Thames-Clyde Express
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The Thames-Clyde Express was a named express passenger train operating on British Railways Midland Mainline from London St Pancras to Glasgow. The name was first given to the 10.30 departure from London by the London Midland & Scottish Railway in September 1927. Its sister train to Edinburgh, which was named the Thames Forth Express, in turn renamed The Waverley in 1957.
The Thames Clyde travelled by the scenic Settle-Carlisle route, but could not complete on speed to Scotland with the 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
As a result, few travellers after the 1920s travelled the full length of the route. The Thames-Clyde lost its title at the outbreak of World War Two in common with almost all named trains in the UK. However the title was restored in September 1949 as part of the Post-war return to normality.
However the effect of regional division, mining subsidence along part of the route, and underpowered locomotives meant that its performance was actually inferior in time to that achieved in 1939. In 1962, the Thames Clyde took eight hours and 50 minutes for the complete journey, leaving London at 10.15, and then calling first at Leicester London Road at 11.52. Further stops were made at Trent and Chesterfield, before reaching Sheffield Midland at 13.19, and Leeds City at 14.25 - so this latter stage of 39 miles took over an hour as a result of subsidence-induced speed restrictions. From here the train ran non-stop to Carlisle (Arrival 16.38). Three more stops were made at Dumfries, Annan, and Kilmarnock before reaching Glasgow St Enoch at 19.05.
The rival Royal Scot on the West Coast route stopped only twice and took seven hours, twenty minutes. However the Thames Clyde provided a useful service from the East Midlands and Yorkshire to Scotland.
In 1964, the Waverley ceased to run during the winter, and so additional coaches for Edinburgh were carried on the Thames-Clyde. But the train then made additional stops on the Settle & Carlisle line which were otherwise served by The Waverley - Skipton, Hellifield, Settle and Appleby West. In 1968, a further delay was added by a stop at Nottingham, which meant a reversal, and the train had acquired a bad reputation for slowness and unpunctuality
The train lost its title in May 1975 when the rival West Coast line was electrified, but continued to run until 1976
