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| Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 12:58 #28545 | |
northroad
872 posts |
Do these still exist....no not the ones from the fun fair or even story books but the ones that only ran in one direction or stations that only had a couple of services a week just so that the stations did not have to go through the official closure procedure. A couple of years ago Tees-side airport used to be a good example with only two trains a week and even then they only ran on a Sunday, one in each direction stopping there. Figues showed that it only had 44 passengers a year. Not suprising really with that kind of a service. Today there is no such airport the official name being Durham Tees Valley airport. Stockport to Stalybridge was another that springs to mind with a train in one direction only....no return. Newhaven Marine used to have one service a week only, which was not advertised and the station was behind a locked fence so no one could use it. Any up to date ones? or is this a thing of the past Geoff Last edited: 01/02/2012 at 12:59 by northroad Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 13:25 #28549 | |
sloppyjag
480 posts 
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Still quite a few of these Parliamentary services around and I would think most will remain for the foreseeable future. The cost of going through the closure procedures (usually requiring an Act of Parliament and all the red tape that involves) outweighs the cost of running a minimal and usually worthless service. Other examples I can think of are; Chester to Runcorn (covering the Halton Curve) which has one train on a Saturday during the summer. Pilning, near the Severn Tunnel, which only gets one train a week. Barry Links and Golf Street, between Dundee and Carnoustie, which get one train each way Monday to Saturday. (Actually quite a regular service in the Parly world.) One oddity which I think is still regarded as a Parliamentary service is the Fort William to Euston Sleeper which is the only train to run over the curve from Cowlairs North Jn to Cowlairs East Jn. Planotransitophobic! Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 13:28 #28550 | |
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Josie
310 posts |
They definitely still exist. The Stockport-Stalybridge train (the "Denton Flyer" is still, I think, the archetype, running once a week on a Friday morning (a few years ago it changed direction!). There's also the much-written-about service trundling around west London between... is it Olympia and Wandsworth Road? Yes it is, this one.
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| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 13:34 #28551 | |
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Josie
310 posts |
At what point does a sparse service become parliamentary? The Ellesmere Port to Warrington train runs four times a day, weekdays only. (I saw it at Runcorn East a couple of weeks ago - it's infrequent enough to confuse a few people by its presence and the fact that it's not the usual service to Manchester.)
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| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 15:59 #28569 | |
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Quizman
276 posts |
" said:is it Olympia and Wandsworth Road?Brought back a memory of mine from a couple of years ago. I was waiting at Ken. Olympia for the next train to Clapham Jct. A Milton Keynes to Brighton service (as it was) came in and me and about 20 others jumped on. 10 mins later we were still at the station with as usual no staff around to tell us what was going on. Suddenly doors close and were off. All was well until when we get to Latchmere Jct instead of going around the curve to CLJ we disappear to Longhenge and pickup speed heading towards Wandsworth. Myself and other passengers now getting a bit concerned. Have we been hijacked? I go to the rear of the train and bang on the drivers/conductors door which opened and I enquire where the hell were going. He said that there was a broken down train at Balham and we were being diverted to make up some time. I said you could have told us and he said he made an announcement and I replied that noone in our carriage had heard a thing. He obviously didn’t believe me and came back to the carriage with me and others confirmed that no message had been heard. He did apologise for ‘equipment failure’ and told us that we would be stopping next at East Croydon and we would have to get back to CLJ by the ‘normal’ route. So there, myself and others travelled over that part of the line which if it hadn’t been kept open would have meant an extended wait at KPA! The thought that came through my head was that my ticket did not say ‘via EC’ so thank gawd no ticket inspectors were on board because they would have never believed my story as trains don’t run that way! And of course a driver having good route knowledge. All hail to the Parly :kiss: Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 16:38 #28572 | |
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birchy74
151 posts |
There is also a Saturday only service from Cleethorpes to Sheffield via Brigg, Gainsborough Central, Retford. They have been saying they are closing this line since i was a kid which was a hell of a long time ago lol
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| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 17:18 #28575 | |
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Sam Tugwell
494 posts |
I dont thing Gainsborough Central gets a very good service. I think I saw somewhere that Watford West station (closed for a long time) had more recorded passenger numbers than Gainsborough Central in a year 
"Signalman Exeter" Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 17:32 #28579 | |
Steamer
3985 posts
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" said:There is also a Saturday only service from Cleethorpes to Sheffield via Brigg, Gainsborough Central, Retford. They have been saying they are closing this line since i was a kid which was a hell of a long time ago lolI remember reading somewhere that there's actually been an increase in freight traffic over this line. Three more for the list: 2 trains a day from Bare Lane to Carnforth, using the north side of the Morecambe triangle (one a TPX to Windermere early morning, the other a NT to Leeds in the late afternoon). As far as I'm aware, only 1 ECS train from Barrow, which forms the Morecambe-Lancaster shuttle, and Flask trains to Heysham P.S. use the line in the opposite direction. 1 train a day to/from Heysham Port (12.57 arrival from Leeds, 13:15 departure back to Leeds) Clifton station (between Bolton and Salford Crescent), 1 train a day in each direction (07:07 to Manchester Victoria and 17:48 to Wigan Wallgate) "Don't stress/ relax/ let life roll off your backs./ Except for death and paying taxes/ everything in life.../ is only for now." (Avenue Q) Last edited: 01/02/2012 at 17:34 by Steamer Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 17:50 #28581 | |
jc92
3690 posts |
" said:I dont thing Gainsborough Central gets a very good service. I think I saw somewhere that Watford West station (closed for a long time) had more recorded passenger numbers than Gainsborough Central in a year :)certainly plenty more freight than there used to be and no signs of closure (i hope not i had an interview for a position there today!) but certainly it is being resignalled "We don't stop camborne wednesdays" Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 18:27 #28582 | |
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mfcooper
707 posts |
A "Ghost Train" is something else entirely... The only times I have heard the phrase "Ghost Train" on the railway is for a unit stabled overnight at, say, London Victoria being used for a return trip at stupid o'clock in the morning for the purposes of keeping ice from forming on the conductor rail/OHLE. Last week on nights a couple ran from Victoria to Epsom Downs and back. They used to run on the North London Line quite regularly in the winter period from Stratford to somewhere and back, depending on what lines were still open for traffic. Last edited: 01/02/2012 at 18:28 by mfcooper Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 18:28 #28583 | |
Gwasanaethau
509 posts |
" said:I dont thing Gainsborough Central gets a very good service. I think I saw somewhere that Watford West station (closed for a long time) had more recorded passenger numbers than Gainsborough Central in a year :)I think that was a while ago - I actually took this service from Cleethorpes to Retford last August to connect with the ECML there (legitimately – as in I National Rail Enquiries told me to go that way – I didn’t just ride on it because it was a parliamentary train (as I’ve often been tempted to do!)). The train was about a quarter full (Class 153 admittedly) and a good few people got off at Gainsborough Central (well, about ten). There was some murmurings that a direct service from Cleethorpes to King’s Cross might have taken that route, joining the ECML via the loops at Retford. I personally think this line needs more passenger services – I genuinely think there is demand for it. In a nod towards the original post, as well as the Olympia to Wandsworth Road service, Southern also run one train a day from Streatham Hill to London Bridge via Peckham Rye in one direction only. I’ve heard this is also a parliamentary train. Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 18:48 #28584 | |
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Late Turn
699 posts
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" said:There was some murmurings that a direct service from Cleethorpes to King’s Cross might have taken that route, joining the ECML via the loops at Retford ...which unfortunately face the wrong way on the GC line! Log in to reply The following user said thank you: Gwasanaethau |
| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 18:58 #28588 | |
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benstafford
88 posts |
Heysham trains specifically connect with the Isle of Man Ferry rather than being strictly parliamentary.
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| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 19:10 #28592 | |
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sloppyjag
480 posts
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Perhaps, but in the same area the morning Lancaster to Windermere via Morecambe may well be a Parly to cover the Bare Lane to Hest Bank curve.
Planotransitophobic! Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 01/02/2012 at 21:08 #28621 | |
DriverCurran
688 posts |
I agree with Matt. Ghost trains (aka Route Proving Trains) are a totally different kettle of fish from the Parly trains that started this topic. In my job we also use them following high winds over night to make sure that the line is actually safe and clear to run on, where the first service on a route would run fully crewed as an ECS to start the journey from a later place on the working. Paul You have to get a red before you can get any other colour Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 02/02/2012 at 06:52 #28637 | |
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northroad
872 posts |
All interesting stuff, especially what is called a Ghost train and also a Parliamentary train. I seem to remember that the line from Watford Jct to Croxley quite a few years ago had one service a day when they were trying to close it and if the old grey matter further serves me well I think they did actually lift some track by mistake and then had to replace it for a while as the correct procedures had not been followed. All sorts of chaos ensued with buses and even taxi's being employed to carry the few back and forth which by this time had been swelled by the people who were trying to save it. Geoff Log in to reply |
| Re: Ghost trains 02/02/2012 at 08:25 #28638 | |
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Josie
310 posts |
That's the Watford West case, to which Sam referred - if you showed up at Watford Junction with a ticket to West, they'd call a taxi for you. And in one accounting year there were more tickets sold to Watford West than to Gainsborough Central, which was open and still had trains. (On the subject of names, 'ghost trains' is what these sort of trains tend to be called in the press, but that's presumably just because it sounds more interesting than 'train that only runs once a week for legal reasons'  )
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| Re: Ghost trains 02/02/2012 at 11:01 #28645 | |
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nnr
170 posts |
Isn't there an odd one which goes once a day to Banbury/Bicester , but starts at Paddington rather than Marylebone?
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| Re: Ghost trains 02/02/2012 at 11:39 #28650 | |
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officer dibble
409 posts |
" said:Isn't there an odd one which goes once a day to Banbury/Bicester , but starts at Paddington rather than Marylebone?1136 Paddington-Gerrards X, run on Wednesdays only IIRC. When in doubt - Contingency plan 2A. Someone didn't buy the milk - 2A. Someone sneezed at Swansea - 2A. A driver complains the cab is too cold - 2A. Unable to operate a HEx service 4 vice 8 - 2A. Points failure at Ipswich - 2A. Landslip at Pitlochry - 2A Log in to reply The following user said thank you: northroad |
| Re: Ghost trains 02/02/2012 at 13:03 #28656 | |
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Signalhunter
177 posts |
Jeremy Vine (BBC Radio 2) had a segment all about this, on his lunchtime show, a few weeks before Christmas.
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| Re: Ghost trains 02/02/2012 at 16:39 #28665 | |
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Quizman
276 posts |
" said:[quote="Gwasanaethau" post=28583]There was some murmurings that a direct service from Cleethorpes to King’s Cross might have taken that route, joining the ECML via the loops at Retford According to the WTT for 1976/7 (which I'm working on for future timetable) the KX-Cleethorpes trains were all routed via Newark/Lincoln/Market Rasen and thence to Barnetby but there is reference on Wikipedia to diversions going through Central in the 1980's. Log in to reply The following users said thank you: Gwasanaethau, northroad |
| Re: Ghost trains 02/02/2012 at 18:10 #28667 | |
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TomOF
452 posts |
Until 1970 this went via Louth. And until 1985 ran via Lincoln St Marks until diverted into Lincoln central. Traction was Deltics/ 47s into the 1980s and then finished with HSTs in around 1993. It used to block both crossings in Grimsby. One one occasion a 50 was used.
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| Re: Ghost trains 02/02/2012 at 20:29 #28675 | |
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john havenhand
58 posts |
croxley to watford jnc is coming back as an extension of of the metropolitan line thus the current watford LU station will close
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