Robin Hood (train)
The Robin Hood is one of the four flagship named passenger trains operated by East Midlands Railway inherited from Midland Mainline in the UK.
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Passenger train |
| First service | 2 February 1959 |
| Current operator(s) | East Midlands Railway |
| Former operator(s) | Midland Mainline InterCity |
| Route | |
| Start | London St Pancras |
| End | Nottingham |
| Distance travelled | 126.5 miles |
| Average journey time | 1 hour 31 minutes (southbound) 1 hour 40 minutes (northbound) |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Train number(s) | 1B18 (southbound) 1D52 (northbound) |
| Line(s) used | Midland Main Line |
| Technical | |
| Rolling stock | British Rail Class 222 (southbound) InterCity 125 (northbound) |
| Operating speed | Up to 125 mph maximum |
History
The first use of the Robin Hood name was on 2 February 1959[1] when British Railways gave the name to the 0815 from Nottingham to London. Unusually, this avoided Leicester and stopped only at Manton. In the reverse direction however, it also stopped at Bedford, Wellingborough and Kettering.
The train lost its name at the end of the summer 1962 timetable.
As of 2016, there are two trains named Robin Hood:
- the 0755 train from Nottingham to London St Pancras arriving at 0926 on weekday mornings operated by a 7-car Class 222 Meridian at an average speed of 83.36 miles per hour (134.15 km/h).
- the 1615 train from London St Pancras to Nottingham arriving at 1755 on weekday evenings operated by an InterCity 125 HST at an average speed of 75.86 miles per hour (122.08 km/h).
As of 2019, the two trains named the Robin Hood were rescheduled to run as:
- the 0800 train from Nottingham to London St Pancras arriving at 0938 on weekday mornings operated by a 7-car Class 222 Meridian at an average speed of 77.16 miles per hour (124.18 km/h).
- the 1634 train from London St Pancras to Nottingham arriving at 1819 on weekday evenings operated by an InterCity 125 HST at an average speed of 72 miles per hour (116 km/h).
Neither train runs at weekends.[2]
Prior to the timetable change on 14 December 2008 the Robin Hood was operated by a 7-car Class 222 Meridian on both the outward and return trip.
Other named trains
East Midlands Railway operates three other named trains called:
References
- Railway Magazine March 1959 p. 211
- East Midlands Trains timetables
External links
- East Midlands Trains website
- National Rail Enquires website - main web portal for UK train fares, times and other travel information