What are the worst rolling stock subsitutions you've experienced?

[Mitchell Hurd]

On Twitter a good few years back, someone reported that the 17:49 from London to Worcester was a 2-car Turbo instead of an 8-coach HST. They said it was due to a lack of available High Speed Trains that day.

If you thought that was bad, when GWR had staff shortages back in 2018, on I think a Plymouth to Penzance or a short working on the Cornish Mainline, they had to use a 1-coach 153 instead of an 8-coach HST. JourneyCheck showed it.

I understand that on one occasion in GNER days, the entire Class 91 IC225 fleet was grounded and a Pacer ran from Leeds all the way to London Kings Cross.

I bet passengers were like "You are joking???" when instead of a big 9-car electric 225 they were in not just a DMU but a Pacer train !

 

[61653 HTAFC]

I understand that on one occasion in GNER days, the entire Class 91 IC225 fleet was grounded and a Pacer ran from Leeds all the way to London Kings Cross.

I bet passengers were like "You are joking???" when instead of a big 9-car electric 225 they were in not just a DMU but a Pacer train !

I'm 99.9999999% sure that's apocryphal. You may be thinking of the aftermath of the Sandy derailment, where WYPTE's 321s (and a few NSE units) were used to substitute for the IC225 sets while they were being inspected.

 

[hexagon789]

Back in the days of the Channel boat trains to/from Folkestone Harbour, I was distinctly unimpressed to see that after a particularly awful crossing back from France on a SeaCat, the traction for my onward travel back to Victoria was a single 4-VEP...

Depends if it was rammed or not.

 

[hexagon789]

I understand that on one occasion in GNER days, the entire Class 91 IC225 fleet was grounded and a Pacer ran from Leeds all the way to London Kings Cross.

I bet passengers were like "You are joking???" when instead of a big 9-car electric 225 they were in not just a DMU but a Pacer train !

I've certainly come across the anecdote before but no one has ever been able to provide photographic evidence for it - so I remain sceptical. I believe a 158 has made it into Euston in lieu of a LHCS set in Virgin days but a 158 is at least more suitable than a Pacer!

 

[170TurboFan]

I mean... your username indicates that you may have actually enjoyed that, but it nevertheless sounds utterly ridiculous.

Was it crowded?

I weren’t on it but have experienced a crowded singular 321 on that route in the height of summer!!