 Down Cathedrals Express at Maidenhead in July 1959, hauled by Castle class 5071 Spitfire | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Passenger train |
| First service | 16 September 1957 |
| Last service | 12 June 1965 |
| Former operator(s) | British Railways |
| Route | |
| Termini | London Paddington Hereford |
| Distance travelled | 152 miles (245 km) |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Line(s) used | Cotswold Line |
The Cathedrals Express was a named passenger express introduced in 1957 on the Western Region of British Railways. It connected the cathedral cities of Hereford and Worcester to London Paddington.[1]
The service started on 16 September 1957 and was operated six days a week. It departed Hereford at 07:45 with the return service leaving Paddington at 16:45. Coaching stock was in the Great Western Railway chocolate and cream livery, not the British Railways standard maroon of this period.[2][3]
The service also stopped at Oxford, another cathedral city, although this was already well-served by other London services. Although a named train, the Cathedrals Express was by no means a fast service throughout. Between Hereford and Worcester it was at most a semi-fast.[1]
In later years the number of stops increased. The timetable in summer 1963 was: Hereford (d. 08:00), Ledbury, Colwall, Great Malvern, Malvern Link, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill (d. 09:10), Evesham, Moreton-in-Marsh, Oxford, Reading and Paddington (a. 11:55; 12:09 on Saturdays) – returning from Paddington at 17:15 and reaching Hereford at 20:59 (21:18 on Saturdays).[4]
There was a restaurant car service east of Worcester. Through carriages from Kidderminster to London and vice versa were also attached/detached at Worcester. It operated until 12 June 1965.
Great Western Railway re-introduced [when?] a named Cathedrals Express service Mondays to Fridays between Hereford and London Paddington via Worcester and Oxford. The train departs Hereford at 06:42, returning from London Paddington at 18:22 and is currently operated by a Class 800.[5]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Peel, Cathedrals Expresswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Cathedrals Express". Railway Gazette. 20 September 1957. p. 346.
- ^ "The Cathedrals Express". The Railway Magazine. No. 679. November 1957. p. 807.
- ^ "Summer 1963 Passenger Timetable". Malvern Industrial Archaeology Circle.
- ^ "Guide to services showing trains on the North Cotswolds route" (PDF). Great Western Railway. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 April 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2016.