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Trivia — Shortest Routes Between Stations of the Same Name (For Example: Catford to Catford Bridge)

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snowball

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I think I can better that : Falkirk High - Croy - Bishopbriggs - Springburn - Cumbernauld- Greenhill Lower Jn - Camelon - Falkirk Grahamston.



You don't have to go into England - see above.
Or Falkirk High - Waverley - South Sub - Falkirk Grahamston? There seem to be junctions facing the right way.
(I'm ignoring the existence of passenger services, just looking at the tracks.)
 
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southern442

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There are no services which connect Bishopbriggs to Ashfield.

There are also no services which connect Bishopbriggs to Springburn.
I didn't think direct services were needed, just that the connection exists and is useable?

Assuming it isn't, then a quick glance suggests you'd need to travel to Edinburgh, down to York, Leeds, Manchester, Preston, Lancaster, Leeds then back up. This would also make Upper Tyndrum to Tyndrum lower possible.

I would hypothesize that *every* connection is possible in some form, but the real question is where the most optimal routes are.
 
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St Budeaux Victoria Road to St Budeaux Ferry Road:

Ferry Road > Plymouth > Exeter > Taunton > Bristol > Bath > Salisbury > Romsey > Loop back to Romsey via Southampton and Chandlers Ford > Salisbury > Bath > Bristol > Taunton > Exeter > Plymouth > Victoria Road
After Bath you could go Westbury > Castle Cary > Taunton etc rather than going to Salisbury and Southampton
 

flitwickbeds

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I didn't think direct services were needed, just that the connection exists and is useable?
I interpreted it as that it must be possible to actually do on a train. If we're just looking at infrastructure and nothing else, can we include freight/depot loops with appropriate junctions?

If we're doing it with existing passenger services only, I think it would have to be Falkirk High > Edinburgh > Newcastle > Carlisle > Motherwell > Cumbernauld via Coatbridge Central > Falkirk Grahamston. I think that works?

After Bath you could go Westbury > Castle Cary > Taunton etc rather than going to Salisbury and Southampton
Of course!

Here are a few more I thought of overnight which vary the rules a bit!

Harlington (Beds) to Hayes and Harlington

Harlington Beds > Farringdon > Wimbledon > Reading > Basingstoke > Southampton > Salisbury > Westbury > Pewsey > Reading > Hayes and Harlington

London Waterloo to Waterloo Merseyside

London Waterloo > Clapham Junction > Sutton > Wimbledon > Clapham Junction > Milton Keynes via Shepherds Bush > Crewe > Liverpool South Parkway > Waterloo Merseyside
 

TheDavibob

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Birmingham New Street to Birmingham Moor Street: WCML south to Willesden - Acton Canal Wharf Jn - Acton Wells Jn - Acton West Jn - Reading - Oxford - Banbury - Leamington - Birmingham Moor Street

I guess willesden - acton canal wharf junction - acton wells jn - acton west junction - west ealing - greenford south junction - greenford west junction - high wycombe - banbury - leamington - moor street is slightly fewer miles! (but still a long trip)
I haven't run the numbers, but potentially a 'shorter' route via (nearly) Newport:

New Street -> Bromsgrove -> Gloucester -> Hereford loop? (Newport) -> Abergavenny -> Hereford -> Worcester FS -> Kidderminster -> Moor Street

It's decidedly less straight than the WCML so might not be shorter.
 

30907

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I haven't run the numbers, but potentially a 'shorter' route via (nearly) Newport:

New Street -> Bromsgrove -> Gloucester -> Maindee Curve (Newport) -> Abergavenny -> Hereford -> Worcester FS -> Kidderminster -> Moor Street

It's decidedly less straight than the WCML so might not be shorter.
Another option for this is via Stonehouse, Swindon and Didcot West Curve.

Historically it would be much shorter - Droitwich, Honeybourne, Stratford.
 

Bald Rick

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Ash to Ash Vale I can only seem to manage via Guildford, Redhill, East Croydon, Clapham Junction, Peckham Rye, East London Line, North London Line, Willesden Jn, Richmond, Virginia Water, Chertsey and Woking (but you have to use the lesser-used curve between Chertsey and Byfleet)

You can shorten that by going ....East Croydon, Tulse Hill, Herne Hill, Brixton, Longhedge Jn, Clapham Junction - Richmond....

And you can use the Byfleet west curve, but you don’t have to. You could go Virginia Water - Ascot - Bagshot - Ash Vale.


Or you could go Ash - Reading - Oxford - Bicester - Neasden - Acton Canal Wharf - Acton Wells - Kew East - Hounslow - Staines and thence as above.
 

fairysdad

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Ewell East to Ewell West: Ewell East > Sutton > Mitcham Jct > Streatham > Herne Hill > Brixton > Wandsworth Road > Clapham Jct > Barnes > Southfields > Wimbledon > Motspur Park > Ewell West
With no connection between Southern and SWR at Clapham Junction, you'd need to go via Balham and the northern half of the Thameslink Loop to Wimbledon and join SWR's metals there.
 

Dr_Paul

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I interpreted it as that it must be possible to actually do on a train. If we're just looking at infrastructure and nothing else, can we include freight/depot loops with appropriate junctions?
Yes! The criterion that I set was that one can take any uninterrupted route. It doesn't matter if there has never actually been a service that has taken the route in part or in whole. Going along a freight line is fine; going through a yard or depot is fine as well, so long as one does not have to reverse. Looking at industrial faculties on 25" maps, it seems that some of them were served by branches of different railway companies, thus raising the intriguing idea that a through route might have been possible through one or another mine or factory yard. This, of course, would be restricted to historical route possibilities.
[London Trains' previous post: 'Ewell East to Ewell West: Ewell East > Sutton > Mitcham Jct > Streatham > Herne Hill > Brixton > Wandsworth Road > Clapham Jct > Barnes > Southfields > Wimbledon > Motspur Park > Ewell West.'] With no connection between Southern and SWR at Clapham Junction, you'd need to go via Balham and the northern half of the Thameslink Loop to Wimbledon and join SWR's metals there.
If we substitute Wandsworth Town for Barnes, then that's fine, as it means (as I imagine London Trains intended) going through East Putney. There is the proviso that one needs to get from the joint LT/SW down line across to the down Sutton line at Wimbledon, which, according to this map is possible.
Here are a few more I thought of overnight which vary the rules a bit! Harlington (Beds) to Hayes and Harlington [etc, etc].
This variation will add to the fun.

[Selhurst] you can only travel via the depot as ecs [empty coaching stock] as they removed the passenger loop from the running line about 40 years ago ??
If it's possible to go through from Selhurst to Upper Norwood (or vice versa) via the Selhurst yard without reversing, then that's within the thread's main criterion.
 
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JKF

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Historic one:

Bath Green Park - Mangotsfield - Staple Hill - Clifton Down - Avonmouth - Henbury - Filton - Lawrence Hill - Keynsham - Bath Spa
 

30907

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If we substitute Wandsworth Town for Barnes, then that's fine, as it means (as I imagine London Trains intended) going through East Putney. There is the proviso that one needs to get from the joint LT/SW down line across to the down Sutton line at Wimbledon, which, according to this map is possible.
You only need to get to the Down SW for Ewell West, going to Sutton will have you going round in circles :)
 

Dr_Paul

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You only need to get to the Down SW for Ewell West, going to Sutton will have you going round in circles :)
Of course! I'm getting things well confused. No problem about getting from the District/SW joint across to the down slow SW line.
 

Sultan1056

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What about Newark Northgate to Newark Castle?
via York > Edinburgh > Midcalder > Carlisle > Crewe > Birmingham New St > Leicester > Nottingham.
pis there a shorter route?.
 

JohnRegular

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What about Newark Northgate to Newark Castle?
via York > Edinburgh > Midcalder > Carlisle > Crewe > Birmingham New St > Leicester > Nottingham.
pis there a shorter route?.
Might be missing something but I think you could go North Gate - Gainsborough Lea Rd - Worksop - Mansfield - Nottingham - Castle? Requires using the curve avoiding Lincoln which doesn't see regular passenger services (I think).
 

TheDavibob

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Might be missing something but I think you could go North Gate - Gainsborough Lea Rd - Worksop - Mansfield - Nottingham - Castle? Requires using the curve avoiding Lincoln which doesn't see regular passenger services (I think).
I think the curve at Retford allows direct access from the ECML towards Worksop too, cutting out Lincoln/Gainsborough.
 

DelW

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Here's an amazing one for stations which are so close together (the closest two stations on the network??). Normally a simple reversal at Plymouth.

St Budeaux Victoria Road to St Budeaux Ferry Road:

Ferry Road > Plymouth > Exeter > Taunton > Bristol > Bath > Salisbury > Romsey > Loop back to Romsey via Southampton and Chandlers Ford > Salisbury > Bath > Bristol > Taunton > Exeter > Plymouth > Victoria Road

(Although whether or not you consider the two stations to be on a different line is debatable - you certainly can't travel directly between the two on one train!)

After Bath you could go Westbury > Castle Cary > Taunton etc rather than going to Salisbury and Southampton
Since the OP allows freight lines, there's surely no need to go beyond Bristol? Go round in a loop via Filton West, Avonmouth and Clifton and head back south.
 

flitwickbeds

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What about Newark Northgate to Newark Castle?
via York > Edinburgh > Midcalder > Carlisle > Crewe > Birmingham New St > Leicester > Nottingham.
pis there a shorter route?.
There is one direct train in each direction between the two stations on weekdays and Saturdays



And 3 in one direction and 2 in the other on Sundays


 

roversfan2001

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There is one direct train in each direction between the two stations on weekdays and Saturdays



And 3 in one direction and 2 in the other on Sundays


They all reverse at least once so don't meet the criteria set for the thread.
 

4COR

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A historical one: Warlingham (now Whyteleafe South) to Upper Warlingham.

I think a route historically could have been:

Warlingham -> Purley -> Norwood J -> Crystal Palace (via Bromley Up Junct) -> Tulse Hill -> Peckham Rye -> New Cross Gate (via the lost chord from Old Kent Rd Junct to New Cross Gate - this looks like it might be a through line from the Railway Clearing House diagram dated 1908?) -> S Croydon via BML -> Upper Warlingham

Certainly prior to 1983 (and Warlingham was renamed well before this!), I suppose you could have done the following down the Woodside and S Croydon Railway to prevent going over any line twice (at E Croydon - but probably not as short as going via Herne Hill and back through Crystal Palace):

Warlingham -> Purley -> Clapham J -> Pouparts/Longhedge -> Denmark Hill -> Lewisham -> Elmers End -> Selsdon -> Upper Warlingham
 

Ianno87

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Hayes to Hayes & Harlington:

Hayes-Lewisham-Denmark Hill-Factory Jn-Longhedge Jn-West London Line-South West Sidings-Acton Bank-Ealing Broadway-Hayes.
 

Bigman

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A historical one this...Bradford Exchange - Laisterdyke - Idle - Thackley - Shipley - Bradford Forster Square.
 

adrock1976

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What's it called? It's called Cumbernauld
A historical one I have thought of:

Sheffield Midland> Pontefract Baghill> Milford Jct> Hambleton Jct> Doncaster> Retford> Worksop> Darnall> Sheffield Victoria.

Also, a couple of present day ones are Glasgow Central High Level> Polmadie> Rutherglen> Langloan Jct> Gartcosh> Springburn> Cowlairs South Jct> Glasgow Queen Street High Level.

Glasgow Central Low Level - Queen Street Low Level via Dalmarnock> Rutherglen> Langloan Jct> Sunnyside Jct> Shettleston> Bellgrove> Queen Street Low Level.
 

jfisher21

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A historical one: Warlingham (now Whyteleafe South) to Upper Warlingham.

I think a route historically could have been:

Warlingham -> Purley -> Norwood J -> Crystal Palace (via Bromley Up Junct) -> Tulse Hill -> Peckham Rye -> New Cross Gate (via the lost chord from Old Kent Rd Junct to New Cross Gate - this looks like it might be a through line from the Railway Clearing House diagram dated 1908?) -> S Croydon via BML -> Upper Warlingham

Certainly prior to 1983 (and Warlingham was renamed well before this!), I suppose you could have done the following down the Woodside and S Croydon Railway to prevent going over any line twice (at E Croydon - but probably not as short as going via Herne Hill and back through Crystal Palace):

Warlingham -> Purley -> Clapham J -> Pouparts/Longhedge -> Denmark Hill -> Lewisham -> Elmers End -> Selsdon -> Upper Warlingham



Would Warlingham -> Purley -> Clapham J -> Pouparts/Longhedge - Brixton - Herne Hill - Tulse Hill - Crystal Palace - Norwood Junction - East Croydon - Purley - Upper Warlingham be possible?

Or the alternative is a trip through London Bridge, Thameslink tunnel, Cricklewood, South Acton, Kew Bridge, Barnes, Clapham J -> Pouparts/Longhedge - Brixton - Herne Hill - Tulse Hill - Crystal Palace - Norwood Junction - East Croydon - Purley - Upper Warlingham
 

Glenn1969

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What's the quickest route ?

Bramley (Yorks) to Bramley (Hants)
Bradford to Bradford on Avon
Kingston upon Hull to Kingston upon Thames
 

lxfe_mxtterz

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Could do Portsmouth Harbour to Portsmouth Arms. ;)

I expect the quickest route would be something like: Portsmouth Harbour > Southampton > Salisbury > Westbury > Taunton > Exeter > Portsmouth Arms

Edit: Forgot the reversing rule!!! Reworking...

Portsmouth Harbour > Southampton > Salisbury > Yeovil > Exeter > Portsmouth Arms - this appears to work.
 

Ianno87

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Could do Portsmouth Harbour to Portsmouth Arms. ;)

I expect the quickest route would be something like: Portsmouth Harbour > Southampton > Salisbury > Westbury > Taunton > Exeter > Portsmouth Arms

Edit: Forgot the reversing rule!!! Reworking...

Portsmouth Harbour - Fareham - Botley- Eastleigh - Chandlers Ford - Romsey - Salisbury - Axminster - Exeter - Portsmouth Arms
 

30907

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What's the quickest route ?
Do you mean quickest timetabled, or quickest theoretically possible in on the OP's terms (ie without reversal?). If the latter, then:
Bramley (Yorks) to Bramley (Hants)
probably Whitehall Curve or Hambleton Junctions, Saltley, Tyseley, Reading West Curve
Bradford to Bradford on Avon
probably Whitehall Curve or Hambleton Junctions, Saltley, Bristol East Curve.
Kingston upon Hull to Kingston upon Thames
North London Incline, Willesden Jn HL, Clapham Jn, East Putney or Richmond.
 

D6130

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Sheffield Midland> Pontefract Baghill> Milford Jct> Hambleton Jct> Doncaster> Retford> Worksop> Darnall> Sheffield Victoria.
Unfortunately Hambleton Junction (opened 1983 with the Selby diversion) didn't exist when Sheffield Victoria closed (1970), so you would have had to take the very slightly longer route via Selby West and Canal Junctions!
 
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