[trivia] Journeys where you can start on a slow train, switch to fast one and pick up slow again

imagination · 11 Oct 2018

Pshambro said:
From any of the stations between Reading and Didcot Parkway you can take the stopping service to Reading, change for a semi-fast to Paddington (normally originating from Oxford or Cotswolds) and change at Slough, where upon you can wait for the stopping service you left at Reading

Only if you're quick - assuming trains are on time this is only possible on the 18:01 from Didcot Mon-Fri, which gets into Reading at 18:26, usually on platform 15. The train from Reading leaves at 18:29 from plat 10/11. Doable, but well below the official connection time.

All other services are timed in such a way that the fast Slough train leaves before the stopper from Didcot arrives.

It works rather better the other way around where a stopper arrives at Slough at 07:58, with good connection time for the 08:07 to Reading, getting in at 08:23, in turn giving you enough time to catch the stopper you were on previously which departs at 08:34

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Bedpan · 13 Oct 2018

bionic said:
In SE land you could get on the stopper from Sevenoaks to Orpington, change onto the fast at Orpington, overtake the stopper around Chislehurst, and then change back onto it at London Bridge for the run into Charing Cross.

This also works for pretty much any Thameslink stopper going to Luton. Travel on it from the south, change at St Pancras for a Bedford fast to St Albans, and then change back to the stopper again.

Why you'd want to do either of these things is another matter entirely.

Same applies going south, the stopper from Luton runs 4 minutes before the fast from Bedford, which then overtakes it on the way to St Pancras.

eastwestdivide said:
Rainham Kent to Luton e.g.
1058 Thameslink from Rainham as far as Gravesend 1128, wait for the next Javelin at 1144 to St Pancras, hop off at 1205, have a leisurely coffee, go downstairs and re-board the same Luton train at 1243

When Crossrail starts, I think you will also have the alternative of changing at Abbey Wood and Farringdon and picking up the same train again.

Although travelling by your route, if the full timetable was up and running you would be able to catch the 12.13 from St Pancras and be half an hour earlier.

USBT · 14 Oct 2018

I’m surprised noone’s mentioned the loop trains.

Take a Kingston loop service from Waterloo. Change at Clapham Junction for a train to Earlsfield. Have a couple of pints in the Earlsffield Gastropub and 45 minutes after arriving take the Kingston loop train back to Waterloo.

I’m sure there’s something similar with the Hounslow loop with pint/coffee/lunch at Wandsworth Town or Putney.

SC43090 · 14 Oct 2018

if you do 1A73 0529 Plymouth Paddington to Exeter arr 0634, then catch 1A72 0553 Plymouth Paddington dep Exeter at 0652 arr Reading at 0832 then catch 1A73 from Reading dep 0857

SC43090

bionic · 14 Oct 2018

District line from the west to Tower Hill, walk to Fenchurch Street, C2C to Barking, rejoin same District line train to Upminster.

Graham H · 18 Oct 2018

On the Portsmouth direct line you can take the xx45 from Waterloo, change into the following xx00 fast train from Waterloo at Woking or Guildford and then change back to the slow train at Haslemere or Petersfield as the fast overtakes the slow at Haslemere.

Elecman · 21 Oct 2018

Euston to Warrington or north therof catch the Scottish train that runs via Milton Keynes, get off at Milton Keynes pick up the following Chester service to a Crewe then pick up the original service at Crewe for station Northwards

TrainTube · 23 Oct 2018

South West Mainline is riddled with them. You could take the xx24 train from Hampton court, get off at Surbiton at 32 then wait 6 minutes for the fast train stopping at clapham at 45, allowing you to get the Hampton court train to vauxhall and Waterloo. Even better, if you are at berrylands heading for london, it is actually quicker to get the Hampton court train 4 minutes earlier than the waterloo train, get off at Surbiton then wait 3 mins for the direct train. This train passes the one from hampton court at Wimbledon and you arrive in Waterloo between 7-9 mins earlier!

TrainTube · 23 Oct 2018

Do it all the time come to think of it Whenever im headed to Wembley I always get off the jubilee line at baker Street and get on a met train and it always overtakes the original jubilee line train.

LNW-GW Joint · 23 Oct 2018

If you are going Birmingham to North Wales coast, you can start on the 2-hourly through TfW train via Shrewsbury, but change at Wolverhampton into the following LNWR 350 to Crewe, then get the VT to Chester, where the original TfW service will show up 15 minutes later to take you down the coast.
The Crewe route is a good 40 minutes faster than via Shrewsbury, but there are only a couple of through trains early and late.

mushroomchow · 24 Oct 2018

AlexNL said:
I did this in the Netherlands, a few years ago.

I was on a slow service from Den Haag Centraal (The Hague) heading for Roosendaal. This service did not have a toilet, but I felt an upcoming need to go to the bathroom. I left the service at Rotterdam Centraal, and joined an intercity service for Venlo which did have a toilet. At Dordrecht, I left the intercity and re-joined the slow train to Roosendaal, happy to have been able to relieve my bladder.

So in other words, you caught a porta-loo?

D6975 · 25 Oct 2018

Exmouth branch stations to Paignton branch stations, numerous opportunities during the day. You can even watch the stopper leave Exeter St D in front of your train to Newton A, as you will pass it at Dawlish Warren.

Traveller54 · 28 Oct 2018

Take the 1352 from Edinburgh to Ayr via Carstairs and Glasgow Central, change at Haymarket to the 1401 limited stop to Glasgow Central via Shotts, arrive GC at 1509 and rejoin the first train departing 1530.

Warrior2852 · 28 Oct 2018

Here is one I haven't tested, but I think should work. Take a northbound Overground train on the Watford DC line from anywhere south of Stonebridge Park, get off at Wembley Central, change to a northbound West Midlands train, take that to Bushey, then take the Overground the rest of the way to Watford Junction (or Watford High Street if you want a reason for not staying on the West Midlands train)

[trivia] Journeys where you can start on a slow train, switch to fast one and pick up slow again

imagination

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Bedpan

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USBT

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SC43090

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bionic

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Graham H

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TrainTube

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mushroomchow

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