1986 - 1987

All Change for Olympia.

Page last updated 01/01/2009

INTRODUCTION:

It was all change in May 1986. It had been decided at long last that Kensington Olympia, which the trains had passed through without stopping for the past six years, had potential as an alternative London destination. In addition it was thought that the ports of Newhaven and Dover had potential so the timetable was completely re-cast and included three trains a day to and from Dover and a daily service to and from Newhaven Marine. The Newhaven train was timed to connect with the overnight ferry to and from  Dieppe which had onward train connections to and from Paris St Lazare.

I have also included from 1986 the workings to Dover which included a rather bizarre Portsmouth & Southsea to Dover Western Docks train on Mondays only.

TIMETABLE and ROUTE:

For the first time trains now served Haywards Heath and Clapham Junction with a few also calling at Redhill.  All services now ran via the West Coast Mainline with locomotive changes at Mitre Bridge. As a result services were speeded up dramatically between end points but at the expense of the Thames Valley stations that were no longer served. Birmingham was also a looser with only one weekday train, but all services northbound called there on Sundays. Southbound there were only two trains with just one on Sundays.

A trip to Newhaven Marine got you some rare track in as the station was only then served by boat trains to and from Victoria. The stock ran ECS to and from Lovers Walk Brighton for servicing.

There was now a buffet service on pretty well every service, certainly south of Birmingham anyway.