XC 170 at Grantham?

[ashworth]

Yesterday (Sat 18th July), I was travelling from Nottingham to Norwich and just south of Grantham I am sure that we passed a XC 170 on the ECML which was travelling north. This was at approx 8.30 am.

I thought I had immagined this but on the return journey the EMT 158 that I was travelling on was stopped for a few minutes just south of Grantham and this was for a XC 170 that was travelling south. This was at approx 8.00 pm. Obviously the 170 had been in platform 4 at Grantham which we were waiting to occupy.

Does anyone know why this was running on this route yesterday? I was not aware of any engineering works between Leicester and Peterborough.

 

[mumrar]

There is work to install temporary platforms at Stamford due to the main station platforms requiring work to accomodate container traffic via Helpston Junction and Melton Mowbray for new freight flows

 

[Mojo]

Yeah, XC services to Stansted were being diverted and left at xx52 instead of xx22. There was a Voyager on the 15.22 Birmingham - Leicester service yesterday afternoon!

 

[mallard]

Would this also explain why I saw several XC 170s pass through Loughborough today?

I also saw a train consisting of coaches in the old Virgin livery, top-and-tailed by cl47s (double headed plus one on the rear) heading north. Probably a charter, anyone know what it was?

 

[matt]

The charter was a Branch Line Society charter which had 66090, 47843 and 47812 on it.