Alternate Routes to the Norm Involving one TOC

[Mutant Lemming]

But those are using multiple operators, surely? This thread is about using one operator
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Yes, that was the general idea with the possibility of train companies coming up with a cheaper fare to use their services as per London -Stoke EMT only. As it stands I have got some reasonable Longton to London fares but making it Stoke instead kind of kills them off. If there were a Stoke-London EMT only fare then it may increase competition and negate the need for Stoke to London via EMT (and maybe a few others) requiring a split (as per Stoke-Longton and Longton-St.Pancras).

 

[tbtc]

FSR Preston to Carlisle?

 

[Ivo]

Cardiff to Taunton with XC and not FGW

Ah, but the shortest route with XC is the same as the shortest route with FGW.

I thought of that - but how many journey opportunities are there? Do any such services actually have an adequate connection at Bristol TM?

 

[Eagle]

I thought of that - but how many journey opportunities are there? Do any such services actually have an adequate connection at Bristol TM?

The morning one does (the evening one gets to BRI after the last XC to TAU has left).

 

[tsr]

But those are using multiple operators, surely? This thread is about using one operator

Sorry; for the Bletchley - Bedford idea I was getting ahead of myself and thinking how it will be when SN & TL routes are run by the same TOC (having read a fair few things about it recently)... but for the Hayes & Harlington - Reading idea, I just thought it would be interesting to consider.

You may say I am making excuses, as some would say I hadn't read the thread title properly! :P

 

[marks87]

Dundee-Perth with East Coast.

Newcastle-London with ScotRail.

 

[Ivo]

St Pancras to London Bridge with SE

(And before anyone suggests SE services via the Snow Hill Tunnel, remember those are officially FCC services until they hit City Thameslink!)

 

[Eagle]

(And before anyone suggests SE services via the Snow Hill Tunnel, remember those are officially FCC services until they hit City Thameslink!)

Also that there are no SE services between Blackfriars and London Bridge anyway; you'd have to go at least as far as Lewisham to get between those two.

 

[dvboy]

Birmingham to London with XC and FGW
Newark to London with EMT

 

[Lrd]

Southampton to Guildford with XC.
Ashford International to Tonbridge with Southern.

 

[Ivo]

Bristol TM to Weymouth with SWT

 

[Eagle]

Southampton to Guildford with XC.

Not this weekend though.
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Bristol TM to Weymouth with SWT

Or with XC in August.

 

[Welshman]

It's not quicker than via Frodsham by the time you need to change at Crewe, unless you're referring to the fact via Frodsham is only hourly, so if you've missed a train then it's quicker via Crewe than waiting for the next direct service.

And if you ensure you use Virgin Trains from North-Wales/Chester-Crewe to Manchester, it's a way to travel 1st Class, should you wish to[and also perhaps get free refreshments]

 

[dvboy]

Birmingham to Chester on ATW when it's usually quicker to change at Crewe.

 

[tbtc]

Birmingham to Chester on ATW when it's usually quicker to change at Crewe.

Also Gloucester to Birmingham by ATW

 

[LE Greys]

Peterborough-London with GA
Southampton-Basingstoke with FGW
Carlisle-Carstairs with Scotrail (unless I'm very much mistaken)
Mallaig-Kyle of Lochalsh with Scotrail - gets an Honourable Mention because the usual ferry or bus routes are one quarter of the duration

 

[causton]

Apologies if any of these are repeats!

Peterborough - Cambridge with FCC
West Croydon - Clapham Junction with London Overground (slightly more feasible in December, but definitely not now!)
Along the same lines, Richmond - Clapham Junction


Stratford - Barking with London Overground (assuming DLR counts!)
Kensington (Olympia) - Victoria with Southern (assume LU counts - or rather, LO/LU via West Brompton these days)
Walthamstow Central - Tottenham Hale / Tottenham Hale - Seven Sisters / Walthamstow Central - Seven Sisters via Greater Anglia


And on a slightly different tangent:
Euston - Watford Junction with London Overground

 

[Shimbleshanks]

London to Paris with Southeastern, P&O Ferries and the SNCF 'classique' route? Or Belgium with SNCB?

 

[Ivo]

The idea is to do it with only one TOC (and suggesting you have only one TOC because SNCF/SNCB/P&O don't count isn't really fair)

Another one for people to ponder over (which is admittedly shorter than the average): Coventry to Nuneaton with XC.

Or how about Birmingham New Street to Birmingham Moor Street with LM (as opposed to walking )?

 

[tbtc]

Another one for people to ponder over (which is admittedly shorter than the average): Coventry to Nuneaton with XC.

Also Tamworth - Nuneaton and Nottingham - Leicester.

How about historic TOCs?

Under Central Trains you could have done Doncaster - Sheffield (via Lincoln, Newark, Nottingham and Chesterfield).

 

[SS4]

Or how about Birmingham New Street to Birmingham Moor Street with LM (as opposed to walking )?

You'd probably cover more distance walking between platforms at Smethwick GB than you would walking from BHM-BMO

 

[Eagle]

Another one for people to ponder over (which is admittedly shorter than the average): Coventry to Nuneaton with XC.

Such a ticket flow actually exists. Not that anyone uses it because the Not via Birmnghm one is a lot cheaper.

 

[LE Greys]

Also Tamworth - Nuneaton and Nottingham - Leicester.

How about historic TOCs?

Under Central Trains you could have done Doncaster - Sheffield (via Lincoln, Newark, Nottingham and Chesterfield).

Equally, Manchester-Piccadilly-Nuneaton (or Birmingham) via Sheffield and Leicester

 

[Eagle]

Equally, Manchester-Piccadilly-Nuneaton (or Birmingham) via Sheffield and Leicester

Manchester to Birmingham with Wales and West (via Newport is the shortest possible).

Southampton to Portsmouth with VXC (via Reading). Or indeed Euston to Paddington (via Coventry).

Bidston to Liverpool with FNW (via Shotton and Earlestown).

Liverpool to Blackpool with ATN (via Hebden Bridge), or Preston to Lancaster (via Bradford).

 

[Ivo]

Liverpool Street to Peterborough with Anglia Railways

 

[Eagle]

Liverpool Street to Peterborough with Anglia Railways

Which they made into a through service, that survived until 2010 (when it was realized that using 2-car 170s on GEML services was a bit of a waste).

 

[LE Greys]

The singularly curious Manchester-London via Bristol service from Wales & West
Equally, you might have York-Waterloo via a tour round the NLL and WLL, but that was under BR, so only gets an Honourable Mention.

 

[Eagle]

Equally, you might have York-Waterloo via a tour round the NLL and WLL, but that was under BR, so only gets an Honourable Mention.

Although Virgin also trialled a few services from northern England and Scotland to Waterloo (mainly by diverting Paddington services, via Richmond I believe).

 

[Ivo]

Which they made into a through service, that survived until 2010 (when it was realized that using 2-car 170s on GEML services was a bit of a waste).

Under NXEA I believe? I'm sure the one time I saw this it was 3-car (Unless that was a Lowestoft service, of course.)

But yes, it most certainly was a waste. At least the Lowestoft route had potential, even if the stock was wholly inadequate south of Ipswich.

 

[alexf380]

Carlisle-Carstairs with Scotrail (unless I'm very much mistaken)

Yes, that could work:
Carlisle - Glasgow
Glasgow - North Berwick(calls at Carstairs)

That is however the only way between those two stations as I believe no TPE or Virgin services call at Carstairs