TRIVIA: Most circuitous shortest route by rail

[ian1944]

How about the many places with two stations on different lines, e.g. Burscough, Canterbury, Maidstone, Newark, Shotton?

 

[Royston Vasey]

Readers of this thread may enjoy Nick Badley's YouTube channel, specifically his series of "Pointless Journeys".

 

[A S Leib]

Vratarnica (Serbia) to Dimovo (Bulgaria) is 34 km in a straight line or – I think, as I'm not entirely sure of all services running, via Niš, Belgrade, Subotica, Szeged, Drosháza, Békéscsaba, Timișoara and Vidin – around 1268 km, 53:18 and 7 changes by passenger services, or a distance 37 times longer. The shortest rail distance, including lines without passenger services, still seems to be 480 km (14 times longer) via Niš and Sofia.

Sticking with international ones, there's probably a few examples caused by wars and border closures. I thought of Šilutė to Kaliningrad (94 km by air); as far as I know there aren't any currently routes purely using passenger trains between the EU and Russia or Belarus, as inadvisable as it would be to try in any case.

 

[Barnsley]

How about Penistone to Hadfield, was direct, now requires changing at Huddersfield and Manchester Piccadilly!

 

[Thornaby 37]

There used to be a direct service from Radyr to Coryton via the Cardiff City Line. 10 miles by train, 2 miles as the crow flies
Probably also quicker to walk than do the end to end train journey

 

[Bovverboy]

How about the many places with two stations on different lines, e.g. Burscough, Canterbury, Maidstone, Newark, Shotton?

Shotton is classed as a single station - the low level platforms are 1 and 2, the high level 3 and 4. But I agree it would be quite a hike between low level and high by rail - presumably via Chester and Wrexham (General).

 

[TheoBald]

The ratio for Hertford East to Hertford North? More scenic via Broxbourne, Cambridge and Stevenage (soon to be shortened by adding a third compass point - South). But is a London option shorter? And of course North to East would be marginally longer, being mainly on the outer rails on curves in either way!

 

[daodao]

It isn't as large of a difference, but Portadown to Derry~Londonderry is 120 miles by rail to move 52 miles by air.

Sligo to either Ballina or Derry by rail involves going via Dublin, and in the latter case via Belfast too. Since the closure of the Barrow bridge, the route from Rosslare to Waterford requires travel via Dublin as well.

 

[Calthrop]

The ratio for Hertford East to Hertford North? More scenic via Broxbourne, Cambridge and Stevenage (soon to be shortened by adding a third compass point - South). But is a London option shorter? And of course North to East would be marginally longer, being mainly on the outer rails on curves in either way!

Sligo to either Ballina or Derry by rail involves going via Dublin, and in the latter case via Belfast too.

I'm aware that this thread deals with rail systems as at today; but am getting unbidden thoughts about things being decidedly different in some cases, "back in the day". Re Hertford -- couldn't help being struck by how quick and easy it would have been when the Hatfield -- Welwyn -- Hertford branch, ex-GNR, was still running: a trifling couple of miles' worth of backing-and-filling-and-reversing. And, mentions of Sligo -- Derry: up to 1957, accomplishing that by rail would -- while still a significantly longer distance than that in which the crow would have done it -- have been a great deal more like direct, and involving far less mileage, than nowadays.

Re this theme, one does feel that the OP's Mallaig-to-Kyle is likely always to have been unbeatable: at Britain's "rail peak", distance would have been somewhat less than nowadays -- "cut-off" Crianlarich -- Balquhidder -- Crieff -- [Almond Valley Junction] / Perth; but still a colossally long way round "in comparison".

 

[Magdalia]

The ratio for Hertford East to Hertford North? More scenic via Broxbourne, Cambridge and Stevenage (soon to be shortened by adding a third compass point - South). But is a London option shorter? And of course North to East would be marginally longer, being mainly on the outer rails on curves in either way!

The current stations are about a mile apart. The shortest rail route between them is via Stratford, Dalston and Finsbury Park, and is only about 42 miles.

A rail route with changes of train at Hackney Downs/Central (there is a walkway between the two stations that is inside the barrier line) and Highbury and Islington is probably even shorter.

The original GN station, on the line from Hatfield, was much closer to the GE station, and there was a connection between the GN and the GE, though it didn't go through the GE station.

 

[nw1]

Alton to Winchester is a bit circuitous (you have to go into Woking and out again), though nothing compared to the Kyle/Mallaig example.

In the same area, Alton to Liphook is only about 12 miles (ish) by road, but again necessitates a trip via Woking (least changes) or Aldershot/Guildford (shortest distance).

Then there's Dorchester to Crewkerne, with no walking between stations allowed. Presumably either Dorchester-Westbury-Salisbury-Crewkerne or Dorchester-Southampton-Salisbury-Crewkerne.

 

[Galactic142]

If we're including heritage lines, how does Redmire - Garsdale compare? I make it 22 miles as the crow flies but 188 by rail (via Carlisle). Tweedbank - Carlisle (or somewhere else along the Tyne Valley like Haltwhistle) might be another good one.

If we're going international, what about Penzance - Morlaix, or something like Poole - Cherbourg?

 

[Merthyr Imp]

How about the many places with two stations on different lines, e.g. Burscough, Canterbury, Maidstone, Newark, Shotton?

Newark is not so far - from Northgate you take the spur to the Nottingham-Lincoln line, reverse then go to Central. In the 1980s/90s some Nottingham to Lincoln services called at both stations.

Nowadays, without checking the timetables I would guess you could do it by changing at one of Collingham, Swinderby or Hykeham.

 

[duffield]

Newark is not so far - from Northgate you take the spur to the Nottingham-Lincoln line, reverse then go to Central. In the 1980s/90s some Nottingham to Lincoln services called at both stations.

Nowadays, without checking the timetables I would guess you could do it by changing at one of Collingham, Swinderby or Hykeham.

One service per day still calls at both:
2T48 0516 Lincoln Central to Nottingham (linked to on RTT below)

Realtime Trains | 2T48 0516 Lincoln Central to Nottingham | 30/06/2025

Real-time train running information for 2T48 0516 departure from Lincoln Central to Nottingham on 30/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

Runs into Northgate via the chord, reverses back up the chord, reverses again to head to Castle.

 

[sad1e]

King's Cross to St Pancras could be done easy now thameslink is a thing but what would be the shortest route to St Pancras High level? Would it be via Nottingham and Grantham or is there some shorter route I'm missing?
Liverpool St to Morgate would require you to go via Cambridge

Without a reverse
KGX- North London incline - NLL - South Acton - Kew east Jn - Clapham Junction - Latchmere Junction - WLL - Dudding hill line - cricklewood curve Jn - STP high level

With reverses
KGX-North London incline - Hampstead heath (reverse) - Upper Holloway Up goods loop(reverse) - Carlton road Jn - Kentish town plat 3 / 4 - STP high level

 

[zwk500]

Without a reverse
KGX- North London incline - NLL - South Acton - Kew east Jn - Clapham Junction - Latchmere Junction - WLL - Dudding hill line - cricklewood curve Jn - STP high level

With reverses
KGX-North London incline - Hampstead heath (reverse) - Upper Holloway Up goods loop(reverse) - Carlton road Jn - Kentish town plat 3 / 4 - STP high level

How are you getting from King's Cross to the North London Incline without a reverse? The first facing junction departing KGX is Alexandra Palace for the Hertford Loop. The first facing connection that allows you to use a different route is Hitchin.

 

[sad1e]

How are you getting from King's Cross to the North London Incline without a reverse? The first facing junction departing KGX is Alexandra Palace for the Hertford Loop. The first facing connection that allows you to use a different route is Hitchin.

My mistake I was quite tired when thinking of that route.

 

[RyanOPlasty]

Whitby and somewhere else, I expect. Oh, but not as much as this, I misread your post initially …..

Whitby to Scarborough using only Northern services must be a fair distance.

 

[Donny Dave]

Whitby to Scarborough using only Northern services must be a fair distance.

I don't think its possible unless there is a very early/late service between Middlesbrough or Darlington and York that I'm unaware of.

Edit. Even though I've been that way in the last week, I forgot about the northern services between Carlisle and Leeds and Newcastle.

 

[Kilopylae]

I don't see why not - most of these routes are ones where nobody would realistically take the train except for the novelty anyway.

You say that, but I've done this one "unironically":

Starcross to Exmouth - 19 miles by train or 1.5 miles by bird

Albeit in the other direction.

 

[quantinghome]

What's the short rail journey from Fenchurch Street to Cannon Street?

 

[A S Leib]

What's the short rail journey from Fenchurch Street to Cannon Street?

18 miles via Stratford, Lea Bridge, reversing via a North London line to Thameslink link south of Kentish Town Gospel Oak and Blackfriars, if allowing any route by rail.

 

[Class15]

18 miles via Stratford, Lea Bridge, reversing via a North London line to Thameslink link south of Kentish Town and Blackfriars, if allowing any route by rail.

Not allowing reversals, I’d go Stratford, Lea Bridge, South Tottenham, Gospel Oak, Kensington Olympia, Latchmere Jn, Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, London Bridge.

 

[class ep-09]

What about Stratford International and Stratford - these are separate stations but I have no idea how connection via rail would work though and , what ration it is going to be.

 

[Peter0124]

What about Stratford International and Stratford - these are separate stations but I have no idea how connection via rail would work though and , what ration it is going to be.

A charter could do it with a reversal in Dagenham, but the shortest I can think of Is Stratford - St Pancras, St Pancras - Farringdon, Farringdon - Stratford

 

[Class15]

A charter could do it with a reversal in Dagenham, but the shortest I can think of Is Stratford - St Pancras, St Pancras - Farringdon, Farringdon - Stratford

Not possible with the track layout - Stratford International - Camden Road - Clapham Junction - Kew Bridge - South Acton - Willesden - Camden Road - Stratford would appear the quickest.

 

[hwl]

In ratio terms one of the most circuitous routes by an actual serve (that runs most days) will probably be a freight example: Angerstein Wharf - (St Pancras) Chuchyard sidings, circa 39.4 miles by rail but 7.1 miles as the crow flies (ratio of 5.54)

The routing is via Crayford Loop, New Kew Junction and Cricklewood.

The journey time is 6h19m (lots of looping) resulting in an average speed of 6.24mph by rail (or 1.16mph as the crow files)

 

[norbitonflyer]

Then there's Dorchester to Crewkerne, with no walking between stations allowed. Presumably either Dorchester-Westbury-Salisbury-Crewkerne or Dorchester-Southampton-Salisbury-Crewkerne.

Why not Dorchester West - Yeovil Pen Mill - Yeovil Junction - Crewkerne?

Realtime Trains | 1V23 0950 London Waterloo to Yeovil Junction | 30/06/2025

Real-time train running information for 1V23 0950 departure from London Waterloo to Yeovil Junction on 30/06/2025. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[A S Leib]

Walsall to Wolverhampton's one of the more circuitous passenger services which regularly run; five and a half miles in a straight line but twenty-four miles via Birmingham New Street.

 

[RJ]

Sinuosity is a measure that can be used to calculate and rank how circuitous a route is. It’s the route length by rail divided by the distance as the crow flies.

With two separate stations being the criteria, stations on spearate lines that are a stone’s throw away from each other might be a starting point.