5 ms·

Splitting for different destinations also seems useful. If one is to walk the transfer time must be that of the slowest passengers. I lose 2 times 20 min like t

Splitting for different destinations also seems useful. If one is to walk the transfer time must be that of the slowest passengers. I lose 2 times 20 min like that twice per day.

cup-of-tea 8y ago
Many trains in Europe split up and go in different directions. It's something you have to be aware of so you don't end up on the wrong one.
- lgregg 8y ago
  I was on a sleeper train a few years ago that would detach cars as it went along.
  - isostatic 8y ago
    The Scottish sleepers detach en route, you leave London and some coaches go to Fort William, some to Inverness, some to Aberdeen. The later train does Edinburgh and Glasgow. One of the few (only?) loco hauled splits in tr UK. DMU and EMU splits are very common - both ones where half the train terminates short (e.g. London to Birmingham via Northampton, or London to Holyhead via Chester), or they go to different locations.
    - Symbiote 8y ago
      The effect of the northern Scotland sleeper splitting, but being pulled by a locomotive, is the train reverses at Glasgow. I found I woke travelling in the opposite direction, with the sun streaming through the now East-facing window.
      - isostatic 8y ago
        I think it depends on the day, sometimes th train runs via the west coast, sometimes via the east coast
    - lgregg 8y ago
      I'm not sure about the specifics, but it would drop cars in the station on the route. It was from Amsterdam to Prague via Berlin. This was back in 2013, so I'm not sure if things have changed.
- zimpenfish 8y ago
  Reasonably frequent for London trains heading to the coast (e.g. Brighton)
  - tialaramex 8y ago
    The phrase in announcements for these trains will be e.g. "This train divides at Southampton. Passengers for stations to Poole should be in the front 5 cars of the train". Because (as described below) these trains are actually constructed from Multiple Units, the train can only be sub-divided if it in fact consists of two or more smaller trains, for example 450s come in multiples of 4 so a 12 car train could divide into three. Some designs offset the driver's cab so that a gangway for passengers fits through the "nose" of the train when it's connected. In other designs you must leave the train and walk along a platform to pass the point where the trains are joined.
    - linker3000 8y ago
      On one UK journey from Portsmouth to Preston (Virgin Trains on Sundays), the train would divide en route and the rear half continue to Preston and the front half would go to Manchester. One time, the conductor announced - several times during the first part of the journey - that due to an electrical fault in the rear half of the train (no lights), that part would go to the depot in Manchester, and the front would go to Preston, so when the train stopped for splitting, please would everybody swap carriages and make sure they were in the right half. Needless to say, a few minutes after our section was on its way to Preston, a few fretful discussions that included the phrase "...didn't you hear the announcements?..." could be heard, followed by the odd expletive. On another occasion, my train left London Victoria for (I think) Brighton, Bognor Regis and Southampton Central (a double split to make 3 x 4 coach trains), and the announcement went something like... "This is the xxx train to Brighton, Bognor Regis and Southampton Central. Due to a fault, this train is composed of 10 coaches instead of 12. This train divides on route so please make sure you are in the correct part of the train; the front 4 coaches will call at....the rear 4 coaches will call at....and the middle 4...oh we've only got 10..oh, how are we going to do this...erm...hang on I'll have to have a think about this...." I don't recall the outcome!

Splitting for different destinations also seems useful. If one is to walk the transfer time must be that of the slowest passengers. I lose 2 times 20 min like that twice per day.

cup-of-tea 8y ago

Many trains in Europe split up and go in different directions. It's something you have to be aware of so you don't end up on the wrong one.

lgregg 8y ago
I was on a sleeper train a few years ago that would detach cars as it went along.
- isostatic 8y ago
  The Scottish sleepers detach en route, you leave London and some coaches go to Fort William, some to Inverness, some to Aberdeen. The later train does Edinburgh and Glasgow. One of the few (only?) loco hauled splits in tr UK. DMU and EMU splits are very common - both ones where half the train terminates short (e.g. London to Birmingham via Northampton, or London to Holyhead via Chester), or they go to different locations.
  - Symbiote 8y ago
    The effect of the northern Scotland sleeper splitting, but being pulled by a locomotive, is the train reverses at Glasgow. I found I woke travelling in the opposite direction, with the sun streaming through the now East-facing window.
    - isostatic 8y ago
      I think it depends on the day, sometimes th train runs via the west coast, sometimes via the east coast
  - lgregg 8y ago
    I'm not sure about the specifics, but it would drop cars in the station on the route. It was from Amsterdam to Prague via Berlin. This was back in 2013, so I'm not sure if things have changed.
zimpenfish 8y ago
Reasonably frequent for London trains heading to the coast (e.g. Brighton)
- tialaramex 8y ago
  The phrase in announcements for these trains will be e.g. "This train divides at Southampton. Passengers for stations to Poole should be in the front 5 cars of the train". Because (as described below) these trains are actually constructed from Multiple Units, the train can only be sub-divided if it in fact consists of two or more smaller trains, for example 450s come in multiples of 4 so a 12 car train could divide into three. Some designs offset the driver's cab so that a gangway for passengers fits through the "nose" of the train when it's connected. In other designs you must leave the train and walk along a platform to pass the point where the trains are joined.
  - linker3000 8y ago
    On one UK journey from Portsmouth to Preston (Virgin Trains on Sundays), the train would divide en route and the rear half continue to Preston and the front half would go to Manchester. One time, the conductor announced - several times during the first part of the journey - that due to an electrical fault in the rear half of the train (no lights), that part would go to the depot in Manchester, and the front would go to Preston, so when the train stopped for splitting, please would everybody swap carriages and make sure they were in the right half. Needless to say, a few minutes after our section was on its way to Preston, a few fretful discussions that included the phrase "...didn't you hear the announcements?..." could be heard, followed by the odd expletive. On another occasion, my train left London Victoria for (I think) Brighton, Bognor Regis and Southampton Central (a double split to make 3 x 4 coach trains), and the announcement went something like... "This is the xxx train to Brighton, Bognor Regis and Southampton Central. Due to a fault, this train is composed of 10 coaches instead of 12. This train divides on route so please make sure you are in the correct part of the train; the front 4 coaches will call at....the rear 4 coaches will call at....and the middle 4...oh we've only got 10..oh, how are we going to do this...erm...hang on I'll have to have a think about this...." I don't recall the outcome!