TRIVIA: Pairs of stations that nobody has ever made a journey between

[Cambus731]

I did a journey on Saturday which while probably not unique, must be an unusual one.
Rose Grove to Braintree.

 

[416GSi]

Always tempted to go from Hope to Hope....but then I always live in Hope even if it does take 3hours 59 mins and requires 3 changes.

 

[algytaylor]

I’m going with Wrexham Gen to Wrexham Central.

If you’d like to do it today, there’s a rail replacement bus that will charge you £1.50 and take 8 minutes.

I reckon I could moonwalk there faster.

Apologies for necromancing an old thread ... but I've done both Central -> General and General -> Central. Have 2 year old twin boys who're train mad, and a season ticket which covers that bit of the journey ... so we do it occasionally. Catch the train from Central, watch the trains at General for an hour whilst eating snacks, then come back on the train ... they love it

Also occasionally done it when I've got off the train coming in from Chester and noticed the Bidston - Central train coming in ... dashed over the bridge and saved myself the ~2mins walk

 

[lachlan]

An unusual one: Southport to Cam & Dursley, I did this journey via Wigan and it required three changes.

Interestingly there's several different routes you can take that all take roughly the same amount of time, going from Southport to either Liverpool, Wigan or Manchester. All change at Birmingham then another change at either Cheltenham, Gloucester or Bristol Parkway

 

[Techniquest]

The oddest tickets I can remember buying, although I'm convinced there was at least one other, after much scouring the grey matter:

Faversham to Bristol Temple Meads
Llandrindod to Ashford International via Swansea

The one from Llandrindod may have been to Gravesend, although that was more likely for a completely different trip. I *think* Gravesend was for my second Kent Rover, that ticket would have started at Hereford.

Oban to London Kings Cross back in February 2006, for the diverted Caledonian Sleeper, certainly would be another odd one. The only other unusual pair of stations I can remember buying a ticket for would be Hereford and Inverness. Hereford and Middlesbrough (might actually have been to Whitby, not sure now) once many years back too, Hereford to Darlington in 2012 via Chester and Northwich. I'm sure there may be other destinations I've bought to in one go from Hereford that wouldn't produce too often.

Way back in the past, Melksham to Hereford probably doesn't get sold too often! And those Gatwick FlyAway fares on GWR from Hereford to Gatwick probably don't happen a lot either.

 

[sw1ller]

Apologies for necromancing an old thread ... but I've done both Central -> General and General -> Central. Have 2 year old twin boys who're train mad, and a season ticket which covers that bit of the journey ... so we do it occasionally. Catch the train from Central, watch the trains at General for an hour whilst eating snacks, then come back on the train ... they love it

Also occasionally done it when I've got off the train coming in from Chester and noticed the Bidston - Central train coming in ... dashed over the bridge and saved myself the ~2mins walk

To be fair, I’ve done it too but I work it to general and change crews, then I stay on to take me into town for my dinner. Most people however, get on at general to go into town but back out again so they have a decent seat for the rest of the journey. We occasionally get people getting on at general on the one that terminates at central and they’re rather unhappy about being turfed off.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Cottingham to Mottingham via Nottingham?

 

[Grumpy Git]

Not BR, but a tube from Leicester Square to Covent Garden would be a bit pointless, especially if the CG lift was out of action.

 

[Ianno87]

Not BR, but a tube from Leicester Square to Covent Garden would be a bit pointless, especially if the CG lift was out of action.

*Loads* of people (tourists) do that!

 

[Joey Beauchamp]

Split ticketing must put a dent in unusual tickets (whilst occasionally creating some others) but sometimes I'm amazed by a cheap advance being available for the whole journey. The most unusual I remember purchasing recently being Pevensey Bay to Newton for Hyde.

 

[Midnight Sun]

Back in the 1985, I once brought a £12 student railcard offer saver return from Tunbridge Wells West to Georgemas Junction. Handwritten NCR21 Edmondson card-size ticket. Don't think there was a actal fare between the two stations. The offer was based on zones from £4 upto £12.

 

[Statto]

Walton to Rice Lane, stations are on separate Merseyrail branches, but less than 100 yards apart

Has anyone actually done Bank Hall-Kirkdale, it's about 10-15 minute walk

 

[Peter0124]

There probably have been a good few people who have done these but I wonder how many people have bought a single from Argyle Street <-> Glasgow Central as it would be much quicker to walk that since you have to go up and down escalators anyway. Or likewise City thameslink to london blackfriars? Or any other ridiculously close pair of stations for that matter.

 

[Stewart2887]

Always tempted to go from Hope to Hope....but then I always live in Hope even if it does take 3hours 59 mins and requires 3 changes.

Is that Hope near Chester to Hope, Derbyshire? Looks a challenge, I might give it a go one day!

 

[Glenn1969]

Wonder whether anyone has gone from Bramley to Bramley or Bradford to Bradford?

 

[SteveM70]

Wonder whether anyone has gone from Bramley to Bramley or Bradford to Bradford?

I used to do Bradford on Avon to Bradford every couple of weeks many years ago - northbound Friday night and returning on the Sunday

It involved changing in Bristol, Derby and Leeds, and frequently the Derby connection failed resulting in a taxi from Leeds at BR’s expense

 

[416GSi]

Is that Hope near Chester to Hope, Derbyshire? Looks a challenge, I might give it a go one day!

Yes that's the two.

When I did a quick search a moment ago it came up with one route, which to my mind doesn't make much sense:-


10:41 Hope (Derbyshire)
11:04 New Mills Central

11:04 New Mills Central
12:21 New Mills Newtown (Walk)

12:21 New Mills Newtown
12:33 Hazel Grove

12:45 Hazel Grove
13:05 Stockport

13:17 Stockport
14:35 Chester

15:02 Chester
15:10 Shotton

15:22 Shotton
15:39 Hope (Flintshire)

 

[Andyjs247]

Last year I did Adisham to Hildenborough and Great Coates to Deansgate both of which felt quite random journeys. I did wonder at the time how often those particular tickets would be sold. The former required three changes including a walk between Canterbury East and West.

 

[jazza374]

Most random ticket I ever bought was Gilfach Fargoed to Holytown three days before Christmas around 2004. Very strange looks from the conductor on the Pacer to Cardiff when I asked for that ticket.

 

[Bovverboy]

Always tempted to go from Hope to Hope....but then I always live in Hope even if it does take 3hours 59 mins and requires 3 changes.

Throughout almost the entire day Hope to Hope can be done with two changes (at Shotton and Manchester Piccadilly), taking (usually) 3h 54m eastbound and 3h 32m westbound. With more changes it can be done in 2h 54m eastbound (changing at Shotton, Chester, Crewe, Stockport, and Chinley - this takes advantage of the one EMR journey which stops at Chinley) or 2h 56 westbound (changing at Manchester Piccadilly, Chester, and Shotton). The itineraries involving more than two changes do depend on trains running reasonably to time.

 

[Midnight Sun]

Porthmadog to Blaenau Ffestiniog not via Ffestiniog Railway

 

[Llama]

Throughout almost the entire day Hope to Hope can be done with two changes (at Shotton and Manchester Piccadilly), taking (usually) 3h 54m eastbound and 3h 32m westbound. With more changes it can be done in 2h 54m eastbound (changing at Shotton, Chester, Crewe, Stockport, and Chinley - this takes advantage of the one EMR journey which stops at Chinley) or 2h 56 westbound (changing at Manchester Piccadilly, Chester, and Shotton). The itineraries involving more than two changes do depend on trains running reasonably to time.

You work in Northern's driver diagramming department, and I claim my five pounds!

 

[ElectroSoldier]

Liverpool Central to Liverpool Lime street is a good one.
I wonder how much that would cost...

 

[Bovverboy]

Liverpool Central to Liverpool Lime street is a good one.
I wonder how much that would cost...

The National Rail Journey Planner gives two options -
1) you can walk it, taking twelve minutes, in which case you wouldn't be charged;
2) you can go by train, changing at James Street, taking thirteen minutes, in which case you would be charged £2.05, which is the same fare as that for the direct journey in the opposite direction.

 

[Wirewiper]

Until recently I lived very close to Bethnal Green (formerly Greater Anglia and latterly London Overground). Buying a through ticket from there to a destination which involved crossing London by Underground, was usually cheaper than using the Underground from Bethnal Green to a London terminus, especially if I could take advantage of a Railcard discount.

I am sometimes curious as to how many other people would have bought some the tickets I have bought? Some examples: Bethnal Green to Oxford Parkway, Bethnal Green to Basingstoke, Bethnal Green to Reading or Reading West Plusbus, Bethnal Green to High Wycombe, Bethnal Green to Torquay, Bethnal Green to Tilehurst.

I do remember someone wanting to make a journey from Dublin to Amsterdam using Sail-Rail and DutchFlyer tickets. I pointed out that because of the zonal fares, if they booked Dublin to Bethnal Green they would pay the same as the fare to London Euston - and they would get the Underground journey to Liverpool Street for free.

 

[ElectroSoldier]

The National Rail Journey Planner gives two options -
1) you can walk it, taking twelve minutes, in which case you wouldn't be charged;
2) you can go by train, changing at James Street, taking thirteen minutes, in which case you would be charged £2.05, which is the same fare as that for the direct journey in the opposite direction.

Its not a 12 minute walk from Central station to Lime street, not even booking office to booking office!

 

[causton]

Its not a 12 minute walk from Central station to Lime street, not even booking office to booking office!

It might be 12 minutes to someone who walks slowly or is in a wheelchair. I would rather it allows 12 minutes and takes two, than allows ten minutes and takes 11!

You will be pleased to know I have thoroughly broken NRE:



[photo shows the following itinerary:

1856 Liverpool Central - walk - Liverpool Lime Street 1908
1918 Liverpool Lime Street - train - Liverpool Central 1920
1930 Liverpool Central - walk - Liverpool Lime Street 1942]

Bargain for £2.05!

 

[PTR 444]

Another unlikely one: Southampton Central to Woolston. The two stations are 1.5 miles apart as the crow flies, yet the direct train travels over three times the distance as railway geography forces it to go via St Denys and Bitterne. Since there are regular buses which are much quicker between the two, I doubt an ordinary paying passenger would ever make that journey by rail.

 

[ElectroSoldier]

Yeah see the thread isnt about if its possible to make the journey, all journeys are possible its about wether of not somebody would do it.
Would you walk from Central to Lime street or wait for the train.

Bank Hall station is another good example.
Would you take the half mile walk or just on the train and take twice as long.
Im sure that trip has been made in the past, but then over time Im sure all journeys have been made in the past too

 

[Bevan Price]

Adjacent stations that have no/limited direct services are probably a good shout - such as Merdian Water/Angel Road to Ponders End.

Or stations where the only rail route is circuitous, such as Dove Holes to Whatstandwell.

May have differed in the past, when there were services from Buxton to Millers Dale, connecting with the Manchester Central - Matlock - Derby route. Though I doubt that sales were very high even then.