Does anyone know what routes used to run under the Alphaline brand? I see Wikipedia has mentioned the TOCs that used the brand but I wondered where the routes actually went.
Thanks in advance.
A TOC that definitely didn't use it was RRNW/NWRR. They used their own "NorthWest Express" branding instead.
Definitely not a northern thing at all as RRNE nor its successors used it neither
Theres a map of the Central Area Alphaline routes at about 30 seconds on here to give a hint ofthose
Regional Railway Alphaline Advert - YouTube
Looks like just a way of dressing up 158s to make them look like they were on a par with "proper" Inter-City trains.
I remember them looking very futuristic and posh (though strangely short) in their Alphaline livery running through Worthing, compared to all the Connex slammers. It gave the impression of a long distance intercity type operation that we never otherwise got to see in SussexI thought it a good piece of marketing, and 158s aren't that bad!
I agree. The 158s offered a more modern and more comfortable journey than all the pacers and earlier sprinters and better (if not quieter) even than some of the 'intercity' stock at the time, so it was definitely a good bit of marketing to highlight the fact that there was a high quality alternative to the 'big' companies running on many routes, as long as you accepted that they weren't going to be the fastest.I thought it a good piece of marketing, and 158s aren't that bad!
Thanks! I have been looking for a map showing there routes with no luck so this is helpful. Interesting the brand never made it to the north or scotland. I thought some of the long distance scotrail routes are alphaline-esque.
Wales & West / Wessex used to brand anything that was booked to be operated by a 158 as Alphaline in my recollection. Certainly they had two-colour maps showing Alphaline vs regular services, which at one point showed practically everywhere as having alpahaline services - at one point even showing the Waterloo-Exeter service as a 'Phase 2' Alphaline Wessex route - I assume at the beginning of the franchise there was a thought that this service would transfer from SWT. The 158s had Alphaline branded liveries, and they had a squiggly A at the top of the timetable column too.
IIRC, the Penzance - Manchester services actually went on to Bolton. Not sure why.
I also have a vague idea that at one point there were both XC and Alphaline services from Portsmouth to Blackpool. The former ran via Winchester, Birmingham and Preston, the latter via Bristol, Hereford and Bolton. I could be wrong on that point though.
The problem is that Alphaline as a brand was, as I recall, introduced after the split of Regional Railways into the pre-privatisation shadow TOCs, so there is unlikely to be one map produced with them all shown.
I don't believe that ever happened.
Again, I don't think Alphaline made it north of Liverpool/Manchester. The daily Central Trains service that ran to Preston via Warrington 2004-2008 *might* have appeared on a "Citylink" map, maybe?
That was my recollection too. The 158s were in an alpha line liveryWales & West / Wessex used to brand anything that was booked to be operated by a 158 as Alphaline in my recollection
I also have a vague idea that at one point there were both XC and Alphaline services from Portsmouth to Blackpool. The former ran via Winchester, Birmingham and Preston, the latter via Bristol, Hereford and Bolton. I could be wrong on that point though.
I used the Waterloo to Cardiff service in the early 2000’s , cant remember the exact departure tome but was very early in the morning and got to cardiff around 08.00. Was an experience to travel onI'm sure I remember a period of several years (1980s or 1990s) when there were Alphaline branded trains between Bristol and Waterloo - they were of course slower, but also much cheaper, than going via Paddington. As I remember it, the through Waterloo-Bristol route was quite a novelty then (even if it had existed in earlier generations). I'm pretty sure it stopped after not many years.
0505 ex Waterloo, arriving Cardiff 0815 in 2003. Not marked as Alphaline, unlike the 1217, 1517 and 1917 ex Waterloo.I used the Waterloo to Cardiff service in the early 2000’s , cant remember the exact departure tome but was very early in the morning and got to cardiff around 08.00. Was an experience to travel on
And the Portsmouth - Liverpool unit then did a Liverpool to Edinburgh service, returning the next day as Edinburgh to Liverpool, then doing Liverpool to Portsmouth.Apart from the regular, hourly ‘Alphaline’ services between Portsmouth and Cardiff, there were services that split, at Newport (0600 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff/Liverpool Lime St) and at Westbury (1423 Portsmouth Harbour to Cardiff/Penzance)
The 1435 Portsmouth Harbour to Blackpool XC ran as a HST (via Guildford, not Winchester)
There were 2 daily 158 operated XC services, the 1035 Portsmouth Harbour to Liverpool Lime St and the 1735 Portsmouth Harbour to Preston, both again operated via Guildford. The 158 units on these services were in Regional Railways livery, with ‘Express’ branding
0505 ex Waterloo, arriving Cardiff 0815 in 2003. Not marked as Alphaline, unlike the 1217, 1517 and 1917 ex Waterloo.