ish man ". ▁The ▁line ▁was ▁especially ▁busy ▁during ▁summer ▁months , ▁as ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁principal ▁hol iday ▁route ▁between ▁B irmingham ▁and ▁Dev on ▁and ▁Corn wall , ▁and ▁many ▁extra ▁hol iday ▁exc urs ion ▁trains ▁would ▁run . ▁ ▁A ▁pione ering ▁dies el ▁rail car ▁service ▁with ▁a ▁buff et ▁comm enced ▁running ▁in ▁July ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁between ▁B irmingham ▁Snow ▁Hill ▁and ▁Card iff , ▁running ▁non - stop ▁through ▁Str at ford , ▁with ▁only ▁two ▁stops ▁at ▁Gl ouc ester ▁and ▁New port . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁long - distance ▁dies el ▁express ▁service ▁in ▁Britain . ▁It ▁proved ▁so ▁successful ▁that ▁larger ▁rail c ars ▁with ▁more ▁se ating ▁and ▁no ▁buff et ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁introduced ▁to ▁co pe ▁with ▁demand , ▁and ▁even ▁this ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁augment ed ▁by ▁a ▁normal ▁locomot ive ▁ha u led ▁service . ▁During ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁the ▁rail car ▁service ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁through ▁service ▁using ▁the ▁line , ▁as ▁all ▁other ▁long - distance ▁trains ▁were ▁susp ended . ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁time ▁it ▁consisted ▁of ▁a ▁three ▁car ▁train ▁consisting ▁of ▁a ▁standard ▁carriage ▁sand wich ed ▁between ▁two ▁rail c ars . ▁Two ▁such ▁trains ▁ran ▁to ▁and ▁from ▁Card iff ▁daily ▁at ▁this ▁period , ▁and ▁a ▁stop ▁at ▁Str at ford ▁was ▁introduced . ▁ ▁The ▁line ▁passed ▁into ▁the ▁ownership ▁of ▁British ▁Rail ways ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁following ▁national