Aberdonian (passenger train)

The Aberdonian was a named passenger train operating in the United Kingdom.[1]

Aberdonian
Overview
Service typePassenger train
First service1 January 1927
Last service1971
SuccessorNight Aberdonian
Former operator(s)LNER, BR
Route
TerminiLondon Kings Cross
Aberdeen
Service frequencyDaily
Line(s) usedEast Coast Main Line

History

On 1 January 1927 the London and North Eastern Railway decided to officially adopt the name Aberdonian for its sleeping car express between King's Cross and Aberdeen[2] It was timed to depart King's Cross at 7:40 pm with a journey time to Aberdeen of a little over 11 hours, originally being hauled by Class C11 locomotives.

By 1939 the train was departing King's Cross at 7:30 pm. A restaurant car was provided as far as York. At Edinburgh, sections of train were disconnected to form services to Fort William and Mallaig, and Perth and Inverness. The Aberdeen section of the train called at Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose and Stonehaven, arriving in Aberdeen at 7:30 am, a journey time of exactly 12 hours. The return journey left Aberdeen at 7:35 pm, and arrived in King's Cross 11 hours 50 minutes later, with journey times shortened by streamlined P2 and A4 engines.

The Aberdonian continued during the Second World War with extended journey times and afterwards Peppercorn A1 locomotives, but noticeable improvements were only achieved with the introduction of Deltic locomotives, which reduced the journey time to 11 hours 10 minutes.

The wreckage of the Up Aberdonian on 8 January 1957

On 7 January 1957 the Aberdonian ran into the back of a local train one mile south of Welwyn Garden City railway station. The accident killed 3 people and injured 26.[3]

On 7 May 1969, six people died and 46 were injured in one of the accidents at Morpeth when the Aberdonian hauled by Deltic locomotive No. 9011 The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers entered a 40 miles per hour (64 km/h) speed restriction at 82 miles per hour (132 km/h).[4] All eleven coaches were derailed.[5]

In 1971, British Rail withdrew the name Aberdonian from the early evening departure from King's Cross, then timed at 7:55 pm. The name Night Aberdonian was then used on the 10.15 King's Cross to Aberdeen sleeper service.[6] This also crashed at Morpeth, in 1984.

References
  1. Allen, Cecil J. (1967). Titled Trains of Great Britain. Ian Allan Ltd. p. 11.
  2. "Trains' Names". Morecambe Guardian. England. 1 January 1927. Retrieved 16 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "3 dead, 26 injured when Aberdonian Express hit local train". Londonderry Sentinel. Northern Ireland. 8 January 1957. Retrieved 16 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. Hoole, Ken (1983). Trains in Trouble: Vol. 4. Truro: Atlantic Books. pp. 13–14. ISBN 0-906899-07-9.
  5. "Express Driver's Mind Wandered". Birmingham Daily Post. England. 21 May 1969. Retrieved 16 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Big Boost for Sleeper Services". Aberdeen Evening Express. Scotland. 26 April 1971. Retrieved 16 December 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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