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

INTRODUCTION

Last Updated 01/01/2009

WELCOME,

1S76 has gone dotcom! The site has moved here as I was rapidly running out of space sponging off the back of the Brighton MRC website. Hope you like the new home, it still needs a few tweaks but hopefully it is clearer and easier to use.

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.

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, Its 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 remains. 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 please don’t hesitate to let me know, email address at the bottom of the page.

There are over a 160 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, 58, 59, 73, 81, 85, 86 and 87. I know of class 56 and 08 haulage so do you have any photos?

47234 at Mill Road Patcham with the 1520 Brighton to Manchester, a MkII TSO in the formation was not common at this stage.

Why call the site 1S76? Well 1S76 is probably the most well known of the trains from Brighton it was "The Sussex Scot" which ran from 1988 to 2002.

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.

Click on the year box to the left for details of timings, routing, traction, stock details and of course pictures. If there is no link the year has yet to be started. Click on any picture for a larger image.

Each page is the timetable year i.e May 1979 to May 1980 apart from the last few years as the Timetable change was moved to December to bring it in line with the rest of Europe.

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.

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 etc. If you can help the email address is above. Full credit given for anything used.

Latest updates 1/1/09

2008:- Some details for the final day added , awaiting photos from my surrogate traveller! The XC services may be finished as far as rail is concerned but because the Brighton trains were the only passengers services over certain lines and no closure notices have been posted there is a surprise

Extra photos added to many years, many thanks to those contributors.

2005 Timetable finally started

The search facility didn't work so I have removed it to see why it didn't search!

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

Paul Wesley

Michael J Collins