PRACTICE & PERFORMANCE EXTRA
That Friday feeling
With Avanti running a reduced timetable, Locomotive Services has introduced an additional ‘Friday Charter’ from Crewe to Euston and back to Manchester that includes a nonstop run up to London, as John Heaton FCILT describes.
CREWE station, Friday, August 26: “The train standing at Platform 5 is the 14.29 private charter train to London Euston calling at London Euston only.” The exterior of the train is resplendent, a testimony to its careful preparation, with Driving Van Trailer No. 82139 at the south end, heading nine Mk.3s comprising seven First Open vehicles and two Buffet cars. On the rear is Locomotive Services’s 110mph electric locomotive No. 87002 Royal Sovereign, which next year celebrates its 50th birthday but today is in ex-works condition.
Locomotive Services decided to test the market to see if there is a niche for such a private charter train – not to raid the revenue of route operator Avanti, but to ease the peak weekend pressure being caused by timetable reductions owing to insufficient available Avanti drivers.