Bad routes

[soil]

Wonder what silly routes any of you have taken?

My wife went to Camberley today from Woking. Camberley is on the Guildford-Ascot line, and she was going there with a friend travelling from Godalming, which is a stop or two past Guildford on the mainline from London through Woking, so naturally they met up in Guildford.

Except of course this was a pretty stupid route to travel. Woking to Camberley is only 10 miles by road, Woking to Guildford six by train, and Guildford to Camberley sixteen, so not exactly a direct route.

Woking to Guildford takes around 7 minutes, but Guildford to Camberley takes 44 minutes, with 17 minutes required to cover 2 miles from Aldershot to Ash Vale.

She could have cut 44 minutes down to 10 by taking a train direct to Ash Vale, but obviously didn't realise that she could, and I guess she thought it better to meet up on Guildford station.

After spending time in Camberley she went to a house in Deepcut, which has no train station. 'What time are you coming home', I asked. 'Around six o clock' she said, 'but I need to get a taxi to Camberley and then come back to Guildford'. 'Don't do that, just go to Brookwood and then there's a train every few minutes to Woking that takes only five minutes.' 'But my friend has a ticket from Godalming, she can't go back via Brookwood'. 'Yes she can', I said, 'and it will be quicker, five minutes to Woking then 17 minutes to Godalming instead of that ridiculous 45 minutes from Camberley to Guildford'

Anyway she got a lift to the station at around 9pm in the end. Except for some reason it was to Frimley station, one stop on from Camberley, rather than Brookwood. So she waited 20 minutes for the train to Guildford and then rather than getting off at the next stop, Ash Vale, for the 10 minute journey to Woking, she stayed on while the train reversed round the bend towards Guildford, before changing back to Woking, so the 8 mile journey (by road) took about an hour-and-a-half or at least twice as long as it takes on my bicycle.

Apparently she and her friend were offered a lift to Woking but declined because the ticket from Godalming to Camberley wouldn't be valid to get back from Woking to Godalming. :roll:

It can be less than trivial working out which public transport to use, I suppose. She relies on satnav when driving. Not sure what ridiculous and convoluted routes any have you have taken to go from A to B via C and D? Quite impressive to take 90 minutes to cover under 10 miles including car assistance to the station I have to say.

Just FWIW:

The following are ALWAYS Permitted routes:
Any direct trains advertised from WOKING to CAMBERLEY in the current timetable
The shortest route with a regular train service, not including walks and transfers (13.61 miles):
WOKING
BROOKWOOD
ASH VALE
FRIMLEY
CAMBERLEY

Instead, 23.08 miles:
WOKING
WORPLESDON
GUILDFORD
WANBOROUGH
ASH
ALDERSHOT
ASH VALE
FRIMLEY
CAMBERLEY

From Godalming shortest route is 21.23 miles, and Camberley-Ash Vale-(via Brookwood)-Woking-Godalming is 23.78 miles, so either Brookwood-Woking-Godalming or Woking-Godalming were permitted routes on a Camberley-Godalming ticket, but what my wife did on a Woking-Camberley ticket, which was Woking-Guildford-Camberley, was not. (Frimley-Guildford-Woking was also not valid) Shame an RPI didn't catch her and PF her for taking such a silly route....

 

[MikeWh]

Don't know about silly routes, but there was a rather comical situation a few years ago where the only way (most of the time) to get between two stations with just two intermediate stations was to get FOUR trains. It was Sundridge Park to Grove Park to Hither Green to Lewisham* to St Johns. *Lewisham isn't actually on the direct route from Hither Green to St Johns.

 

[12CSVT]

Gorton to Fairfield (one mile apart on the same line) is only possible by doubling back (either to Guide Bridge or Manchester Piccadilly)

On the subject of 'silly' routes I once did Carlisle to Sheffield via Birmingham New Street. It was in the 1980s, when there were far more overnight trains than there are now. I had worked out that with a 30 min connection at New Street, it was possible to get to Sheffield for about 0700. And with a 'Blue Saver' (as they were called then) marked 'any reasonable route', at no time was my choice of route even challenged by any of the train guards.

On the other hand, also in the 1980s, I was excessed for being 'out of route' on the Calder Valley line with a Carlisle to Leeds ticket routed via Lancaster (even though I had passed through Lancaster).

 

[dzug2]

How about Bedford to Sandy? Best part of 2 hours by train and £39 minimum. Half an hour by bus at say a fiver max. Maybe 15 minutes by train when it gets reopened.

 

[westcoaster]

Wellingborough - Northampton is about 10 miles apart by road or 50.79 miles by rail ( via Bedford) or (85.59 via Leicester and Nuneaton)

Would mallaig to Kyle of Lochalse be the longest 422.66 by rail, 27.5 by car. £109.60 and the quickest journey is 14h23m. Might be able to walk quicker.

 

[IanD]

At Newark NG yesterday, there were a couple of teenagers wanting to go to Peterborough. They got on the 1529 which was heading to Peterborough via Lincoln arriving at 1729 instead of taking the late running EC 1518 which would have made the trip in half an hour (it was just arriving at Newark as we left).

To be fair, the girl was v good looking and the boy was punching at least 4 levels above his weight so maybe it was an excuse on his part to spend more time together but the girl's "Well, it says Peterborough so it must be the right train!" suggests otherwise.

(I think this departure is a candidate for one of those services that is displayed as only going as far as the penultimate stop).

 

[Essexman]

I was once told by National Rail Enquiries that there was no direct train from Upminster to Romford, and I should travel : Upminster - Barking - Wanstead Park - Forest Gate (walk) - Romford. Somewhat longer than the 8 minutes the direct train takes.

 

[jonb]

I was once told by National Rail Enquiries that there was no direct train from Upminster to Romford, and I should travel : Upminster - Barking - Wanstead Park - Forest Gate (walk) - Romford. Somewhat longer than the 8 minutes the direct train takes.

Just goes to show how useless NRE really are!

 

[voyagerdude220]

I've probably mentioned this on here before, but here it goes..

Two or three years ago, I took the first diverted Super Voyager from Preston to Glasgow, via the S&C. Shortly after leaving Preston, the TM performs the usual ticket check.

Shortly after passing through Clitheroe he returns and says to me he's found a small group of teenage girls wanting Lancaster, who are demanding to be let off the train.

(For anyone not familiar with the area, the Clitheroe to Hellifield line is usually a freight only line, apart from Northern's Dalesrail, the odd charter and whenever Virgin divert to avoid the WCML via Lancaster/Oxenholme/Penrith)

There was a rail replacement bus which would've got them into Lancaster at sometime before 14:00. In the end they would've finally reached Lancaster at about 19:00.. Around 5-6 hours (probably longer in reality) for what would usually be a 15 minute journey when the WCML is open.

 

[172212]

Walsall to Wolverhampton? 30 minutes by bus, over an hour by train

 

[EXD]

I was once told by National Rail Enquiries that there was no direct train from Upminster to Romford, and I should travel : Upminster - Barking - Wanstead Park - Forest Gate (walk) - Romford. Somewhat longer than the 8 minutes the direct train takes.

This reminds me of a similar incident when I was trying to plan a journey to Motspur Park with NRE a while back. Four of the five options were the obvious Exeter Central - Clapham Junction - Motspur Park, but the other option was the rather les obvious Exeter Central - Exeter St. David's - Bristol Parkway - Reading - Virginia Water - Weybridge - Surbiton - Raynes Park - Motspur Park, taking over 6 hours. Needless to say, I chose the direct route!

 

[bb21]

Walsall to Wolverhampton? 30 minutes by bus, over an hour by train

You can always wait for the 1936. Mind you, not today though.

 

[Chapeltom]

At Newark NG yesterday, there were a couple of teenagers wanting to go to Peterborough. They got on the 1529 which was heading to Peterborough via Lincoln arriving at 1729 instead of taking the late running EC 1518 which would have made the trip in half an hour (it was just arriving at Newark as we left).

To be fair, the girl was v good looking and the boy was punching at least 4 levels above his weight so maybe it was an excuse on his part to spend more time together but the girl's "Well, it says Peterborough so it must be the right train!" suggests otherwise.

(I think this departure is a candidate for one of those services that is displayed as only going as far as the penultimate stop).

Having just put this in NRE, 1hr 57 as opposed to 29 minutes! OUCH!! I can imagine them saying an half an hour in, I'm sure this isn't going to Peterborough, were in Lincoln!!