please empty your brain below

When I did this trip, the 11.27 Oxford train was indicated for Radley. Its a bit like the stoppers from Oxford showing for Ealing Broadway. I spent my trip talking to the train conductor, a railway fan and train spotter of old
When I did it there was another passenger too. Looks like he might well be a regular commuter!!
Great read - love the parliamentary trains !
When I did it the train was quite full - but that was nearly forty years ago, when the one train a day ran in the rush hour and went to Birmingham (although I only went to High Wycombe)

"Route-learning" is an excuse: the real reason these trains run is to avoid going through the formal closure procedure.

Although it's difficult to keep up with the plans for HS2, at least one plan had it in a tunnel over thois section, but with ventilation shafts blocking the trackbed of the existing line above. Not sure if that's still the plan.

The line has seen some use on some weekends over the past year or so at weekends recently as Bristol - Paddington services have been diverted via Banbury to avoid the reconstruction work going on at Reading.
When I looked into this run a few years ago, it was running to High Wycombe. And if I recall correctly, there was even two trains at one point. I used to work at North Acton so naturally saw the tracks being used for freight every now and then. Even saw a First Great Western HST sidling along it going goodness knows where!
Pretty sure that I once went from Gerrards cross to Paddington which must have included this section. Weekday morning and return in the early evening? (Mid 90s?)
timbo,

Route learning is not an excuse. Otherwise once a week would suffice to avoid the closure notice. There are occasions when all Chiltern trains are diverted into Paddington.
@Andrew Bowden
"Even saw a First Great Western HST sidling along it going goodness knows where"

The HST you saw at North Acton was probably using the Greenford line to turn round. HST's can get back to front (with 1st class at the "country" end), for example if a train from Bristol Parkway to London has to be diverted via Bath, or an Exeter - London service via Yeovil.
So much for dg's belief that "you've probably never ridden on it"

I took this twice and there were 1-2 different passengers both times in both directions so I suppose local people who need to go to/from Paddington at around that time know about it. But otoh, the service is slow, unless you are actually going to Paddington it's probably faster by tube

However the driver/dispatcher did come in to make sure that everyone knew where they were going.
There is something curiously (and appealingly) British about all this -- especially JQ's remark about the driver checking that everyone knew where they were going!
"Trackbasher" is my new favourite word.
Just to let you know DG that your link to the railmaps website links to a spot in the Irish Sea...
Oooh! As a local to South Ruislip I never knew it existed, even though I've oft stared out of the window at that track from the Central Line, and presumed it disused as I'd never seen another train on it!
Shame I never have need to go to Paddington...!
Part of this line gets used when the main line into Euston is closed for works. Trains come down the Chiltern line then branch off at Greenford and use connecting curves to get onto the North London Line and then into Euston.
I travelled this line quite a few times I think - of course it was double track then and at least once it was in a Blue Pullman...
To Dave: yes, it was a Pullman. Have a look at this link, which explains in a bit more detail how trains can get to Euston from this line. Clicking on the highlighted word "flagship" at point 2. takes you to a video of the 1963 journey;-

http://londonconnections.blogspot.co.uk/2008/06/virgin-block-buster.html
Being pedantic, it doesn't go on to form the 12.31 back to Marylebone, as that's the 12.20 from Gerrards Cross.

The first and last parts of the "Parly" journey are Empty Coaching Stock moves.

More specifically:
  • 5V35 10+37 Wembley LMD - South Ruislip (ECS)
  • 2V35 10.57 South Ruislip - London Paddington
  • 2M30 11.36 London Paddington - West Ruislip
  • 5H43 12+22 West Ruislip - London Marylebone (ECS)

Thanks Barry, didn't know ECS and stuff were on realtime trains.

It's about 10 years since I took this train, what struck me was the relative ponderous nature of the 'service'. Today's timetable allows about 25 minutes for the 12 mile trip from Paddington to South Ruislip. I'm guessing the line even though relatively straight is not in top fettle. To be fair there is probably no need for it to be either. I see XX25 departures from Marylebone make South Ruislip in 17 minutes, including a stop at Wembley Stadium.
Ruling line speed is 40mph (50mph for HSTs) from Old Oak Common West Junction (where the route leaves the GWML) to Park Royal Junction (where the twin track section starts), then 50mph through to South Ruislip, with reductions to 15mph or 25mph through the junctions.

There's also just enough slack in the schedule that the driver can request a divert via the Relief Line (Slow Line in most other places) and Greenford "Loop" and still arrive pretty much on time...assuming Thames Valley Signalling Centre and Greenford East are on the ball. (And Marylebone ASC to a lesser extent, as they'd just be offered the train from Greenford in the normal way).
I took this today, and happened to be on Platform 14 when the train arrived. There were quite a few people (5-10?) in the front carriage, so some people seem to use it into Paddington.

Going out of Paddington I sat in the first carriage, and the conductor said, "Hi" as he went past. Then two older guys came in, went to the front, and the conductor opened the door into the cab. The three of them conversed until South Ruyslip, at which point the two other guys got off. They were either retired railwaymen or trackbashers. I didn't catch any of their conversation and wasn't up to moving into the front section to earwig.

I enjoyed being on a route new to me, but it was pretty slow. Glad I'm retired, thus have time to do such things.
Have you taken the 05.31 Saturday morning only parliamentary train from Liverpool Street, stopping first at Hackney Downs, and then via Clapton (not stopping), South Tottenham (not stopping) and then Seven Sisters to Enfield Town?
Oh, I always wondered what this random train that passed my office was every day.
Looks like the last Paddington to South/West Ruislip train will be 19th May.
This train now runs non-stop to High Wycombe from Paddington at 11:36, although the inbound journey still starts at South Ruislip
The line is presently being used (Autumn 2017) as part of a diversion while Reading Station is closed at weekends for OHLE work.

My train from Bristol Temple Meads diverted at Didcot up to Oxford (where it made a crew stop, presumably to pick up a pilot), then used the new Bicester Link to get on to the Chiltern line, diverted again at Ruislip down to Old Oak Common and then into Paddington.










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