Trivia: shortest possible journey that can be made on each TOC?

[pitdiver]

Ryde Pier Head to Ryde Esplanade, Does that qualify in it's own right as a "Sort" of TOC

 

[yorkie]

Ryde Pier Head to Ryde Esplanade, Does that qualify in it's own right as a "Sort" of TOC

This has been posted already by pdeaves and bb21.

Island Line is not a separate TOC; it's a train service operated by SWT that has its own branding.

Same as Southern, Gatwick Express etc which are all part of the GTR train operating company.

 

[jc1]

Twickenham to St.Margarets

 

[387star]

Blackfriars and City TL are so close they are almost one station

on southern aldrington to hove

warblington/bedhampton to havant?

 

[Flange Squeal]

Twickenham to St.Margarets

Close, but not the closest SWT stations...

32 chains - Ryde Pier Head to Ryde Esplanade
35 chains - Kingston to Hampton Wick
36 chains - Twickenham to St Margarets
38 chains - Lymington Pier to Lymington Town

 

[xcooler123]

Already pointed out that ATWs shortest pair are Ty Glas and Birchgrove - the closest pair of stations in the country (I think it's these two - definitely on the Coryton branch)

Correct about ATW but the shortest pair in the country on NR is City Thameslink to Blackfriars at 14 chains which also makes this the shortest pair on the GTR network.

LM - Unless I have missed it no one has mentioned Bedford St Johns to Bedford at 18 chains.

 

[j.crocker355]

ATW - Probably between Birchgrove and Ty Glas stations.

GTR - Probably between Newhaven Harbour and Newhaven Town stations.

GWR - Probably between Devonport and Dockyard stations.

I would say Dockyard and Keyham they are both opposite sides of the bridge..

 

[73001]

I reckon I can best all comers with this one.

St Budeaux Victoria Road to St Budeaux Ferry Road.
Distance (as the crow flies), the width of a small road.
By train; to/from Plymouth, or occasionally a connection at Devonport. This would not qualify, except that on Mondays to Fridays there is a direct train, departing Victoria Road at 1803 and arriving Ferry Road at 1825. The fare is £13.00!!!

That has to be the most expensive / mile journey it is possible to make on the UK rail network on one train.

Slightly off topic but NRE used to show that you could WALK between Burcough Junction and Burscough Bridge for the princely sum of £12! They're not as close as your example but it certainly made for an expensive day out.

 

[UpTheFront]

Harringey to Hornsey?

 

[Dye]

If heritage railways are allowed?
The distance between Kingswear to Dartmouth stations is about 17ch.

 

[PHILIPE]

If heritage railways are allowed?
The distance between Kingswear to Dartmouth stations is about 17ch.

You can't get a train between the two. Either ferry or swim. Dartmouth station has the reputation of being a station with no railway there.

 

[st285]

Northern
Pontefract monkhill to Pontefract tanshelf maybe?

 

[Morgsie]

Does SWT Parkstone to Branksome count?

 

[66103]

Few contenders for Greater Anglia

Prittlewell - Southend Victoria 55ch

Maryland - Stratford 36ch

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Northern
Pontefract monkhill to Pontefract tanshelf maybe?

I don't think they're as close as Deansgate and Oxford Road- probably not even as close as the two Wakefields, using the racecourse as a rough guide (the longest flat course in the country apparently).

 

[Andyh82]

TFL: Leicester Square - Covent Garden is surely the shortest of all. 300 yards or 13 chains.

How about Canary Wharf to either of the stations either side on the DLR?

 

[mat696]

Southeastern, Lewisham to St Johns?

 

[extendedpaul]

I see that the journey time between Birchgrove and Ty Glas is just one minute.

Are there any other scheduled one minute journeys - excluding the Underground ?

 

[Chris M]

How about Canary Wharf to either of the stations either side on the DLR?

CULG's DLR page contains inter-station distances. For the original system at least these are official and accurate to 10mm(!). Based on that data, the distances to the adjacent stations from Canary Wharf are:

0.1990 km (9.89 chains) West India Quay
0.1875 km (9.32 chains) Heron Quays

However, WIQ is now the closer of the two however as Heron Quays was rebuilt circa 2002 further away from Canary Wharf and WIQ was extended southwards in circa 2009 as part of the three-car capacity enhancement project.

 

[swt class 450]

I see that the journey time between Birchgrove and Ty Glas is just one minute.

Are there any other scheduled one minute journeys - excluding the Underground ?

Yes there are a few others that have a journey time of just one minute.

Angel Road to Northumberland Park
Devonport to Dockyard
Dockyard to Devonport
Dockyard to Keyham
Keyham to Dockyard
Newhaven Harbour to Newhaven Town
Newhaven Town to Newhaven Harbour
Northumberland Park to Angel Road

There are probably some others as well.

 

[infobleep]

I reckon I can best all comers with this one.

St Budeaux Victoria Road to St Budeaux Ferry Road.
Distance (as the crow flies), the width of a small road.
By train; to/from Plymouth, or occasionally a connection at Devonport. This would not qualify, except that on Mondays to Fridays there is a direct train, departing Victoria Road at 1803 and arriving Ferry Road at 1825. The fare is £13.00!!!

That has to be the most expensive / mile journey it is possible to make on the UK rail network on one train.

I like the fact you can get an advance for £27+, travelling overnight and taking over 8 hours. Hehe.

 

[infobleep]

Ah, another chance to post one of my favorite images illustrating the illogical Imperial units of length:

(Image shows the relationship between units of length. It would take way too long to explain, trust me it's a mess.)

Love the diagram. Not heard of some of those measures.

What your diagram doesn't state, to make things even more complicated, is that a foot converted into metres, varies according with which country your foot measurement is from. For example a German foot is not the same number of metres as an English foot! I believe that applies to other imperial measurements too!

Just like the rail fares, there's nothing quiet like simple measurement types.

 

[Chris M]

Imperial measurements also vary by time - the current definition of the foot (in the US and Commonwealth) dates only from 1959 for example and is defined by reference to metric.

The Wikipedia article Foot (unit) has a section called "other obsolete feet" and lists measures ranging from 272.8 mm to 357.214 mm.

The Wikipedia article Mile has a similar comparison table, with lengths ranging from 1,482 metres (Roman Empire) to 11,299 metres (Norway)

 

[XC90]

For scotrail would ardrossan town to harbour be shorter than central to Argyll st? Can't be much in it.

Barnhill to Springburn?

 

[Esker-pades]

For Southeastern - St Johns to Lewisham.
I believe the distance is 35 chains.

 

[kevconnor]

Imperial measurements also vary by time - the current definition of the foot (in the US and Commonwealth) dates only from 1959 for example and is defined by reference to metric.

The Wikipedia article Foot (unit) has a section called "other obsolete feet" and lists measures ranging from 272.8 mm to 357.214 mm.

The Wikipedia article Mile has a similar comparison table, with lengths ranging from 1,482 metres (Roman Empire) to 11,299 metres (Norway)

This does also remind me of this BBC youtube clip (link below, i couldnt get the video to embed)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7x-RGfd0Yk&ytbChannel=BBC%20Earth%20Lab

 

[ValleyLines142]

Penarth-Cogan Road

Do you mean Dingle Road?

 

[maire23]

Fawdon to Wansbeck Road is shorter, I think.

You beat me to it my mum lives smack bang in the middle of those two stations and I know it can't be far.

 

[Alteran Ancient]

For Southeastern - St Johns to Lewisham.
I believe the distance is 35 chains.

I'm pretty sure that Sundridge Park to Bromley North is shorter. It is so short, the home platform indicator for Bromley North is on the platform of Sundridge Park.

 

[louis97]

I'm pretty sure that Sundridge Park to Bromley North is shorter. It is so short, the home platform indicator for Bromley North is on the platform of Sundridge Park.

You are correct, Sundridge Park to Bromley North is 35 chains (10m12c-10m47c), St Johns to Lewisham is actually 37 chains (5m47c-6m4ch).