Inter regional loco hauled services from Brighton 2001

2001 would see the end of the loco hauled trains. Virgin Voyagers were being delivered a rapid rate of knots and would soon take over from some very tired class 47's.

Voyagers started operating from the 22nd June 2001. Full Voyager service on the Brighton line started on the 26th November 2001.

Voyager 220022 was named "Brighton Voyager" at Brighton station on the 14th December 2001 by Councillor Harry Steer, Mayor of Brighton.

Friday the 23rd of November 2001 saw the penultimate loco hauled departure from Brighton with 47851 in two tone green livery hauling the train, 47747 was on the rear. This trip was filmed as a cab ride between Brighton and Birmingham. It now remastered on DVD great DVD picture quality isn't brilliant but the sound makes up for it!

A revolution in long-distance train services will open up the rest of the country to Sussex rail travellers. The ordeal of taking a crowded Tube across the capital to connect with trains heading to the North will be replaced by frequent 125mph straight-through services from Brighton. Under the transformation, more cross-country train services will be introduced, giving Sussex a two-hourly link to the North-West.

Virgin Trains plans to increase the number of trains it runs from Brighton to Manchester and Liverpool with a two-hourly weekday service to at least one of the two cities in 2003.

The rail company has been impressed with demand for its services from Brighton to Manchester via Reading, Oxford, Birmingham and Stafford. Two trains from Brighton leaving at 9.20am and 2.18pm make the journey each weekday, taking six hours. One of the trains, the Sussex Scot, continues on to Edinburgh in one of the longest continuous rail journeys in Britain today.

Virgin's Jim Rowe said: "There is a demand for more cross-country routes, especially between Brighton and North-West England. There is also a strong demand for services between Oxford, Gatwick and Brighton. It seems people do not want to spend time negotiating the Underground and prefer to stay on one train in comfortable surroundings. We believe the demand is there for more routes where travellers do not have to use the Underground. "

"In 2003 we hope to be able to offer a two-hourly link to either Manchester or Liverpool. We hope to be able to speed up the journeys on our new trains." Exact timetabling and the frequency of the additional service have yet to be announced. The new services will be operated by Voyager trains capable of 125 mph.

The "historic" services remain largely unaltered apart from the Sunday service from Glasgow now ran via Manchester Piccadilly. Several new trains were introduced giving very early and late departures from Gatwick to Birmingham mainly via Guildford. In the reverse direction the late trains ran through to Brighton. As the Voyagers were based at the EWS depot at Three Bridges rather than Lovers Walk overnight there was a lot of ECS moves.

The Sussex Scot was formed of two Voyager units which meant double the traincrew.

Sundays saw a near hourly service operating between Redhill and Birmingham New Street via Guildford, but with just a 15 minute turnaround there was not much chance of recovering any late running.

Invariably a class 47/8 or 47/7 south of Preston with class 86/2's north of. The class 47's were long past there best and were becoming increasingly unreliable. A few class 47/7's popped up from time to time.

The standard 7 car Mk2F XC sets reigned supreme. Formation BSO TSO TSO TSO TSO TSO RLF. Until the Voyagers took over. Both trains to Brighton were normally formed of 2 x 4 car 220 units.

PHOTOS:

	47747 'Respublica' approaches Leyland with 1S76 the 0920 Brighton to Edinburgh, 'The Sussex Scot' Photo taken 7th June 2001. Photographer S.Withers / Authors collection.
	47845 "County of Kent" passes Acton Mainline station with 1S76 the 0920 Brighton to Edinburgh service. The Sussex Scot" Photo taken 7th July 2001. Photographer unknown / Authors collection.
	47806 heads 1M50 the 1418 Brighton to Manchester service at Smitham. The overgrown area to the right is the former Coulsdon North station site, now covered in a new road. Photo taken 11th July 2001. Photographer Mark Shipman Used with permission.
	47712 passes Smitham with 1S76 the 0920 Brighton to Edinburgh. "The Sussex Scot". Photo taken 12th July 2001. Photographer Mark Shipman Used with permission.
	86222 waits at Carlisle to depart with 1O90 the 1040 Edinburgh to Brighton 'Sussex Scot' a Royal Mail class 325 sits in one of the middle roads. Photo taken 28th July 2001 Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	47849 ' Bangor Cathedral' arrives at Preston with 1S76 the 0920 Brighton to Edinburgh ' Sussex Scot' Photo taken 1st August 2001. Photographer Stan Withers /Authors collection. Used with permission.
	47854 clags away from Reading with 1O66 the 0715 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton. Photo taken 7th August 2001 Photographer Shaun C. Used with permission.
	47829 waits at Reading with 1S76 the 0920 Brighton to Edinburgh alongside one of those new fangled Voyager things. Photo taken 7th August 2001 Photographer Shaun C. Used with permission.
	47849_arrives at Kensington Olympia with 1O66 0715 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton Photo taken 8th August 2001 Photographer Rowan Crawshaw. Used with permission.
	47848 "Newton Abbot Festival of Transport" passes West Drayton with 1O66 the 0708 Manchester to Brighton service. Photo taken 18th August 2001. Photographer unknown / Authors collection.
	47822 " Pride of Shrewsbury" at platform 6 Brighton having just brought in 1O66 the 0708 from Manchester Piccadilly. Photo taken 30th August 2001. Photographer Richard Boyd. Used with permission.
	86222 arrives at Carlisle with 1090 the southbound 'Sussex Scot' Photo taken 11th October 2001. Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	47829 is captured at Crewe with 1S76 0918 Brighton to Edinburgh the 'Sussex Scot' Photo taken 12th October 2001. Photographer Rowan Crawshaw. Used with permission.
	86258 'Talyllyn - The First Preserved Railway' captured at Carlisle with 1090 the southbound 'Sussex Scot' . Photo taken 9th November 2001. Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	86258 'Talyllyn - The First Preserved Railway' once again captured at Carlisle with 1090 the southbound 'Sussex Scot' . Photo taken 24th November 2001. Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	47828 waits for the off at Crewe with 1S76 the 0920 Brighton to Edinburgh, the 'Sussex Scot'. Photographer Rowan Crawshaw. Used with permission.
	The new order at Reading, 222023 waits at Reading with a Gatwick to Birmingham service. Photo taken 4th December 2001. Photographer Bob Foster Used with permission.
	Unit 220022 was named 'Brighton Voyager' on the 14th December 2001. Photographer Steve Carter Used with permission.
	Unit 220022 was named 'Brighton Voyager' on the 14th December 2001. This recently acquired unfitted 'spare' nameplate has arrived at www.1S76.com
	220022 'Brighton Voyager' and 220032 head south with 1O90 the 1040 Edinburgh to Brighton the 'Sussex Scot' This service was usually two units through to Brighton. Photo taken 2nd January 2002. Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	220010 was by itself when working 1O90 the 1040 Edinburgh to Brighton the 'Sussex Scot' Photo taken 14th February 2002. Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	220019 and 220014 depart Carlisle with 1O90 the 1040 Edinburgh to Brighton the 'Sussex Scot' Photo taken 24th March 2002. Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	Arriving at Leamington Spa are Voyagers 220024 and 220010 with 1S76 the 0920 Brighton to Edinburgh. Photo taken 10th April 2002. Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	Carlisle station and 221113 and 221116 arrive with the southbound Sussex Scot the 1040 Departure from Edinburgh to Brighton. Photo taken 6th May 2002. Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	A carriage label for the Redhill to Birmingham New Street Sunday services. Supplied by Steve Carter.