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Thames-Clyde Express

Thames–Clyde Express
This diagram is a guide; not all stations
shown were served in all years of operation
Glasgow Central
Glasgow St Enoch (Closed 1966)
Kilmarnock
Kirkconnel
Glasgow South Western Line
Dumfries
Annan
Carlisle Citadel
Appleby
Settle and Carlisle Railway
Settle
Hellifield
Skipton
Leeds Wellington/Leeds City
Wakefield Westgate
Sheffield Midland
Chesterfield
Midland Main Line
Alfreton and Mansfield Parkway (1973–1975)
Nottingham Midland
Trent Junction (Closed 1968)
Derby Midland
Leicester London Road
Kettering
Luton
London St Pancras

The Thames–Clyde Express was a named express passenger train operating on the Midland Main Line, Settle-Carlisle Railway and the Glasgow South Western Line between London St Pancras and Glasgow St Enoch. Following the closure of St Enoch station in 1966, the service ran to Glasgow Central instead.

In September 1927, the London Midland & Scottish Railway gave the name to its morning services departing from London St Pancras and Glasgow St Enoch. After the service was speeded up in 1932, trains departed Glasgow at 09:30 and London at 10:00. There was a similar service running between London St Pancras and Edinburgh Waverley—known as the Thames–Forth Express— was renamed The Waverley by British Railways in 1957.

Starting from St Pancras, The Thames Clyde Express travelled by the former Midland Railway's main line through Leicester, sometimes with reversals to serve Derby and Nottingham, as far as Leeds. After another reversal the train crossed the Pennines to the scenic Settle-Carlisle route, still on former Midland railway territory. Crossing into Scotland the train used the former Glasgow and South Western Railway's Glasgow South Western Line into Glasgow St Enoch, the city's G&SWR terminus. The train could not compete for London to Scotland traffic with the faster trains travelling on the West Coast Main Line. Its route was longer and steeper, and Midland expresses could not ignore major population centres en route, especially Leicester, Sheffield and Leeds. In Scotland, it took a longer route in order to provide a service to Dumfries and Kilmarnock.


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