[Triva] What is the longest rail journey between two stations that use to be directly connected but now aren't?

[infobleep]

I've put this here but not sure if it's the right place.

What is the longest journey between two stations that have no direct train service between them and/or the direct line connection no longer exists but use to?

I will even accept changing of trains originally but only if it is a disused set of lines between the two stations and saves time.

So for example, Three Bridges to East Grinstead can't be done on a direct service now and is slower. I'm sure that can be beaten though in slowness.

For once the slower the better.

I wonder if the former connection between London Waterloo and Waterloo East stopped at both stations? Back then didn't the stations have the same name?

 

[Snow1964]

Bangor (North Wales) to Pwllheli ?

Although you can take a short cut via Festiniog if you allow narrow gauge tourist lines, rather than standard gauge

 

[gordonthemoron]

Aberystwyth to somewhere in south Wales?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Dunblane to Crianlarich?

90 miles now. Less than half that when the Callander and Oban line via Callander / Killin Junction was still open.

Or, even better, Scarborough to Whitby?

127 miles now, via York and Middlesbrough. Ballpark 20 miles when the 'direct' line via Ravenscar was still open.

 

[norbitonflyer]

I wonder if the former connection between London Waterloo and Waterloo East stopped at both stations? Back then didn't the stations have the same name?

Waterloo East was originally called Waterloo Junction. I don't think there was ever a regular passnger service over the link.

 

[Cheshire Scot]

I don't have the exact mileages to hand but Dumfries to Stranraer just over 70 miles via the Port Road, now via Kilmarnock probably circa 140 miles.

 

[infobleep]

Bangor (North Wales) to Pwllheli ?

Although you can take a short cut via Festiniog if you allow narrow gauge tourist lines, rather than standard gauge

I think I will allow tourist lines as a means to get somewhere as it is still a train.

Dunblane to Crianlarich?

90 miles now. Less than half that when the Callander and Oban line via Callander / Killin Junction was still open.

Or, even better, Scarborough to Whitby?

127 miles now, via York and Middlesbrough. Ballpark 20 miles when the 'direct' line via Ravenscar was still open.

Scarborough to Whitby is surely a top contender if not the top.

 

[etr221]

Aberystwyth-Carmarthen now 210, was 56.
Criccieth-Bangor now 209 (by National Rail), was about 31.

 

[32475]

I don’t know the distances involved but Okehampton to Bere Alston springs to mind.

 

[infobleep]

Aberystwyth-Carmarthen now 210, was 56.
Criccieth-Bangor now 209 (by National Rail), was about 31.

Interesting. I looked up both on National Rail Enquiries. The first one does offer a bus service taking over 2 hours.

The second one includes rail replacement bus for part of the journey currently but usually is train all the way, via 3 services and takes over 6 hours!

A nice day out if you have time on your hands.

 

[MadMac]

I don't have the exact mileages to hand but Dumfries to Stranraer just over 70 miles via the Port Road, now via Kilmarnock probably circa 140 miles.

Trainline is giving 104 miles, which surprised me slightly. What about Galashiels-Carlisle?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Stranraer - Dumfries (via Kilmarmock) is, I believe, around 132 miles.

Another one...

Buxton to Matlock.

How far would that be in practice today as you'd have to go in to Sheffield and then back out again, possibly the same at Derby.

Would have been just 20 miles (via Millers Dale) back in the day.

 

[Springs Branch]

Maybe not 1st prize winners, but how about:-

• Colne to Skipton
  Direct route was 11¼ miles.
  Today the alternative route involves changing at Rose Grove & Todmorden, or Accrington, and at Leeds (assuming the walk across Bradford is not allowed).
  But when the direct route closed in 1970, the alternatives were significantly longer, as there were no regular passenger services on the Copy Pit line.
  Options were:-
  (1) via Blackburn, Bolton & Man Victoria, then via either Huddersfield or the Calder Valley route to Leeds & on to Skipton (110 miles via HUD or 117 miles via Rochdale & Halifax)
  (2) via Blackburn, Preston, Carnforth & Wennington. Around 93 miles, although a detour via Morecambe might be needed depending on particular timings.
  So in round figures, about 10x the mileage.
  
  
• Provided you count the former Middlewood Higher & Lower as effectively one interchange station (the main purpose for which these isolated stations were built):
  Middlewood (Higher) to Rose Hill Marple direct was 2¼ miles.
  Today, Middlewood (Lower) to Rose Hill via Stockport, Piccadilly & Hyde Central is around 23 miles (so 10x longer)

 

[Harvester]

Buxton to Matlock.

How far would that be in practice today as you'd have to go in to Sheffield and then back out again, possibly the same at Derby.

Would have been just 20 miles (via Millers Dale) back in the day.

If going via Sheffield the doubling back distance alone (Sheffield-Dore and Derby-Ambergate), will be around 15 miles!

 

[Helvellyn]

Garsdale - Redmire would be an interest one to calculate

 

[Magdalia]

Sandy-Bedford St Johns has a multiple of about 10 times the distance. The direct route was 8m43ch. Going via St Pancras and Bedford Midland is 93m72c.

 

[70014IronDuke]

Kettering - Cambridge? (If we ignore the miserably difficult change at Oakham today - would that be one train per day?)

 

[Magdalia]

Kettering - Cambridge? (If we ignore the miserably difficult change at Oakham today - would that be one train per day?)

I had to resort to timetable world for the mileage here. Kettering-Cambridge was almost 48 miles. The route via Leicester is about 124 miles.

 

[Rescars]

This may be stretching the OP's terms of reference a bit, but if we were to include freight only services, then some of the longest through journeys which have been lost must include the train ferry workings between Hull, Harwich and various ports in the Low Countries. Getting there by rail would still be possible theoretically, but presumably it would involve going south through the Channel Tunnel and then via France and Belgium. I leave it to others to have a go at calculating the distances!

 

[Gloster]

Probably not the longest, but:
Darlington North Road-Penrith
Thorpe Culvert-Grimsby(?)
Hexham-Galashiels (?)

 

[MadMac]

Probably not the longest, but:
Darlington North Road-Penrith
Thorpe Culvert-Grimsby(?)
Hexham-Galashiels (?)

Expanding on this, Darlington-Workington?

 

[randyrippley]

Cambridge-Sudbury?
Used to be direct, shortest now appears to be via Stratford

 

[Ken H]

Garsdale - Redmire or Northallerton (depending if you are counting the Wensleydale Railway)
Tebay - Bishop Auckland

 

[Dr Hoo]

It might not be anywhere near the longest but in terms of being the slowest rationalised route how about Severn Beach to Pilning?

Imagine a traveller of 60 years ago, who had enjoyed a quiet pint in a pub at Severn Beach on Saturday lunchtime and made their way to the station for the 2.15 p.m. to Pilning, arriving at 2.22 p.m, after a modest 7-minute trundle over 2.25 miles.

Their grandchild today, attempting the same stunt and having missed the 14.01 from Severn Beach would have to catch the 15.01 to Stapleton Road, arrive 15.35. Then the 16.10 to Filton Abbey Wood, arriving at 16.18, then the 16.29 to Severn Tunnel Junction, arriving at 16.43. So far, so good. However, now there's a bit of a snag. The next train to Pilning is at 08.25 on the following Saturday. Hanging around at un-staffed Severn Tunnel Junction for almost 160 hours would try the strongest of constitutions. But assuming that they had survived they would get to Pilning at 08.32.

I make that a 33.75-mile journey (15 times further) and an average speed of 0.2 mph for the actual trip. The journey now takes around 1,400 times longer. (Hope I've got the maths right.)

 

[33017]

Aberystwyth-Carmarthen now 210, was 56.
Criccieth-Bangor now 209 (by National Rail), was about 31.

Aberystwyth to Carmarthen was my first thought and I can’t see it being beaten.

Cue plenty of replies with much shorter distances…

 

[Magdalia]

Cambridge-Sudbury?
Used to be direct, shortest now appears to be via Stratford

Cambridge to Marks Tey is shorter via Ipswich than via Stratford.

That means that the most extreme comparison is to do Shelford-Sudbury, which was 31m40c via Long Melford.

Shelford-Sudbury via Ipswich I make 92m47c.

 

[Bevan Price]

Burscough Junction to Burscough Bridge (1/2 mile).
Used to be served by Ormskirk to Southport services.

Now:
Burscough Junction > Ormskirk (change) > Sandhills (change) > Southport (change) > Burscough Bridge (38 miles).

 

[infobleep]

It might not be anywhere near the longest but in terms of being the slowest rationalised route how about Severn Beach to Pilning?

Imagine a traveller of 60 years ago, who had enjoyed a quiet pint in a pub at Severn Beach on Saturday lunchtime and made their way to the station for the 2.15 p.m. to Pilning, arriving at 2.22 p.m, after a modest 7-minute trundle over 2.25 miles.

Their grandchild today, attempting the same stunt and having missed the 14.01 from Severn Beach would have to catch the 15.01 to Stapleton Road, arrive 15.35. Then the 16.10 to Filton Abbey Wood, arriving at 16.18, then the 16.29 to Severn Tunnel Junction, arriving at 16.43. So far, so good. However, now there's a bit of a snag. The next train to Pilning is at 08.25 on the following Saturday. Hanging around at un-staffed Severn Tunnel Junction for almost 160 hours would try the strongest of constitutions. But assuming that they had survived they would get to Pilning at 08.32.

I make that a 33.75-mile journey (15 times further) and an average speed of 0.2 mph for the actual trip. The journey now takes around 1,400 times longer. (Hope I've got the maths right.)

I like it but not enough to watch the try it!

 

[70014IronDuke]

I had to resort to timetable world for the mileage here. Kettering-Cambridge was almost 48 miles. The route via Leicester is about 124 miles.

I was thinking va London might be shorter, but you are probably correct.

Would anything via the former M&GN Jt work? Sort of High Dyke to Sheringham?

 

[61653 HTAFC]

Where would Bournemouth to Bath/Bristol figure in the running? Formerly direct via S&DJR, now requires changing at Upwey (or Dorchester with a walk), or at Southampton and Salisbury.