Are there any true non-stop expresses left in the UK?

[cambsy]

Maybe not an express passenger service, but the last true non stop, long distance passenger train, was the Sept 2006, Virgin-Railway Magazine, Glasgow-Euston record attempt special, by 390047, which was called Heavens Angels for the special run and carried it for while after, after the run the unit went back out on normal service, it was driven by Mark Bearton, if memory correct, for the full journey of 3hrs 55 mins, though there was a back up driver if need be, but Mark wanted to do the whole run.

 

[whoosh]

Back in 1974, just after 'The Clansman' had been introduced, providing, I believe, the first ever regular Inverness-London daytime train, I travelled on it from the origin. There was a virtually brand new First Class compartment vehicle (BFK?) that was de-classified and I looked forward to a delightful trip to London in a forward-facing window seat. An elderly lady entered the compartment and asked if this was the "through train to London". I assured her that it was.

We set off at 1030 and made the booked call at Aviemore at 1123. At this point the lady became immensely distressed and asked me why the train had stopped. I noted that it was a booked call. "But British Railways told me that it was a through train to London," my companion wailed. I explained that "through" didn't necessarily mean the same as "non-stop". The lady then spent the next 20 minutes complaining about British Railways until we stopped at Newtonmore at 1143 at which point a similar conversation took place.

This litany of complaint and distress was then repeated at and between Pitlochry, Perth, Stirling, Coatbridge Central, Mossend Yard (where the diesel locomotive was exchanged for an electric), Motherwell, Carlisle, Preston, Crewe, Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street and Coventry until we finally pulled in to Euston on time at 2104. During the journey stewards from the refreshment vehicle had served regular meals to the lady at her seat in order to avoid the need for her to walk to the restaurant.

Her final words as we separated at Euston (where a porter was waiting with a wheelchair) were, "Well I think it's disgusting, British Railways told me that it was going to be a through train."

Some people are hard to please.

The same sort of person moans and tuts when a train comes to standstill at a red signal, despite the fact that it is planned to wait for another service in the timetable and is still on time when it starts moving again.

That woman sounds like she'd have moaned at the quickening darkness on an airline flight east.

 

[norbitonflyer]

Some of the East Coast Main line feeder services between Newark Northgate and Lincoln run non-stop, although Newark is not really a city!

At the other extreme, do either of the Lowland sleeper services officially run non-stop? - I know they both stop for operational reasons at Carstairs.

Back in 1979 I did travel on a scheduled service from Edinburgh to Euston non-stop (other than an unadvertised traction change at some point I don't recall). This service was part of the emergency timetable brought in after the Penmanshiel Tunnel tragedy closed the East Coast Main Line.

 

[jopsuk]

Since the Cambridge services (in the half hours where they don't go through to Kings Lynn) were extended to Ely (calling at Cambridge North and Waterbeach) I don't think that service counts

 

[Cheshire Scot]

Lowland Sleeper, at least in normal times, has public stops at Carlisle and Watford Jn

 

[Bald Rick]

It's standard procedure even with out COVID that the new rolling stock will run to the old timetable for a while before changes get made, you don't want to change everything at once or it's much more likely to go wrong.

Indeed. Given that a timetabke change is over a year in the making, you don’t want to start writing a new one for new, quicker, rolling stock until you can be sure it’s all going to be in service and perform as planned. Just ask Transpennine.

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Wasn't that Leeds to Kings Cross non-stop branded as the Leeds Executive back in those days?

It had a few names on and off over the years. I always remembered it as the "Yorkshire Pullman" which was (if I recall correctly) either a GNER or ICEC Shadow Franchise thing.

 

[Trackman]

I think you'll find that there was a Stockport-Euston non-stop, which ran both pre-Covid and after the resumption of more regular services this year, although it no longer runs and won't do so again for a while.
There was no Piccadilly-Euston non-stop ever, that I can remember. (OK, not since 1977, which is probably the extent of my memory, except on special occasions of course)
so.

That's the one, I call it the non-stop. It's the old 07:01 out of Picc. Timed for under 2 hours.
Sorry Stockport, you count!
Did the old Pullman in the 80's do Picc-Euston non-stop?

 

[jfollows]

Did the old Pullman in the 80's do Picc-Euston non-stop?

No, the down morning and up evening services didn't stop at Stockport for sure, in 1977 the evening service used the Styal line (It left Piccadilly at 16:43 and I sometimes went home on the 16:43 stopper to Stoke which left at the same time, the Pullman on the up slow and the Stoke stopper on the up fast). The down morning service from Euston in 1977 called at Wilmslow (probably Watford Junction also) and then went through Stockport without stopping. All the services called at Wilmslow, and the up morning and down evening Pullman services also called at Crewe. There may have been Watford Junction stops also (down morning and up evening I would guess).

In other words:

1H05 08:00 Euston - Watford - Wilmslow - Piccadilly 10:29 via Stockport
1H24 17:24 Euston - Crewe - Wilmslow - Stockport - Piccadilly 19:54
1A14 07:32 Piccadilly - Stockport - Wilmslow - Crewe - Euston ~10:00
1A67 16:43 Piccadilly - Wilmslow - Watford - Euston ~19:15 via Styal

I went on the 16:43 up evening service once because the guard is a good friend; I came back with him on a late return working from Euston to Manchester.

 

[YorksLad12]

Back in 1974, just after 'The Clansman' had been introduced[...]

I really hope they changed the name of that one.

Wasn't that Leeds to Kings Cross non-stop branded as the Leeds Executive back in those days?

Think it's the West Riding Executive, or was last time I saw it named. 0700 from Leeds, arriving 0859-ish in London, and the reason the adverts used to claim "Leeds to London in under two hours*". It was still running in the Normal Times. As Wakefield is a city that journey would meet the original criteria I guess?

 

[6Gman]

I dunno, it's only a 50 minute run, I'd imagine you will find others around the South East, where practice is almost universally to operate services like "fast to X then all stations to Y" because the game is maximising capacity/speed to London rather than connectivity?

If you mean planned train services which only call at two stations, the origin and terminus, you can chuck in short ones like Crewe-Chester or even the Stourbridge Shuttle

But if there are no intermediate stations they're "all stations" as well as "non-stop"!

I think the OP was referring to trains starting from A which then ran through B, C, D ... S, T, U at high speed to terminate at Station V.

 

[yorkie]

Even the Flying Scotsman in its current incarnation stops at Newcastle.

I remember 10 years ago even the 0700 Liverpool-Euston service which was advertised as non-stop from Liverpool used to stop to pick up in Runcorn.

Are there any true non-stop expresses left on the UK railway today?

York to London is further than Runcorn to Liverpool and many trains do this non-stop; I was on one just last weekend.

 

[sheff1]

The Master Cutler ran non stop Chesterfield to St Pancras in the early 90s.

Pre-covid suspension surely the Gatwick Express was the top UK non stop express - they certainly wanted people to pay a premium to use it.

 

[CW2]

the 'Leeds Executive' had one stop to pick up only at Wakefield westgate. think one from KX about 4pm was set down only at wakefield

used to be quite a lot of 's' and 'u' in the all line timetable in the 70's.
how they stopped abuse I dont know.

I recall the Kings Cross Division TTIs had an ongoing battle with various season ticket holders who insisted on using the Inter City evening services to West Yorkshire which had a "u" stop at Stevenage as a nice way to travel home. After a couple of weeks of polite warnings, the Stevenage stop was quietly withdrawn one evening. Announcements were made prior to departure that this train does not stop at Stevenage, and anybody travelling to Stevenage should alight. Of course all the Season Ticket holders sat tight ... and ended up arriving home several hours later than planned, and considerably lighter in the pocket, having been excessed Stevenage to Wakefield Westgate and return. It had the desired effect.

 

[Bald Rick]

I recall the Kings Cross Division TTIs had an ongoing battle with various season ticket holders who insisted on using the Inter City evening services to West Yorkshire which had a "u" stop at Stevenage as a nice way to travel home. After a couple of weeks of polite warnings, the Stevenage stop was quietly withdrawn one evening. Announcements were made prior to departure that this train does not stop at Stevenage, and anybody travelling to Stevenage should alight. Of course all the Season Ticket holders sat tight ... and ended up arriving home several hours later than planned, and considerably lighter in the pocket, having been excessed Stevenage to Wakefield Westgate and return. It had the desired effect.

Similar story on the Western, I forget which train it was that was Reading u; next stop Exeter possibly.

 

[Kite159]

Similar story on the Western, I forget which train it was that was Reading u; next stop Exeter possibly.

Might have been Swindon if I'm thinking of the same story where a HST had a pick up only call at Reading one day didn't call at Reading due to commuters ignoring the restriction

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

I wonder what the longest non-stop run on a HS2 service will be if/when the full service is in operation. Presuming everything stops at Old Oak Common, is it a fair bet that there will be non-stop runs between there and, say, Preston?

 

[Bald Rick]

Might have been Swindon if I'm thinking of the same story where a HST had a pick up only call at Reading one day didn't call at Reading due to commuters ignoring the restriction

Thinking about it, it was definitely a West Country service, might be Reading u only on Fridays. 1604 fits the bill, first stop Taunton - possibly it was Exeter in days gone Emerson to remember it being written about on these pages somewhere - if it was full, or running late, the Reading stop was dropped, but not announced at PAD as no need to...

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

I really hope they changed the name of that one.


Think it's the West Riding Executive, or was last time I saw it named. 0700 from Leeds, arriving 0859-ish in London, and the reason the adverts used to claim "Leeds to London in under two hours*". It was still running in the Normal Times. As Wakefield is a city that journey would meet the original criteria I guess?

Back in the 70s there was a separate Bradford Executive that ran from Exchange and used a now closed cord to avoid Leeds. It was Deltic hauled rather than the usual 47s used on the Bradford route via Leeds

 

[Peter Mugridge]

I really hope they changed the name of that one.

It kept the Clansman name until it was ultimately discontinued.

Out of curiosity, why do you dislike the name?

 

[dk1]

What about the new GW Fast services from Bristol, Calling at Temple Meads and Parkway before running non stop to Paddington?

Unfortunately not non-stop from origin & they haven't actually started yet.

 

[richard1976]

If the Sleepers are diverted via the East Coast, don't they run none stop Euston - Edinburgh

 

[johntea]

I would also guess the lack of 'true' non stop services was so passengers at least have some sort of chance to bail if the train gets moving and they suddenly find they're on the wrong train!

Harrogate has seen a real boost in visitors since the LNER Kings Cross to Harrogate service...on a daily basis you can guarantee at least one passenger boards at Leeds thinking it is the Kings Cross service despite multiple announcements and ends up at Bettys Tea Rooms instead

 

[hexagon789]

Some of the East Coast Main line feeder services between Newark Northgate and Lincoln run non-stop, although Newark is not really a city!

At the other extreme, do either of the Lowland sleeper services officially run non-stop? - I know they both stop for operational reasons at Carstairs.

Back in 1979 I did travel on a scheduled service from Edinburgh to Euston non-stop (other than an unadvertised traction change at some point I don't recall). This service was part of the emergency timetable brought in after the Penmanshiel Tunnel tragedy closed the East Coast Main Line.

There were 3 of these plus two HSTs from KGX via Carlisle on Weekdays during this period, one HST extended to Aberdeen.

 

[Mag_seven]

If the Sleepers are diverted via the East Coast, don't they run none stop Euston - Edinburgh

No they don't - apart from the stop in Wembley Yard to reverse, there are stops for crew change purposes at Newcastle and Doncaster.

 

[hexagon789]

I really hope they changed the name of that one.

Out of interest - why?

What's wrong with 'The Clansman'

The Highland Chieftain is very similar in nature.

And no, it kept it's name until withdrawal, being superceded by the Highland Chieftain though they did try one period of running both as fast direct services in summer 1986, after which the Clansman was downgraded again as per 1985.

 

[Bigman]

Yes I remember the Bradford Executive. I seem to remember HST's also working round the Wortley curve in the very early years. I used to go to school right next to the climb from Holbeck Jn up to Armley Moor, and the Deltic's working the Bradford portions certainly thrashed it hard up the hill. Happy days!!! If only TPE 68's could work via Bradford!!

 

[Ianno87]

I wonder what the longest non-stop run on a HS2 service will be if/when the full service is in operation. Presuming everything stops at Old Oak Common, is it a fair bet that there will be non-stop runs between there and, say, Preston?

Old Oak Common to Preston (once per hour) or Old Oak Common to York (twice per hour).

A very early version of the specification had Old Oak Common non-stop to Carstairs once per hour!

 

[Senex]

That's the one, I call it the non-stop. It's the old 07:01 out of Picc. Timed for under 2 hours.
Sorry Stockport, you count!
Did the old Pullman in the 80's do Picc-Euston non-stop?

In the 1966 timetable the 1600 off Euston was non-stop to Manchester via Crewe in 2 hours 36 minutes. And there were several trains in both directions non-stop between Euston and Stockport just for that one year before the Stoke Loop service was commissioned.

 

[Ken H]

It still exists, albeit it now starts from Bradford Forster Square:

Realtime Trains - 1A07 0630 Bradford Forster Square to London Kings Cross

Realtime Trains provides live realtime running information for the Great British railway network using open data.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

but can you travel Bradford - Leeds? That would bar it from being 'non-stop'