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Trivia: most inefficient direct train (time:distance)

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iantherev

iantherev

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OK - I'll nominate St Budeaux Ferry Road - St Budeaux Victoria Road (one through Liskeard - Gunnislake train via Plymouth and the stations are adjacent).
 
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Ibex

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Inverness to Wick? 2 hours 20 driving (104 miles) or 4 hours 20 by train.
 
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LowLevel

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The 0653 Nottingham to Peterborough via Lincoln is 88 miles versus 51 miles for the direct route via Grantham and takes 2.5 hours (calling everywhere bar Swinderby) versus about an hour or so.
 
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Right Away

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SWR run a couple of weekday services from London Waterloo to Westbury via Yeovil (reverse at Yeovil Junction, then via Pen Mill and Frome). Salisbury to Westbury via this route is a little over 73 miles. The slower train of the two takes 1 hour and 47 minutes to go from Salisbury to Westbury by this route.

The direct route via Warminster is a little over 24 and one half miles (roughly 28 minutes by train), with the distance by road roughly similar.
 
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robbeech

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To follow on (most I have been reminded of by reading up to now).
The Doncaster Scarborough example is actually a Sheffield Scarborough Service.

Also 0656 Worksop to Lincoln Central 0908 (via Nottingham). Considerably longer than the hourly Northern service.

And if we are going down the Manchester to Manchester 0 miles route then we might aswell add in London Waterloo to London Waterloo taking 1hr25 and London St Pancras to London St Pancras taking 3hr27
 
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yorkie

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Ibex said:
Inverness to Wick? 2 hours 20 driving (104 miles) or 4 hours 20 by train.
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Peter0124 said:
Glasgow(or Edinburgh) to London via Birmingham
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Both are very viable and credible journeys many people do make.

They're a far cry from the likes of Radyr to Coryton which would be easily walkable in a fraction of the direct rail service.
 
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Great_Western

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The 17:21 Crewe to Cardiff via HOWL/Swansea taking nearly six and a half hours arriving at 23:45 springs to mind. The 17:08 service via the marches arrives at 19:43.

To a lesser extent, the 16:54 stopper to Taunton from Bristol arrives at 18:01. The 17:13 fast Crosscountry service arrives at 17:44 taking under half the time.
 
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Westcombe

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The Westcombe Park to Blackheath and vv trains change their head code at Slade Green, but are advertised at intermediate stations as providing a through service.
 
LT3001

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Any Bridgend/Cardiff-Anglesey service. 4hrs by train vs a half hour flight.
 
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yorkie

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LT3001 said:
Any Bridgend/Cardiff-Anglesey service. 4hrs by train vs a half hour flight.
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I disagree. See post #40

Good luck getting from Bridgend to Anglesey in half an hour, and flying isn't viable for everyone. Your example is a very long way from identifying the most inefficient direct train.
 
LT3001

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yorkie said:
I disagree. See post #40

Good luck getting from Bridgend to Anglesey in half an hour, and flying isn't viable for everyone. Your example is a very long way from identifying the most inefficient direct train.
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Half an hour is in reference to the average flight time to Ynys Mon from Rhoose. A train from Bridgend to Rhoose, the connecting bus service and a flight to Anglesey would still be faster than a direct train regardless of whether its convenient or not. Call me insane but 5hrs (the actual journey time from Cardiff not Bridgend as Bridgend does not have a direct service) compared to a maximum of 2.5 by plane would fall under the definition of inefficiency.

Bridgend was merely mentioned as it was closer to Cardiff Airport than Cardiff, however from Central the story is very much the same.
 
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yorkie

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LT3001 said:
Half an hour is in reference to the average flight time to Ynys Mon from Rhoose. A train from Bridgend to Rhoose, the connecting bus service and a flight to Anglesey would still be faster than a direct train regardless of whether its convenient or not. Call me insane but 5hrs (the actual journey time from Cardiff not Bridgend as Bridgend does not have a direct service) compared to a maximum of 2.5 by plane would fall under the definition of inefficiency.
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Not really as I could be working, reading, relaxing etc for the five hours. I did a search for flights and was quoted over £100 with only two flights each weekday and none at weekends.

To suggest this could qualify under the criteria stated by the OP is absurd, when you can walk the distance some direct trains operate in less time than the train.

Cardiff to Holyhead trains may not offer fast journey times but it's a very viable rail journey that people would take on the basis of convenience, price and no realistically viable alternative.

Sorry to be blunt but it's not even remotely comparable to the examples requested by the OP and given by many others in this thread.
 
LT3001

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yorkie said:
Not really as I could be working, reading, relaxing etc for the five hours. I did a search for flights and was quoted over £100 with only two flights each weekday and none at weekends.

To suggest this could qualify under the criteria stated by the OP is absurd, when you can walk the distance some direct trains operate in less time than the train.

Cardiff to Holyhead trains may not offer fast journey times but it's a very viable rail journey that people would take on the basis of convenience, price and no realistically viable alternative.

Sorry to be blunt but it's not even remotely comparable to the examples requested by the OP and given by many others in this thread.
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I guess we just have different views of inefficiency, nothing wrong with that and perhaps I misinterpreted the thread. I see where you come from however I must respectfully disagree.
 
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johntea

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Leeds to York via Harrogate, though obviously serves a purpose and isn't advertised as a direct Leeds to York service even though it can be if you fancy it!
 
dk1

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Peter0124 said:
Glasgow(or Edinburgh) to London via Birmingham
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That is actually very efficient. Two joined up services offering a multitude of convenient direct trains to large conurbations that otherwise wouldn't have them. Been extremely successful.
 
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pemma

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The Sundays only Chester to Southport via Altrincham, Stockport, Bolton and Wigan (currently not running via Bolton due to engineering works) is a very indirect route to get between Chester and Southport
 
cactustwirly

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LowLevel said:
The 0653 Nottingham to Peterborough via Lincoln is 88 miles versus 51 miles for the direct route via Grantham and takes 2.5 hours (calling everywhere bar Swinderby) versus about an hour or so.
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There's also the Leicester to Sleaford via Lincoln service in the evening.
 
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greyman42

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johntea said:
Leeds to York via Harrogate, though obviously serves a purpose and isn't advertised as a direct Leeds to York service even though it can be if you fancy it!
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Yes, and good value for money if you want to fill in a morning/afternoon.
 
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Grannyjoans

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Kirkby to Blackburn hourly service

Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Straight line Distance between the two: 25 miles
 
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mp01

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If the 0608 from Rhymney counts as a through train (RTT says it is - it splits at Cardiff Central), then train takes 1 hr 10 mins from Ystrad Mynach to Abercynon, which is under 5 miles by road.
 
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mp01

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Along similar lines, the 2138 from Merthyr is sometimes shown as to Bridgend and Radyr (the back two carriages split off at Cardiff Central) which makes a direct trip from Llandaf to Danescourt of 40 minutes. It's about a mile to walk.
 
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garose

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Arriva Wales 1H98 21:04 Birmingham International to Manchester Piccadilly via Shrewsbury, Wrexham, and Chester taking 3hrs 21minutes to cover an approx (road) distance of around 96 miles.
 
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philthetube

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mp01 said:
If the 0608 from Rhymney counts as a through train (RTT says it is - it splits at Cardiff Central), then train takes 1 hr 10 mins from Ystrad Mynach to Abercynon, which is under 5 miles by road.
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not sure if that is cheap or expensive, £4.60 for 5 miles is a bit pricey but for a 70 min journey pretty good.
 
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