Wandsworth Road to Ealing Broadway Ghost Train: Current Information

[bubbleburster]

This is one for the rail buffs as l get conflicting information when I google and a friend turned up on the platform a few days ago and it didn't show. He pressed information button and they said it doesn't run and there is not a rail replacement coach either which has run in the past. This would be in breach of the company's obligation to cover this section since the withdrawal over the section of an inter-regional passenger service to Brighton that used to run. This matter of a replacement service has even been discussed in the House of Lords as Lady Hanran is on the case.

[dzug2]

Southern's site (and TfL's) shows it running to Kensington Olympia only at 1612. Return journey at 1004. Doesn't run at weekends

The Ealing Broadway bit doesn't seem to run - whether there's still a weekly bus - no idea.

No company has the obligation to run this service - it is up to the rail regulator to find a company willing to run it.

[bubbleburster]

Thank you for that information dzug2. I went to Southern Railway website and managed to get it up on the screen. If you are a railway lover you may know how important these rare workings are to us. :)))

[dzug2]

Did your friend go on the wrong day or at the wrong time - or was he thrown by it going to Kensington only?

Today it's shown as predicted to leave on time from platform 1.

[bubbleburster]

dzug2, I've emailed JS to find out more information and will post when I hear back.

[bubbleburster]

Hello dzug2, JS has replied that on a very recent non-weekend day he and an off duty railwayman he spoke to were both waiting on information received on the northbound (or Victoria facing) platform at Wandsworth Road for an 1157 departure to Kensington Olympia and Ealing Broadway. They waited until 1227 when a Victoria to London Bridge 2-car EMU arrived bound for Victoria.

[dzug2]

Very odd - the intention is to extend it to Ealing Broadway when well I'm not sure when. And the times might well be different when it does happen.

maybe that's imminent and there's been a hitch.

[bubbleburster]

A friend JS has found the ghost train after some conderatble effort and bagged a ride on it. The details he's sent for those interested are as follows. The journey was on Tuesday 18th January and from Wandsworth Road on the 16.12 Southern class 455, no 5826, 4 car EMU, which on arrival at Kenny O becomes a normal service providing the peak hours shuttle to and from Clapham Junction, so returned to CJ, where the friendly lady guard provided me some of the missing info, including that at Wandsworth Rd it arrives empty from depot, so Selhurst depot I think, and in the morning on the one way from KennyO to WRd there is no onward diagram, she said it had been operating for about six months so in practice that probably means sindce the May timetable.

[bubbleburster]

For those interested here is another posting from JS on another London ghost train he has traced and travelled on from Paddington to High Wycombe. I understand it's purpose is for driver diversion training. "The second Parliamentary was on Thursday 27th January and the 11.36 Paddington to High Wycombe (from platform 14, thats the last GW platform adjacent to the Hammersmith & City line island platform 15 & 16 and accessed by a very circuitous route into the previoulsy inaccessible space under the third roof span, passing on the way the new(ish) Heathrow Connect platforms). The route of course uses the Old Oak to South Ruislip section much of which has been singled and what appears to be a very complicated realignment connecting up at South Ruislip to the split/burrowing junction there from Neasden and Marylebone. Arrival time at HW is 12.19 and the 2 car unit (though the previous week on my Ealing/Greenford/W.Ruislip/222 bus circular it was 3 cars) is diagrammed to return in service to Marylebone dep.High Wycombe at 12.30. It reaches Paddington as empty from Old Oak yard. "