Trivia; Longest shortest journeys?

[Howardh]

Has to be a direct connection, not 2 close but unconnected stations which would require a 50-mile detour!

The 0823 from Ardwick to Piccadilly Manchester takes a scheduled 7 mins. The distance is a smidgeon over 0.5 miles! That's appx 4mph...

The reason must be either the amount of time getting to a platform or the added-on-time to make sure it arrives "on time" I assume, although the 0734 is scheduled to be a hyper-speed 5 minutes. It's, er, 3 minutes Piccadilly - Ardwick!!

Can't be a British record, surely....

 

[Bevan Price]

Has to be a direct connection, not 2 close but unconnected stations which would require a 50-mile detour!

The 0823 from Ardwick to Piccadilly Manchester takes a scheduled 7 mins. The distance is a smidgeon over 0.5 miles! That's appx 4mph...

The reason must be either the amount of time getting to a platform or the added-on-time to make sure it arrives "on time" I assume, although the 0734 is scheduled to be a hyper-speed 5 minutes. It's, er, 3 minutes Piccadilly - Ardwick!!

Can't be a British record, surely....

Dingle Road to Penarth shown in timetable as 1/4 mile. Most trains allowed 5 mins., but others allowed 6 mins. Presumably "charter time" to minimise lateness at final destination.

 

[greatkingrat]

1749 Liskeard to Gunnislake takes 23 minutes to get from St Budeaux Ferry Road to St Budeaux Victoria Road (no more than 100m away)

 

[Bovverboy]

1749 Liskeard to Gunnislake takes 23 minutes to get from St Budeaux Ferry Road to St Budeaux Victoria Road (no more than 100m away)

'howardh' did stipulate that there must be a 'direct' connection between the two stations. Even if we were to take into account the fact that one station could be reached from the other by means of a reversal at St Budeaux Junction, I don't see that as meeting the criterion, since I doubt that there are any scheduled reversals there, even if the signalling were to permit such a move, which it might not. In any case, Ferry Road to Victoria Road, via the Junction, would be much more than 100m.

 

[Howardh]

What actually happens in the Liskeard case? Is it the same train goes up the line and comes back - ie reversing?
It is timetabled with no changes 1810/1833 so if you can sit on the train I suppose it's within the rules!

 

[Dai Corner]

What actually happens in the Liskeard case? Is it the same train goes up the line and comes back - ie reversing?

The train is really a Liskeard to Plymouth and a Plymouth to Gunnislake train combined for operational convenience. It calls at Ferry Road in the way from Liskeard, goes to Plymouth, sits there for a few minutes, reverses and calls at Victoria Road on the way to Gunnislake.

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/C20641/2017/10/11/advanced

 

[lejog]

Possibly again not what you meant, but the 17:20 from Blackburn to errm Blackburn, makes the short journey from Platform 1 to Platform 3, arriving 2hrs 5mins later.

 

[Bovverboy]

What actually happens in the Liskeard case? Is it the same train goes up the line and comes back - ie reversing?
It is timetabled with no changes 1810/1833 so if you can sit on the train I suppose it's within the rules!

You did say no 50-mile diversions. St Budeaux to Plymouth and back might not be 50 miles, but it's still a diversion.

 

[Bovverboy]

Possibly again not what you meant, but the 17:20 from Blackburn to errm Blackburn, makes the short journey from Platform 1 to Platform 3, arriving 2hrs 5mins later.

There's also a 1520NSu Blackburn to Clitheroe, via Todmorden, Manchester Victoria, Bolton, and Blackburn.

 

[lejog]

There's also a 1520NSu Blackburn to Clitheroe, via Todmorden, Manchester Victoria, Bolton, and Blackburn

But that is a circular trip from Platform 2 to Platform 2. A journey according to the Oxford Dictionary is defined as:

An act of travelling from one place to another

 

[xotGD]

OK, not exactly close-by stations, but the Scarborough Spa Express takes just shy of an hour and a half to get from Leeds to York due to the loco swap and hanging around in Holgate sidings.

 

[Spartacus]

Wakefield Westgate - Kirkgate is similar.

The old Selby - Wakefield Westgate services used to be a bit of a laugh, going via Bradford Interchange and Huddersfield they used to take 2.5 hours to cover 64 railway miles, which isn't exactly great, a poor 25.6mph, but is even worse when the direct distance between the two is only 23 miles, just over 9mph!

 

[Howardh]

I don't think we can count circular travel or reversals! One line, two consecutive stations (stations inbetween where the train doesn't call at are OK) and no piddling around.
There will be occasions no doubt where the train is scheduled to stop at a station for some time, but I think any scheduled stops are timetabled (ie. stand at Stafford for 6 minutes?)?? Are they?

 

[theageofthetra]

There are plenty of services which sit on the Erith loop for 10+ minutes so a journey from Slade Green to Barnehurst which is probably only a couple of miles as the crow flys can take 15-20 mins.

 

[class387]

But that is a circular trip from Platform 2 to Platform 2. A journey according to the Oxford Dictionary is defined as:

Would Blackburn to Darwen on that service count?

 

[thenorthern]

Alvechurch to Barnt Green taking 5 mins to run a mile and a half is quite slow.

Duddeston to Birmingham New Street taking 6 min to run just over a mile is slow as well.

 

[Jonny]

Would Blackburn to Darwen on that service count?

I presume so - via Todmorden, Manchester Victoria, etc. - 1h56 mins, near enough 2 hours. For about 4 miles point-to-point, that's an average of 2mph, without completing the circle.

 

[D6975]

The evening Fife circle trip on the 68 sits in the loop just south of Dalmeny to allow an Inverness-Edinburgh to overtake. This more than doubles the normal Dalmeny-South Gyle timing.

 

[Paul London]

The 1T12 0748 Brighton to Bedford Thameslink service departing on 2nd January 2018

My morning commute from next year (or the train before if I am early). From London Bridge to London Blackfriars - 1 mile in 15 minutes (4mph).

http://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/train/G72683/2018/01/02/advanced

I do wonder if you could do one of those sprints people do on the tube and leave the carriage at one station and rejoin the same train at the next stop through the same set of doors and surprise everyone.