I say aye!

 

[Clip]

I think I agree - it is so bonkers that I quite like it - I say aye!

Me too - be a hell of a party train

 

[bussnapperwm]

If I was at the Department for Transport and this would pass my desk, I'd laugh my head off

 

[randyrippley]

I guess you'll need a tanker of diesel in the consist - class 73 doesn't have much range. You might need another tanker full of cooling water.....

 

[DanTrain]

If I was at the Department for Transport and this would pass my desk, I'd laugh my head off

And I’d ask why we don’t have more! London to Leeds via Shrewsbury. Birmingham to Manchester via Peterborough. The Great Way Round is reborn

 

[BRblue]

Just add another reversal at Preston Park then you can travel Brighton to Hove, without the worry of using platform 3.

 

[N/100]

It feels like a complicated version of the old southern night mail trains which ran until the late 1980s , with a half coach passenger accommodation . Other than in exceptional circumstances there was plenty of room.

 

[bussnapperwm]

Thinking about it, could it get away with a pacer as the allocation...

Or would we need loco hauled Class 442s?

 

[ASharpe]

Thinking about it, could it get away with a pacer as the allocation...

With the old bus seats you could have a proper lie down but the squeal of the wheels around curves would probably prevent any sleep.

 

[Chris999999]

Thinking about it, could it get away with a pacer as the allocation...

Or would we need loco hauled Class 442s?

No it couldn't be a pacer. There would need to be an all night bar on a train like this. There aren't any pacers with bars - though thinking about it perhaps one could be upgraded?

 

[backontrack]

You also need 11 bottles of shandy @Non Multi

 

[DanTrain]

No it couldn't be a pacer. There would need to be an all night bar on a train like this. There aren't any pacers with bars - though thinking about it perhaps one could be upgraded?

The boozer pacer railtour. Sign me up !

 

[Busaholic]

I take it the regularly-rostered driver would be J.K. Rowling.

 

[Non Multi]

You also need 11 bottles of shandy @Non Multi

I'd have thought the route would be ideal for the bi-mode D-train (yes, it's the Disco-Train! ) They've already had a test train fire, a 'disco inferno' if you like, so it's really the ideal train for the job (as long as you bring enough fire extinguishers).

PS. If you're going to have a party train at least invite Pete Waterman along and he can display one of his model railway dioramas play Kylie Minogue's The Loco-motion and the rest of his Stock, Aitken & Waterman 1980's/90's pop hits over the awfully tinny PA. Obviously Rick Astley has contributed to the best chill out music available to any very, very weary clubbers using the free WiFi.

 

[backontrack]

I'd have thought the route would be ideal for the bi-mode D-train (yes, it's the Disco-Train! ) They've already had a test train fire, a 'disco inferno' if you like, so it's really the ideal train for the job (as long as you bring enough fire extinguishers).

PS. If you're going to have a party train at least invite Pete Waterman along and he can display one of his model railway dioramas play Kylie Minogue's The Loco-motion and the rest of his Stock, Aitken & Waterman 1980's/90's pop hits over the awfully tinny PA. Obviously Rick Astley has contributed to the best chill out music available to any very, very weary clubbers using the free WiFi.

Some good suggestions there. I would add that, when the train arrives at Portsmouth and Southsea, its doors should not open and the service should speed away again, leaving Rick Astley's seminal hit Never Gonna Give You Up playing on the station tannoy for the bemused punters (provided, of course, that there are actually any there).