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What's the longest train ride you've had?
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R G NOW.
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Lydney to Liverpool in 1988.
scotrail158713
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Edinburgh to Kings Cross diverted via Carlisle a couple of years ago.
Which now seems ridiculously short compared to the journeys mentioned here.
Which now seems ridiculously short compared to the journeys mentioned here.
Shimbleshanks
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Laredo to Mexico City in about 1987 in about 26 hours, back in the days when Mexico still had a national rail system.
leightonbd
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This thread’s been on before ...
40 or so hrs, board Salzburg at midnight, alight Athens at about 5pm. Same train, same carriage (floor). This was Sept 1980.
Bit of platform time along the way to fill the water bottles. I think that would have been Belgrade.
Many of the pax were happy to let us corridor-dwellers have a couple of hours in their seats as day 2 went on.
Dinner in Athens tasted pretty d...... good!
40 or so hrs, board Salzburg at midnight, alight Athens at about 5pm. Same train, same carriage (floor). This was Sept 1980.
Bit of platform time along the way to fill the water bottles. I think that would have been Belgrade.
Many of the pax were happy to let us corridor-dwellers have a couple of hours in their seats as day 2 went on.
Dinner in Athens tasted pretty d...... good!
Struner
Member
Same Hellas Expres then.
Some time left to board again when you had filled your water bottle. At other stations in then Yugoslavia as well as far as I remember. Just board the train when it starts moving. & yes, it was really crowded. It took a long time to get back to your own compartment.
Some time left to board again when you had filled your water bottle. At other stations in then Yugoslavia as well as far as I remember. Just board the train when it starts moving. & yes, it was really crowded. It took a long time to get back to your own compartment.
185143
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Longest I've done with changes is:
Man Picc-Crewe-Preston-Edinburgh-Inverness-Kyle of Lochalsh-Inverness-London Euston-St Pancras-Cockfosters.
Longest direct is the Highland Sleeper London-Inverness via Manchester.
Man Picc-Crewe-Preston-Edinburgh-Inverness-Kyle of Lochalsh-Inverness-London Euston-St Pancras-Cockfosters.
Longest direct is the Highland Sleeper London-Inverness via Manchester.
Terry Tait
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Tonbridge to Headcorn 5 hours one night about 20 years ago when my train broke down just past Paddock Wood
Andrew*Debbie
Member
The longest train ride I've had was probably the 1W02 1022 London Paddington - Hereford on the 4th of May 2019, on a HST service, formed of 43004 + 43171. I rode between Charlbury and Hereford and that was 2 hours there and then 2 hours back on the same set, running the 1P65 1513 Hereford - London Paddington.
It was the last time the second-to-last time a HST would run to Hereford, and at the time I thought it would be the last Cotswold Line HST - so it was a no-brainer!
-Peter
It was the last time the second-to-last time a HST would run to Hereford, and at the time I thought it would be the last Cotswold Line HST - so it was a no-brainer!
-Peter
lxfe_mxtterz
Member
It's certainly nothing extreme or anything to brag about, but my longest train ride (on one train) probably has to be from Birmingham New Street, through Mid Wales and along the full length of the Cambrian Coast Line (and back) - taking around 4h 55m each way.
parkender102
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On one train continuous journey – Moscow – Beijing (Trans Manchurian Route) – 6 Days – 8984km
Did it as part of an overland railway journey Chester to Hong Kong using only train where possible – it was 1989 so not possible to take Eurostar under the Channel – so it was Ship or Jetfoil instead!
Chester – London – 337km
London – Dover – 124km
Dover – Ostend (Jet Foil – no longer in existence) – 175km
Ostend – Vienna (Sleeper) – 1217km
Vienna – Budapest – 243km
Budapest – Moscow (Sleeper) – 1829km
Moscow – Beijing (Trans Manchurian Route - 6 Days) – 8984km
Beijing – Guangzho (Canton City) (Sleeper) – 2128km
Guangzho (Canton City) – Hong Kong – 347km
Total by Rail – 15209km (not including the Jetfoil Dover to Ostend).
Did it as part of an overland railway journey Chester to Hong Kong using only train where possible – it was 1989 so not possible to take Eurostar under the Channel – so it was Ship or Jetfoil instead!
Chester – London – 337km
London – Dover – 124km
Dover – Ostend (Jet Foil – no longer in existence) – 175km
Ostend – Vienna (Sleeper) – 1217km
Vienna – Budapest – 243km
Budapest – Moscow (Sleeper) – 1829km
Moscow – Beijing (Trans Manchurian Route - 6 Days) – 8984km
Beijing – Guangzho (Canton City) (Sleeper) – 2128km
Guangzho (Canton City) – Hong Kong – 347km
Total by Rail – 15209km (not including the Jetfoil Dover to Ostend).
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OneOffDave
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For me it was 17 hours from Moscow to Izhevsk for around 1,000 km and then back again a week later
VT 390
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My longest was on the Highland Sleeper from London Euston to Fort William which was about an hour late so added around an hour on to the journey.
Jamesrob637
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Amsterdam to Dresden on an overnight but without the sleeping car. Ouch! We did get half the money back though!
sprinterguy
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In the UK, with changes, Birmingham New Street - Aberdeen via a protracted wait in Lancaster after the high profile failure of a charter train climbing Shap ahead of us. I learnt my lesson and flew from Birmingham on future trips after that debacle.
From the UK, then Birmingham New Street to Utrecht, via the Eurostar from St Pancras to Brussels.
And wholly within Europe, Zurich - Lausanne via the Golden Pass train(s) felt like a long day.
Other than the sleeper, the longest distance I'm generally willing to do by direct train is about four hours. Anything more tries my patience, and I prefer to be able to break my journey after a couple of hours if possible.
From the UK, then Birmingham New Street to Utrecht, via the Eurostar from St Pancras to Brussels.
And wholly within Europe, Zurich - Lausanne via the Golden Pass train(s) felt like a long day.
You know for some reason the Caledonian Sleeper didn't even occur to me until I saw your post, but I have taken the Highland sleeper from Euston to Fort William. I guess it doesn't feel as grueling as long distance day travel as I can essentially drink until I'm ready to pass out for the night. My first trip, of several, on the Fort William sleeper getting drunk on whisky in the lounge car and then drunker on mead sitting on the sink in my berth remains a cherished memory.
Other than the sleeper, the longest distance I'm generally willing to do by direct train is about four hours. Anything more tries my patience, and I prefer to be able to break my journey after a couple of hours if possible.
No changes: Rome to Palermo 13 hours. The train was split and shunted onto the ferry and the reattached on the other side. As I and the train stayed together on the ship I count this as no changes.
With changes: Carbis Bay to Whitley Bridge. I wonder if that ticket has been sold since?
With changes: Carbis Bay to Whitley Bridge. I wonder if that ticket has been sold since?
Ladder23
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Stevenage to Edinburgh! Back on the GNER
Nuremberg to Newcastle (via the Eupen branch and back, Brussels, Tournai and Lille Flandres onto the Eurostar there) is my longest one- short of a thousand miles and taking about 20 hours!
London to Vienna was also done in a day- albeit with less faffing on as I had my girlfriend with me- although I did persuade her into a leg stretch and a swap to some Taurus haulage from Linz!
Longest without changing, probably Shin-Osaka to just south of Hakata or Tokyo to Morioka on the Shinkansen!
London to Vienna was also done in a day- albeit with less faffing on as I had my girlfriend with me- although I did persuade her into a leg stretch and a swap to some Taurus haulage from Linz!
Longest without changing, probably Shin-Osaka to just south of Hakata or Tokyo to Morioka on the Shinkansen!
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