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.

Robin Hood

Overview
Service type	Passenger train
First service	2 February 1959
Current operator(s)	East Midlands Railway
Former operator(s)	Midland Mainline InterCity
Route
Termini	London St Pancras 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 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.

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.

Current service

The current East Midlands Railway timetable has The Robin Hood running as:

• the 0640 train from Lincoln to London St Pancras arriving at 0927 on weekday mornings operated by a 10-car Class 222 Meridian.
• the 1735 train from London St Pancras to Nottingham arriving at 1913 on weekday evenings operated by a 10-car Class 222 Meridian.

Other named trains

East Midlands Railway operates three other named trains called:

• Master Cutler
• South Yorkshireman
• Sheffield Continental

See also

• Midland Mainline
• East Midlands Railway
• British Rail Class 222
• InterCity 125

External links

• East Midlands Trains website
• National Rail Enquires website - main web portal for UK train fares, times and other travel information