Route retention knowledge so crews know the route in case it is required in the future (ie, problems into Marylebone, Chiltern could run through to Oxford to connect with FGW▸ ).
There is (or was last year) a late evening XC▸ service that runs from Sheffield to York via Pontefract precisely for this reason. I was a bit taken aback when we went that way.
Thanks for replies:
I guessed that's what it was it just struck me as odd that two trains were shown to arrive at Oxford at the same time. Any expalnations for that running time, if as IndustryInsider says it usually runs 10 early..
One or two TOCSs especially Chiltern are quite good at running the odd train on diversionary routes to keep up driver route knowledge hence GX to Padd.
Wrexham and Shrewsbury are the ones for routings around Birminham, They know two routes from Wolverhampton to New Street Stour Valley and Soho Loop and also Two routes from Tame Bridge Parkway to Coventry. They also know Crewe Shrewsbury for maintence moves and are learnign Crewe Wolverhapton via Stafford.
Virgin drivers are curently learning Coventry, Leamington, Greenford Acton Acton Wells Euston possibly first time any will have seen semaphores at Banbury. If they only do
WCML▸ .
Does FGW run anything Yeovil Pen Mill to Exeter St Davids to keep up drivers route knowledge? It's been used by
HSTs▸ in the past on diversion. In fact what crews do know Pen Mill to Junction?