It's interesting that XCountry _still_ don't manage any stations. After privatisation, they were the sole operator to call at Burton-on-Trent, but that was the only station that they had exclusively to themselves and so it kind of made sense that the "main" intercity operator on the London axis would manage the stations. But since they took over the Turbostar services from Central Trains, way back when, they now have about a dozen stations where they are either the sole operator or they run the vast majority of services - so it really is quite strange that East and West Midlands are both running stations that they don't serve at all or barely serve.
Surely it makes total sense that if there's only a handful of stations - it would NOT be cost effective for Xcountry to have a department dedicated to station management. Much more cost effective for TOCs which manage nearby stations to also manage the few Xcountry exclusive stations.
Cross Country have really rationalised their route since 2020 - unless you're travelling at a specific time of day or on the core West Country-Scotland route it's quite hard to avoid changing in Birmingham now, which never used to be the case as there were frequent Reading-Newcastle/Bournemouth-Manchester trains which extended further north on occasions.
5:55 EMR don’t operate any Voyagers, though they do operate the comparable Class 222 Meridians and Class 180 Adelantes (the former of which are likely to go to XC, with the latter’s future uncertain, though being transferred to GC seems like a likely outcome)
@Adelante077 The EMR Meridian's will not be going to CrossCountry for that exact reason. The most likely is the Super Voyagers from Avanti but with the tilting disabled as their replacement class 805's start to enter service.
Hey, I've been watching this series a lot and I was wondering if you could do one of the following 3: Scot rail, Trans pennine or LNER. They are very interesting.
@@ashleyrabot Yeah, personally I do find both interesting but since thameslink follows the Brighton mainline and the East Coast mainline and a few other routes. Although I've never actually been on a tpe train, they seem very interesting.
Basically, the easiest way to remember Cross Country services is that most trains terminates or run through Birmingham New Street, the busiest station in the UK outside of London.
@@Alex-eo9rh It now looks likely that Grand Central will be taking 10 of AWC's Voyagers to replace the 180s, and CrossCountry has announced they're retiring the HSTs without replacement. There's still 10 Voyagers up for grabs eventually though, and the 27 class 222s when EMR releases them as well.
It's a shame you didn't wait until May to do this as the timetable will be uplifted, with the Manchester-Bristol and Manchester - Bournemouth services returning to hourly
They need to Bring back services to Manchester from Brighton- via Hayward's Heath - either reading via redhill or Croydon and clapham junction, Kensington Olympia, reading Joining GWR Mainline - continuing the reading to Manchester line via oxford banbury and Coventry etc. In 2007 late 2008 they cut the service's so sad
Right now, there are temporary services that serve Didcot Parkway to Reading, Southampton Ctl and Bournemouth. The Reading services only serve Reading (but I have seen one stop at Pangbourne) Southampton Ctl services are one of the most rare and possibly the most wild services in the country; that only stop at Reading, Guildford and Southampton Ctl. And Bournemouth services continue as usual stopping at; Reading, Basingstoke, Winchester (0.5tph), Eastleigh (rare), Southampton Airport Pkway, Southampton Ctl, Brockenhurst (uncommon) and Bournemouth. There is a permenant fixture of CrossCountry services calling at Didcot Parkway on sundays only
@@georgedowns4034 I have seen it as well as it is still listed as a service in the Working Timetable and they still carry passengers. It was Brought back in the May 2022 Timetable change.
No it isn’t. It isn’t even listed on the timetable! Not even in the notes section! It is shown on the map on the XC timetable booklet but it also shows stations which they don’t even call at anymore (such as Ladybank.)
CrossCountry could add few more extra routes such as Stansted Airport-Cardiff Central via Birmingham New Street, Leeds/Sheffield-Stansted Airport via Nottingham/Peterborough. And maybe introduce new services from Norwich to Cardiff, Leeds and Birmingham New Street. They also used to operate down to Portsmouth Harbour and Brighton from Manchester Piccadilly and Newcastle before it was stopped.
@@georgedowns4034Crewe is a major station with lots of trains stopping at it so it seems weird of XC to have a limited amount of trains stopping there.
It's interesting that XCountry _still_ don't manage any stations. After privatisation, they were the sole operator to call at Burton-on-Trent, but that was the only station that they had exclusively to themselves and so it kind of made sense that the "main" intercity operator on the London axis would manage the stations. But since they took over the Turbostar services from Central Trains, way back when, they now have about a dozen stations where they are either the sole operator or they run the vast majority of services - so it really is quite strange that East and West Midlands are both running stations that they don't serve at all or barely serve.
Similar with water orton - they’re the only company stopping there yet I think Avanti own it or west misdlands maybe
@@learningoogauge3452 It’s managed by West Midlands Railway.
Surely it makes total sense that if there's only a handful of stations - it would NOT be cost effective for Xcountry to have a department dedicated to station management. Much more cost effective for TOCs which manage nearby stations to also manage the few Xcountry exclusive stations.
Cross Country have really rationalised their route since 2020 - unless you're travelling at a specific time of day or on the core West Country-Scotland route it's quite hard to avoid changing in Birmingham now, which never used to be the case as there were frequent Reading-Newcastle/Bournemouth-Manchester trains which extended further north on occasions.
5:55 EMR don’t operate any Voyagers, though they do operate the comparable Class 222 Meridians and Class 180 Adelantes (the former of which are likely to go to XC, with the latter’s future uncertain, though being transferred to GC seems like a likely outcome)
@Adelante077 The EMR Meridian's will not be going to CrossCountry for that exact reason. The most likely is the Super Voyagers from Avanti but with the tilting disabled as their replacement class 805's start to enter service.
When you’ve done current TOCs could hou do historical steam companies/BR regions/sectors?
Cross Country actually run a once a week service from Aberdeen to Penzance as well as the daily services from Edinburgh
Hey, I've been watching this series a lot and I was wondering if you could do one of the following 3: Scot rail, Trans pennine or LNER. They are very interesting.
Thameslink and Transpennie are next on my list but we'll defo get to them all!
@@ashleyrabot Yeah, personally I do find both interesting but since thameslink follows the Brighton mainline and the East Coast mainline and a few other routes. Although I've never actually been on a tpe train, they seem very interesting.
Please do Scotrail or EMR (love all the other ones)
Do the Class 222s count as Voyagers? Those are the only EMR trains I've heard linked with CrossCountry...
And Avanti West Coast Class 221 which are to be replaced by the Class 805 Bi-Mode and cascaded to Crosscountry or to be stored and unused.
I love this series
Hi, you missed a once a day service from Bristol Temple Meads (at 06:23) to Stansted Airport - I don’t know if this runs every day or just weekdays.
Great to see you making rail content again!
Basically, the easiest way to remember Cross Country services is that most trains terminates or run through Birmingham New Street, the busiest station in the UK outside of London.
What about Crewe.?
@@paulinecabbed1271 only 1 run through crewe a day
I remember taking a CrossCountry train from Plymouth to Dundee. That was a long journey, lol.
The longest cross country service is aberdeen to penzance covering over 700 miles and taken just over 13 hours to do the service
It is heavily rumored CrossCountry may get Avant West Coast’s Voyagers after their replacement, likely to allow the retirement of the HST sets.
And give us some much needed additional space
@@Alex-eo9rh It now looks likely that Grand Central will be taking 10 of AWC's Voyagers to replace the 180s, and CrossCountry has announced they're retiring the HSTs without replacement. There's still 10 Voyagers up for grabs eventually though, and the 27 class 222s when EMR releases them as well.
It's a shame you didn't wait until May to do this as the timetable will be uplifted, with the Manchester-Bristol and Manchester - Bournemouth services returning to hourly
Where did u get this info from plz???
@@georgedowns4034 its on RTT
I went on crosscountry between Banbury and York. Put me back £375
i think you'll find that Aberdeen to Penzance is longer its 13 hours but it rarely runs due to the duration of the time 😁
XCountry has not removed services from Guildford, they actually still continue to this day.
Why does cross country get so much bad press and there first class price is insane 😳
They need to Bring back services to Manchester from Brighton- via Hayward's Heath - either reading via redhill or Croydon and clapham junction, Kensington Olympia, reading Joining GWR Mainline - continuing the reading to Manchester line via oxford banbury and Coventry etc. In 2007 late 2008 they cut the service's so sad
Can you do southern next please
Right now, there are temporary services that serve Didcot Parkway to Reading, Southampton Ctl and Bournemouth.
The Reading services only serve Reading (but I have seen one stop at Pangbourne)
Southampton Ctl services are one of the most rare and possibly the most wild services in the country; that only stop at Reading, Guildford and Southampton Ctl.
And Bournemouth services continue as usual stopping at; Reading, Basingstoke, Winchester (0.5tph), Eastleigh (rare), Southampton Airport Pkway, Southampton Ctl, Brockenhurst (uncommon) and Bournemouth.
There is a permenant fixture of CrossCountry services calling at Didcot Parkway on sundays only
That’s a huge franchise!
The service to Stansted from Birmingham is awful on a Saturday
Its not called Southampton its called Southampton Central
Crosscountry still has the guilford services they do it once a day
The Guilford services still run.
No they don't- they haven't since like early 2020. Wat makes u think they do?
@@georgedowns4034 I have seen it as well as it is still listed as a service in the Working Timetable and they still carry passengers. It was Brought back in the May 2022 Timetable change.
No it isn’t. It isn’t even listed on the timetable! Not even in the notes section! It is shown on the map on the XC timetable booklet but it also shows stations which they don’t even call at anymore (such as Ladybank.)
The Birmingham to Paignton starts at manchester
CrossCountry could add few more extra routes such as Stansted Airport-Cardiff Central via Birmingham New Street, Leeds/Sheffield-Stansted Airport via Nottingham/Peterborough.
And maybe introduce new services from Norwich to Cardiff, Leeds and Birmingham New Street. They also used to operate down to Portsmouth Harbour and Brighton from Manchester Piccadilly and Newcastle before it was stopped.
@3:09 only a very limited number of services call at ... Crewe ... wtf ?!
Wat is wrong with that?
@@georgedowns4034Crewe is a major station with lots of trains stopping at it so it seems weird of XC to have a limited amount of trains stopping there.
@DisappointingMarbleRaces most go via Stoke & Crewe tbh has enough services. I hardly think more XC services would make that much difference...