Inter regional loco hauled services from Brighton 2002

The summer timetable was the last time "The Sussex Scot" ran, the train was normally formed of 2 class 220 Voyagers, which meant double the crew.

The 30th of September 2002 saw the start of Operation Princess, you can't fault Virgin for blowing their own trumpet even if its often out of tune. With a mass of publicity the new improved Cross Country timetable came into being.

The Brighton line gained 4 trains, northbound only two started from Brighton both going to Manchester. Gatwick gained an early morning train to Liverpool via Olympia along with a lunchtime train to Manchester via Guildford. There was also an afternoon train from Redhill to Manchester via Guildford and an evening train from Gatwick to Birmingham New Street via Guildford. Quite a reasonable spread of services.

Southbound was badly imbalanced to the afternoon and evening. Five services departed Manchester, three ran via Guildford and two via Kensington Olympia. There was also an evening service from Liverpool to Brighton via Olympia. Four services ran through to Brighton, one terminated at Redhill and one at Gatwick. Not sure why the Redhill service terminated where it did as there was more than enough time to reach Gatwick for the 1627 departure.

Summer Sundays saw an almost hourly service between Redhill and Birmingham with just the lunchtime train through from Brighton, this not surprisingly didn't continue with the winter Timetable.

Operation Princess soon started to unravel, the timetable appears not robust enough and any delays soon spiralled, trains were often terminated short of destination. I don't know why this so as certainly the Brighton line trains were no quicker than back in 1979.

As the Voyagers were based overnight at the EWS Depot at Three Bridges there was a lot of ECS working. All the Brighton services ran ECS to Three Bridges with a fresh unit providing the next departure.

The Northbound service is now loaded. Due to the huge number of changes I have had to split it it into M-F, SO and SUN tables. I will upload the southbound services as soon as I have typed them up.

In the Birmingham area all the services now ran via and called at Solihull.....back to future, as this was their route back in 1979 although the trains did not stop at Solihull then. A stop at Congleton was also added to most of the Manchester services.

The Sunday Sussex Scot had an interesting route around the West Midlands as it had a booked call at Nuneaton on certain dates.

PHOTOS:

	Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time, Ben Haslam was this day. 20/6/02 with 8/220 failed at Wivelsfield working 1S76 the 0920 Brighton to Edinburgh. A Class 59 is approaching to assist it to Three Bridges. The loco was nabbed from the Purley aggregate train. The failed train stood in up platform for 3 hours until 1235, combined with a points failure at Keymer Junction when trying to set up single line working, things were a bit nippy on the Brighton line that day! The class 59 approaches having run wrong line from Haywards Heath. Photographer Ben Haslam, Used with Permission.
	Nearly there, the class 59 approaches having run wrong line from Haywards Heath. Photographer Ben Haslam Used with Permission
	The class 59 approaches having run wrong line from Haywards Heath. Photographer Ben Haslam Used with Permission.
	Now then how do we couple these two together! Photographer Ben Haslam Used with Permission.
	More scratching of heads. Photographer Ben Haslam Used with Permission.
	220031 and 220003 pull into Carlisle with 1O90 the 1040 Edinburgh to Brighton the southbound 'Sussex Scot' Photo taken 26th June 2002. Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	Captured at Carlisle is 221105 leading the southbound 'Sussex Scot'. On this day the service was terminating at Banbury due to engineering works. Alongside in the centre road is 66709. Photo taken 13th July 2002. Photographer John Irving. Used with permission.
	220017 and 220024 arrive at Carlisle with 1O40 the 1040 Edinburgh to Brighton 'Sussex Scot'. Photo taken 18th July 2002. Photographer John Irving Used with permission.
	222018 and 220019 arrive at Carlisle with 1O40 the 1040 Edinburgh to Brighton 'Sussex Scot'. A rake of six nice shinny new KAA flat wagons sit in the through lines. Photo taken 26th July 2002. Photographer John Irving Used with permission.