Odd route Leeds to Kings Cross?

[Venisonpie]

I'm on the 738 from Leeds to Kings Cross and it's departed heading North rather than South. 1st stop Doncaster. Why would they route it like this or will I end up in Edinburgh?

[Stuart70]

Normal route...

Doncaster is south of Leeds!

[Venisonpie]

Indeed. Which is why it's odd to head North out of Leeds..

[Whatsmyname]

North would take you towards Harrogate - York - Donny

[Venisonpie]

Yeah it branched right just after Mickfield and joined the East Coast Main Line thereafter.

[Stuart70]

Southbound now? I hope...

[Venisonpie]

Yes now Southbound. Was a tad concerned as I promised Lady VP I'd be back in London by 1030!

[Whatsmyname]

Theres a junction on ECML at Hambleton I don't know if that was intended route but it came into donny 2 mins late.

[Venisonpie]

Whatsmyname said:

Theres a junction on ECML at Hambleton I don't know if that was intended route but it came into donny 2 mins late.

I think it might have been a late alteration. The station announcer at Leeds said First Class would be at the rear of the train as it came into the platform and the front when it departed suggesting it would head South from where it came. As it came in first class was at the head of the train so something was amiss. Interesting to take a different route though.

[Whatsmyname]

As First should always face London on those services it could have been an easy way to turn the train around.

[Venisonpie]

Whatsmyname said:

As First should always face London on those services it could have been an easy way to turn the train around.

Yup, good point.

[demic]

It’ll be it’s booked route for driver route knowledge retention as the route via Micklefield and Hambleton Jct is a diversionary route for East Coast.

[rs1952]

Good speculation chaps and chapesses but its none of that

The train is booked to go that way. It starts in Skipton at 0655 and using that route avoids the delay that would be caused by reversing the train at Leeds:

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/Y70032/2019/...