1S76 The Rise and Fall of Cross Country Services to Brighton

INTRODUCTION

Last Updated 18/01/2012

WELCOME to 1S76.com the rise and fall of cross country train services to and from Brighton.

INTRODUCTION:

September 1978 saw a pimply faced youth fresh from 6^th form start work for British Rail at Brighton, in the Old Steine travel centre, or the 'town office' as it was known as a CO1 station relief clerk.

The following year in May 1979 saw the re-introduction of through services from the Midlands to the Sussex Coast and brought daily locomotive haulage back to Brighton to break up the solid diet of EMU’s. Coincidence? I think not! The powers that be must have known I much preferred locos to EMU’s!!!

December 2008 saw the end of these trains. I'm still at work however, now well into the what were the old management MS grades. It has been generally all down hill since Voyagers took over from the class 47’s and Mk2 stock back in 2001, but their ultimate demise is really courtesy of the DfT and Arriva trains who now hold the franchise.

I hope this will be more than just a potted history of those workings from the twice daily start back in 1979 through the optimism of four trains a day in 1986, the often forgotten six trains a day in 2002 and Virgin Trains proposal for an hourly service, ending with the rather half – hearted service that remained at the end.

As they were closely related the Cross Country services to Dover, Folkestone and Ramsgate from 1986 are also included.

If you are able to fill in any gaps or correct any errors supply photos or anything else please don’t hesitate to let me know, email address at the bottom of the page.

Latest updates added 18/1/2012.

Many more picture and paperwork links restored including some new images and the

1986 Cross London launch press pack.

2005 additional paperwork

1986 additional picture

1998 additional picture

The following years are now completely restored:-

1979 - 1985, 1986 - 1988 (pics only), 1991 - 1992 (pics only), 1993, 1994 (pics only), 1995 - 2000,

2001(pics only) and 2004 - 2007.

A filthy 47547 runs into Birmingham New St with the 0920 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly service. Photo taken 27/3/82.

There are over a 300 photos of the cross country services, I am also still looking for more suitable photos, train formations, stock workings, carriage labels and any other information for the website, anything used with be fully acknowledged.

The many photos that have been kindly supplied show the variety of traction that appeared on the trains, currently we have classes 20, 31, 33, 37, 40, 45, 47, 50, 55( yes a Deltic on the Sussex Scot ), 58, 59, 73, 81, 85, 86 and 87. I know of class 56 and 08 haulage so do you have any photos?

Why call the site 1S76? Well 1S76 was the running number of the most well known of the trains from Brighton, it was the northbound Sussex Scot which ran between 1988 and 2002.

Click on the year box to the left for details of timings, routing, traction, stock details and of course pictures. Click on any picture for a larger image. All pictures are copyright the original photographer.

Each page is the timetable year i.e May 1979 to May 1980 up until 2004. The Timetable change was then moved to December to bring it in line with the rest of Europe so 2004 is May to December 2004, 2005 is December 2004 to 2005 and so on.

This is a big project so please be patient, I will update and add to the years as soon as I can.

I Hope you enjoy it.

1979 also saw the restart of a Saturday service to Bristol to add to the existing Saturday service to Exeter and details of these workings will also be added to this website at a later date. How much better are double headed Cromptons than a class 158! and the rumour mill has it that these services are also on borrowed time. I hope to be able to bring you a Westward Ho! page soon.

CONTACT ME:-

If you have any comments, corrections, pictures, stock details, reservation labels or any contribution, you can email me at acg5324ATbtinternet.com.............just substitute @ for AT!

I am especially looking for photos to use of the services north of Birmingham, anything with unusual traction of course and stock workings, pocket timetables carriage labels etc. If you can help the email address is above. Full credit will be given for anything used.

73141 arrives at East Croydon with the 0920 Brighton to Manchester service. Photo taken Autumn 1983. 29 years later I now work in the building on the right with the white facia. No cross country trains and 'ED' s are a rare sight.

Left: 1979 startup leaflet, Merseyside based. Right: Launch leaflet for the 1986 Cross London services

Trivia page started will include fastest, slowest, list of stations served over the years........

Locomotive page will be a list of 'every' recorded loco on a Brighton working...after which I'll go and have a lie down!!!!

Even more photos added including D9000 working the 'Sussex Scot' , many thanks to those contributors.

I have finally got the last GBTT's to fill in the missing timetable data. Continued purchases of WTT has been filling in the gaps in the timetables with the odd ECS moves etc. There are a couple of timetable years incomplete in the 2000's, awaiting the timetables as I cocked up the original data!

The Mk2 search facility is just below this photo........and it works!....well sort of for some strange reason it doesn't always find particular locomotives.

45131 at Gatwick with the 1848 Brighton to Derby XC service summer 1985. There was just time to ride this train to Gatwick, leg it upstairs into the airport for a pint and then back down to the platform for the 1620 Manchester to Brighton service. Bliss!

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Acknowledgements:-

All photos are copyright the author unless otherwise marked.

Many thanks to the following for supplying photos:-

John Atkinson

Neil Harvey

Mark Shipman

Richard Boyd