Inter regional loco hauled services from Brighton 2008

2008

The End is nigh!

Page last updated 15/09/2011

INTRODUCTION:

December 2008 saw the end of through services from the Sussex Coast to Birmingham and beyond after nearly 30 years. The final years service was very imbalanced to early morning departures northbound. On Sundays there even some ECS moves between Three Bridges depot and Bournemouth and v/v! All services are substantially slower than 30 years earlier largely due to poor pathways on the Brighton line and the Great Western mainline. The promised speed up of services failed to materialise.

TIMETABLE and ROUTE:

Northbound The first two departures from Gatwick are routed via Redhill and Guildford as is the sole Sunday service. The other two trains run via Clapham Junction, Latchmere Junction, Mitre Bridge Junction, West London Junction, Acton Wells Junction and then a slow trundle down the West of England mainline to Reading. The route after Leamington is as per 1979, via Solihull, Bordesley Junction, St Andrews Junction, Proof House Junction and into Birmingham New Street. From Sunday 14th September the 0940 Brighton to Birmingham New Street is now routed via Coventry and Birmingham International.

Southbound routing has no surprises apart from 1O23 Mon to Friday and 1O09 on Saturdays which after Latchmere Junction are routed via Longhedge Junction, Factory Junction, Brixton, Herne Hill, Tulse Hill, Streatham and Streatham Common before regaining the Brighton mainline. This is Parliamentary purposes, as after the withdrawal of the Cross Country services to Kent these are now the only passengers trains over the section of line from Latchmere Junction through to Factory Junction.

Northbound 1M03 is also routed this way on Saturdays from 13th September 2008, presumably due to the route via Guildford being blocked for engineering works.

What happens more often than not is that if the train is late it is routed via Clapham junction to regain time by East Croydon.

9th December 2007 to 13th December 2008	M-S	M-S	M-S	M-S	M-S	M-S	M-S	SUN	SUN	SUN
Headcode	5M02	1M02	5M03	1M03	1M11	1M21	5O23	1M11	1M11	5O23
Notes	F	B	A	B	B	B	G	BC	BE	G
Brighton					0921D	1422	2040	0940	0940	2138
Haywards Heath					0933D			0952	0952
Three Bridges MD	0455		0526				2130			2205
Gatwick	0509	0515	0540	0545	0946	1451		1012	1012
Redhill		0533		0604				1033	1033
Guildford		0600		0651				1102	1102
East Croydon					1009	1509
Kensington Olympia					1037	1536
Reading		0640		0740	1140	1640		1140	1140
Oxford		0706		0806	1206	1706		1207	1207
Banbury		0725		0825	1225	1725		1225	1225
Leamington Spa		0743		0843	1243	1743		1243	1243
Coventry									1303
Birmingham International									1314
Birmingham New Street arr		0818		0918	1318	1818		1315	1330
Birmingham New Street dep		0818				1818
Wolverhampton		0839				1839
Stafford		0854
Stoke		0913				1913
Macclesfield		0932				1932
Stockport		0946				1946
Manchester Piccadilly		1002				2002
A = Forms 1M03 at Gatwick. B = Buffet. C = Until 7th September 2008. D = Saturdays only from 13/9/08 departs Brighton 0915, Haywards Heath 0934. E = From 14th September 2008. F = Forms 1M02 at Gatwick. G = Formed off 1O23.

9th December 2007 to 13th December 2008	M-S	M-S	SO	M-S	SO	M-S	M-S	SO	M-S	M-S	SUN	SUN	SUN	SUN
Headcode	5M11	1O09	1O09	1O23	1O23	1O27	5O27	1O27	1O29	5O29	5M11	1O23	1O29	5O29
Notes:	E	BA	BC	BA	BC	B	F	BC	BA	G	E	BD	BD	DG
Manchester Piccadilly		0754		1454		1654			1754			1555	1655
Stockport		0803		1503		1703			1803			1604	1704
Macclesfield		0816		1516		1716			1816			1616	1716
Congleton		0824		1524		1724			1824
Stoke		0839		1539		1739			1839			1635	1735
Stafford		0857										1653	1753
Wolverhampton		0913		1613		1813			1913			1709	1809
Birmingham New Street arr		0930		1630		1830			1930			1728	1828
Birmingham New Street dep		0933	0933	1633	1633	1833		1833	1933			1733	1833
Leamington Spa		1000	0958	1700	1658	1900		1900	2000			1800	1900
Banbury		1019	1017	1719	1717	1919		1919	2019			1819	1919
Oxford	0540	1042	1041	1742	1741	1942		1942	2042			1843	1943
Reading		1109	1113	1811	1813	2009		2009	2106			1914	2014
Kensington Olympia		1157	1156	1902	1901	2052		2052
East Croydon		1217	1237	1936	1933	2116		2116
Guildford									2133			1954	2050
Redhill						2135		2135	2211			2027	2131
Gatwick		1238	1253	1953	1952	2147	2150	2147	2227	2230		2044	2147	2200
Three Bridges MD	0807						2158			2240	0826			2208
Haywards Heath		1250	1313	2004	2004							2054
Brighton	0855	1315	1337	2030	2028						0903	2113
A = Saturdays until 8th September 2008. B = Buffet C = From 13th September 2008. D = Until 9th September 2008. E = Forms 1M11 at Brighton starts Oxford Down CS MO 10/12/2007 to 28/1/2008. SO starts Three Bridges 0748 arrives Brighton 0842. F = Formed off 1O27. G = Formed off 1O29.

Update 15/9/08 In theory engineering works permitting the last northbound service would have been the 1422 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly on Saturday 13th December and the last southbound service would have been the 1754 Manchester Piccadilly to Gatwick. Cross Country introduced a revised timetable on the 8th of September which has affected the Brighton services.....yes there's less. On Saturday 13th December the last northbound service will be the 1422 departure from Brighton which now only goes as far as New Street. The last southbound service will now be the 1833 New Street to Gatwick. Both are of course subject to engineering work alterations.

There is now no southbound service on a Sunday and most trains on Saturday have been cut back to New Street. The 1754 departure from Manchester has been withdrawn completely on Saturdays.

Update 6/12/08. LAST DAY OF SERVICES 13th December 2008.

XC have done it again. The last day trains to Brighton have been altered....for the worse.

Northbound:- normal Saturday service runs.

Southbound:-

0933 New Street to Brighton runs as booked.

1633 New Street to Brighton terminates at Reading stock then ECS to Eastleigh.

1833 New Street to Gatwick cancelled.

Back in October I booked seats on the 1633 departure through to Brighton so this is not a good move as far as any fare paying passengers are concerned.

But there is a final fling.............well sort of!....Go to the 2009 button

PHOTOS:

	Seen from Mill Road Brighton, Voyager 220008 heads north with 1M21 the 1421 Brighton to Manchester. Photo taken 23rd April 2008 by the Author.
	Just departing Kensington Olympia is an unidentified class 220 whilst working 1M11 the 0921 Brighton to Birmingham New Street. Photo taken 6th June 2008 Photographer Jon Bradley Used with permission.
	In the new XC livery 220022 the former "Brighton Voyager" approaches Nightingale Lane bridge at Burgess Hill whilst working 1M11 the 0921 Brighton to Birmingham New Street. Photo taken 25th July 2008 by the Author.
	220021 approaches Dyke Road Drive Brighton working 1O09 the 0754 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton. Photo taken 20th August 2008 by the Author.
	220023 prepares to leave Brighton working 1M11 the 0921 to Birmingham New Street. Photo taken 29th September 2008. Photographer Neil Bays. Used with permission.
	The Last timetable.
	220030 shortly after arrival at Brighton after working 1O23 the 1454 service from Manchester Piccadilly. Photo taken 29th September 2008. Photographer Neil Bays. Used with permission.
	220023 has just a few miles to go before its final destination. 1O09 the 0754 Manchester to Brighton is running approx 40 minutes as it runs through the cutting between Clayton Tunnel and Mill Road, Patcham. Photo taken 20th October 2008 by the Author.
	220023 yet again working 1O09 the 0754 Manchester to Brighton service leans into the curve on the up slow line through Pangbourne as the 1102 FGW departure to Oxford gets away. Photo taken 21st October 2008 by the Author.
	220025 working 1M11 the 0921 Brighton to Birmingham New Street passes an up FGW service at Tilehurst. Photo taken 21st October 2008 by the Author.
	In bright sunlight 220032 exits Clayton tunnel whilst working 1M21 the 1421 Brighton to Manchester Piccadilly. Photo taken 27th October 2008 Photographer Neil Bays. Used with permission.
	220034 passes the rapidly disappearing Pullman Car Works at Preston Park with 1M21 the 1421 Brighton to Birmingham New Street. Photo taken 28th October 2008 by the Author.
	220014 passes Stoats Nest Junction with 1O09 the 0754 Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton. Photo taken 13th November 2008. Photographer Neil Bays. Used with permission.
	220034 approaches East Croydon with 1O09 the 0754 from Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton. The train currently on time would end up approx 45 minutes late at Haywards Heath due to a major signalling fault in the Hassocks area. The slack timings will see the train just over 30 minutes late into Brighton. Photo taken 18th November 2008 by the Author.
	The Train Manager is about to re-board 220029 forming 1M11 the 0921 Brighton to Birmingham New Street for a nearly RT departure. Photo taken 3rd of December 2008 by the Author. 10 days to go before the service finishes.
	Off the wall at Olympia! Ho ho ho...err bah humbug from Cross Country trains. Shame the nearest you will be to a station served by Cross Country from the 14th December 2008 will be Guildford! Photo taken 3rd December 2008 by the Author.
	Running about 15 minutes late 220005 climbs the bank from the West London line to join the Brighton mainline at Clapham Junction. This is 1O09 the 0754 from Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton. Photo taken 3rd December 2008 by the Author.
	1O09 the 0754 from Manchester Piccadilly to Brighton arrives at Gatwick Airport, just three more days to go until the service finishes and this is nearly the last chance I get to photograph the service. Photo taken 10th of December 2008 by the Author.
	Just two more days to go and 220004 departs Brighton in bright winter sunshine with 1M11 the 0921 Brighton to Birmingham New Street. I am on my way to York for the weekend and this IS the last chance I get to photograph the service after nearly 30 years of operation Photo taken 11th of December 2008 by the Author.
	TRUST print out for 1M02: 0515 Gatwick to Manchester, on the last day of service 13th December 2008. A nice 'Right Time' run all the way.
	In a repeat of December 2007, when the SWT services to Reading and Paignton were withdrawn by the DfT, the weather on the last day of the Birmingham services was grim. It rained or was very overcast most of the day. At Preston Park 1M11 the 0915 from Brighton passes in the gloom. Photographer Keith Carter, used with permission.
	TRUST print out for 1M11: 0915 Brighton to Birmingham New Street, on the last day of service 13th December 2008. 42 minutes late into Birmingham due to flooding in the Reading area.
	Seat reservations for the final services, shame that I couldn't actually make it and that Crosscountry terminated the last train at Reading. I hope there wasn't too many people with through reservations that got caught out by this.
	TRUST print out for 1O09: 0933 Birmingham New Street to Brighton on the last day of service 13th December 2008. Extra padding in the timetable gave a 2 minute early arrival in Brighton at 1330 this is 15 minutes later than the weekday times that are already very slack.
	With 1330 looking like 2330.......1O09 the 0933 from New Street arrives at Brighton. Photographer Keith Carter used with permission.
	What a terrible day for the last cross country departures from Brighton. Photographer Keith Carter used with permission.
	Just over 15 minutes before the last train departs Brighton for Birmingham New Street at 1421 ending 30 years of services from the South East to the Midlands. Photographer Keith Carter, used with permission.
	TRUST print out for 1M21: 1422 Brighton to Birmingham New Street, on the last day of service 13th December 2008. The service kept time on the Southern Region but lost time from Acton with the train eventually arriving at New Street 28 minutes late. GOODBYE.