Voyager in Nottingham

[Rob F]

CrossCountry run a single Voyager operated train from Nottingham every day, the 06:37 to Bournemouth. This is an odd working as there is no return service and I believe is the only timetabled appearence of a Voyager set at Nottingham, probably ever?

 

Just to prove it exists, I have a YouTube video at:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQebEZBIFZo

 

I assume the service is provided as some sort of stock positioning move as there doesn't seem much other reason for it.

 

ROB

[Edwin_m]

Not stock positioning, as I presume it comes empty from Central Rivers. It otherwise wouldn't need to go into service until about 0700 in Derby or 0800 in Birmingham so by coming out earlier it helps with commuter loads into Birmingham. The Turbostar that would otherwise be used is probably strengthening a working from Leicester or elsewhere. CrossCountry put it on after they become responsible for the Nottingham-Birmingham route, where in the Central Trains era all sorts of inappropriate units could turn up, but apart from this service it's now only 170s.

 

It's advertised as a through working but from Nottingham to anywhere south of Birmingham the train is so much slower than driving, and much more expensive at that time of day, that I can't imagine many people use it as such.

[Oldfield_Park]

I wonder if it could be used to maintain some level of route knowledge for the Voyager drivers, in case CrossCountry decide to operate a more regular service in the future? There are a couple of other oddities around here, such as the evening Nottingham-Sheffield service that Northern operate through Derby - the only Northern service to take that route.

[Friar Tuck]

I seem to remember a promise that they would put Nottingham more on the X/C map when the franchise started. In the old days, of course Nottingham saw quite a few long-distance cross-country services running up and down the GC - before they were diverted via Derby and Birmingham

[Rob F]

Back in the 70s and 80s there was a Friday night service to Newquay and a Saturday morning service to Paignton. We always used the overnight Newquay train for our holiday in St Ives, changing at Plymouth at some unearthly hour in the morning. I remember one year we got off at Plymouth and got on the next train in from the east. Sadly this was a Manchester-Newquay and not the Paddington-Penzance my dad thought it was. The mistake was only realised after we left Par (no PA in those days!) and in the end we didn't get to St Ives until the early afternoon. A very long trip! The last time we used this train was 1984 but I don't know when it ceased.

 

We used the Paignton train in the mid 80s to get to Dawlish. The first year we used it was 1985 and it was a rake of non air-con Mk2s with a 47. The next year it had changed to one of the HSTs used on the MML. Memorable because one of the two FOs was available at the weekend first rate of £1 extra per person! The last time we caught the Paignton service was 1988 but again I don't know when it ceased.

 

One notable difference was that the Newquay train went via Derby, with a reversal whilst the Paignton train went via Leicester and Nuneaton.

 

ROB

[Guest Phil]

I believe the Nottingham-Bournemouth service is purely marketing led.

 

The set works ECS from Central Rivers with a Birmingham driver and picks the Train Manager up at Derby during the reversal. There are three links of Birmngham drivers who sign Nottingham, two of which are dual trained on voyagers and 170s. The TMs who sign via Leicester as a diversionary route needed to learn Trent Jns - Nottingham for this service.

 

When short of 170s, voyagers have been substituted on the half hourly service, and very occasionally when short of Senior Conductors and a voyager is spare, then one may work.

 

I have also known a 170 start the 0637 off from Nottingham to Birmingham when a Train Manager has rung in sick and there was only a Senior Conductor available.

 

S/Cs and T/Ms have no crossover capability on traction but it is far from unknown for a voyager to work 2D39 1739 BHM-DBY. In fact a Reading based TM traction conducted a New St S/C on a voyager on 2D39 last week !!! Needless to say, coaches have to be locked out of use due to piddly platforms !!!!!