Named train services: Difference between revisions

From Bradshaw, the companion guide to On Our Lines
(→‎Great Western Railway: comprehensive update)
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Britain has a long history of '''named train services''', dating back to the very earliest days of the railways. Names were traditionally given to high profile express passenger services, such as those with expedited journey times or limited stopping patterns.
Britain has a long history of '''named train services''', dating back to the very earliest days of the railways. Names were traditionally given to high profile express passenger services, such as those with expedited journey times or limited stopping patterns.


Named trains have fallen out of favour in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, but a handful of services retain names, officially or otherwise.
Named trains fell out of favour following the COVID-19 pandemic and withdrawal of the traditional [[High Speed Train]], but have started to see a resurgence during the mid-2020s, including more prominence in timetables and on passenger information displays.


''All trains operate Mondays to Fridays only unless otherwise noted.''
''All trains operate Mondays to Fridays only unless otherwise noted.''

Latest revision as of 14:53, 11 July 2024

Britain has a long history of named train services, dating back to the very earliest days of the railways. Names were traditionally given to high profile express passenger services, such as those with expedited journey times or limited stopping patterns.

Named trains fell out of favour following the COVID-19 pandemic and withdrawal of the traditional High Speed Train, but have started to see a resurgence during the mid-2020s, including more prominence in timetables and on passenger information displays.

All trains operate Mondays to Fridays only unless otherwise noted.

East Midlands Railway[edit | edit source]

East Midlands Railway operates six named trains every week day - three in the morning and three in the evening, in peak direction only.

Name Headcode Departure time Departure station Arrival time Arrival station Notes
Sheffield Continental[1] 1C05 0458 Sheffield 0709 London St Pancras Operates in one direction only
Robin Hood[2] 1B19 0640 Lincoln 0927 London St Pancras
1D63 1735 London St Pancras 1913 Nottingham
Master Cutler[3] 1C20 0734 Sheffield 0939 London St Pancras
1F60 1702 London St Pancras 1917 Sheffield
South Yorkshireman[4] 1F65 1802 London St Pancras 2002 Sheffield Operates in one direction only

Great Western Railway[edit | edit source]

Great Western Railway (GWR) traditionally operated a large number of named train services, however all, with the exception of the Night Riviera sleeper service ceased to be named with the withdrawal of InterCity 125 High Speed Trains in 2019. In May 2023 a new named train service, the Flying Carolean, was reportedly introduced between London Paddington and Swansea, however it is unclear whether this related to the naming of the service or the naming of the class 802 Intercity Express Train, and the train had ceased operating by December 2023.

In a welcome development, named trains returned to GWR in June 2024, including labelling and announcing the named services on passenger information displays across the network. This makes GWR the largest operator of named train services, reviving the erstwhile tradition.

Trains denoted with an asterisk (*) also convey Pullman Dining.

Name Headcode Departure time Departure station Arrival time Arrival station Notes
The Golden Hind 1A73 0503 Penzance 0955 London Paddington
1C92 1803 London Paddington 2259 Penzance
The Cathedrals Express 1P02 0523 Hereford 0824 London Paddington
1W03 1734 London Paddington 2025 Hereford
The Armada 1A71 0555 Plymouth 0859 London Paddington Does not operate on Fridays
1C94* 1904 London Paddington 2218 Plymouth

FO: Penzance

The Capitals United 1L06 0558 Swansea 0846 London Paddington
1B27* 1748 London Paddington 2154 Carmarthen Pullman Dining to Swansea
The Bristolian 1A06 0624 Weston-super-Mare 0829 London Paddington
1C27 1801 London Paddington 1936 Bristol Temple Meads
The Devon Express 1C70 0703 London Paddington 1016 Paignton
1A98 1904 Paignton 2229 London Paddington
Y Cymro - The Welshman 1L10 0720 Swansea 1014 London Paddington
1B30 1848 London Paddington 2138 Swansea
The Red Dragon 1L12 0723 Carmarthen 1112 London Paddington Operates in one direction only; The Carolean Express is corresponding westbound service
The Cheltenham Spa Express 1G07 0832 London Paddington 1031 Cheltenham Spa
1L80 1459 Cheltenham Spa 1658 London Paddington
Flying Carolean 1B07 0848 London Paddington 1130 Swansea Operates in one direction only; The Red Dragon is corresponding eastbound service
The Pembroke Coast Express 1C74 0904 London Paddington 1348 Pembroke Dock Operates on Saturdays only
1L20 1000 Pembroke Dock 1512 London Paddington
The Atlantic Coast Express 1C74 0904 London Paddington 1422 Newquay
SX: 1A94
SO: 1A86
SX: 1455
SO: 1120
Newquay SX: 2023
SO: 1629
London Paddington
The Torbay Express SX: 1C75
SO: 1C77
SX: 0937
SO: 1035
London Paddington SX: 1239
SO: 1347
Paignton
SX: 1A87
SO: 1A77
SX: 1355
SO: 0855
Paignton SX: 1707
SO: 1208
London Paddington
Cotswolds & Malvern Express 1W01 0952 London Paddington 1246 Hereford
1P06 1518 Hereford 1829 London Paddington
The Cornish Riviera 1C76 1003 London Paddington SX: 1500
SO: 1509
Penzance Does not operate on Fridays
SX: 1A84
SO: 1A83
SX: 1020
SO: 1015
Penzance SX: 1527
SO: 1529
London Paddington
The Saint David 1B11 1048 London Paddington 1332 Swansea
1L20 1127 Carmarthen 1515 London Paddington Pullman Dining from Swansea
The Royal Duchy 1A88 SX: 1215
SO: 1218
Penzance SX: 1731
SO: 1729
London Paddington
1C80 1203 London Paddington 1708 Penzance Operates Saturdays only
The Mayflower 1C82* 1303 London Paddington 1612 Plymouth
1A86* 1118 Newquay 1629 London Paddington Pullman Dining from Plymouth
The Cornishman 1C86 1503 London Paddington 2010 Penzance Does not operate on Fridays
SX: 1A96
SO: 1A84
SX: 1615
SO: 1100
Penzance SX: 2124
SO: 1557
London Paddington Pullman Dining from Plymouth weekdays only
Night Riviera 1C50 MFO: 2345

SuO: 2350

London Paddington 0754 Penzance
1A50 MFO: 2145

SuO: 2115

Penzance 0504 London Paddington

London North Eastern Railway[edit | edit source]

London North Eastern Railway (LNER) operates arguably the most prestigious of the remaining named train services, with all having unusual features that set them apart from other trains - for example, The Flying Scotsman is the only LNER service to operate non-stop between Newcastle and London Kings Cross, giving an Anglo-Scottish journey time of just four hours.

The remaining named services are just a handful of those traditionally operated by LNER, with further services denamed as, generally, they have received slower journey times or additional stops added. A new named service, The Carolean Express, was added in May 2023 for the Coronation of King Charles III. All remaining services, except for the West Riding Limited, operate between London and Scotland.

Name Headcode Departure time Departure station Arrival time Arrival station Notes
The Carolean Express[5] 1S13 1100 London Kings Cross 1524 Edinburgh Operates in one direction only; The Flying Scotsman is corresponding southbound service
The Flying Scotsman[6] 1E01 0540 Edinburgh 0940 London London Kings Cross Operates in one direction only; The Carolean Express is corresponding northbound service
The Highland Chieftain[7] SuX: 1E13

SuO: 1E17

SuX: 0755

SuO: 0940

Inverness MFO: 1550

SO: 1549 SuO: 1749

London Kings Cross
1W16 1200 London Kings Cross 2007 Inverness Service operates Monday to Sunday inclusive
The Northern Lights[8] 1E15 SuX: 0952

SuO: 0947

Aberdeen 1648 London Kings Cross
1W11 1000 London Kings Cross 1710 Aberdeen Service operates Monday to Sunday inclusive
West Riding Limited[9] 1A07 0630 Bradford Forster Square 0859 London Kings Cross Operates in one direction only

Transport for Wales[edit | edit source]

Transport for Wales (TfW) do not currently, as of December 2023, operate any named train services on an official basis. However, the Premier Service, operating between Cardiff Central and Holyhead, is still unofficially known by staff, passengers and other stakeholders alike as Y Gerallt Gymro or Gerald of Wales, often shortened to The Gerald. The service was originally introduced at the request of the Welsh Assembly to allow politicians to be able to travel to and from Cardiff for the day, and used class 57 locomotives and mark 3 coaching stock to set it apart from diesel multiple unit-operated trains. Since June 2021, class 67 locomotives and mark 4 coaching stock has been used instead, with three return services now operating on weekdays. Whilst all of these services are considered part of the Premier Service offering, only the first train to Cardiff and last return to Holyhead are rightfully known as Y Gerallt Gymro or Gerald of Wales.

Name Headcode Departure time Departure station Arrival time Arrival station Notes
Y Gerallt Gymro / Gerald of Wales 1V91 0530 Holyhead 0959 Cardiff Central
1W96 1714 Cardiff Central 2143 Holyhead

References[edit | edit source]