Travelling to avoid tunnels

[Karen Pipe]

I have recently had eye surgery and cannot travel through long tunnels for the next couple of months as I have to avoid pressure changes. I want to travel from Reading to Halifax but can't find any info on tunnels when planning a journey.

I know I can get into London (Paddington) from Reading without any tunnels but from Kings Cross I know there are lots. Equally I think (?) going Cross Country via Birmingham means I will spend a lot of time underground.

Is there any information anywhere on the network map which shows tunnels so I can try and avoid?

Thanks in advance.

 

[yorkie]

See https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/travelling-without-tunnels-puzzle-can-i-get-from-lewisham-to-newcastle.95212/ and https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/london-to-newcastle-without-tunnels.172091/

Note: it is impossible to get to Halifax by rail in any direction without going through at least one short tunnel.

You could go via Tottenham Hale*-Cambridge-Peterborough-Spalding-Sleaford-Lincoln-Newark-Retford-Doncaster-Wakefield-Halifax to minimise tunnels, but it would be quicker to go by coach!

(* I can't imagine there'd be any issues with passing through the cut and cover tunnels at low speed between Paddington-Liverpool Street-Tottenham Hale)

 

[Karen Pipe]

See https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...e-can-i-get-from-lewisham-to-newcastle.95212/

Note: it is impossible to get to Halifax by rail in any direction without going through at least one short tunnel.

You could go via Peterborough-Spalding-Sleaford-Lincoln-Newark-Retford-Doncaster-Wakefield-Halifax to minimise tunnels, but it would surely be quicker to go by coach!

Thanks for the info Short tunnels are OK (I would think a couple of hundred yards).

 

[eastwestdivide]

Would the speed through the tunnels also be a factor? At low speeds into and out of a double-track tunnel, the pressure change wouldn't be as much as higher speed and a single-track tunnel that only just fits the profile of the train.

 

[Whistler40145]

Would there be fewer Tunnels involved if she went on CrossCountry from Reading to Birmingham New Street, Virgin to Preston and then the York service to Halifax?

 

[30907]

Would there be fewer Tunnels involved if she went on CrossCountry from Reading to Birmingham New Street, Virgin to Preston and then the York service to Halifax?

That's the best option by far. Unlikely to be any pressure pulses.

Southam Tunnel north of Banbury - very short.
Tile Hill - ditto, only on a train via Coventry.
New Street tunnels - very low speed.
Preston Brook tunnel - 125mph but very short.
Four short tunnels Burnley to Hebden Br - 40mph at most through the first two, and the others aren't much faster.
Changing at Banbury and going into Moor St would cut out two of these.

If Preston Brook is a worry, go via Liverpool (lower speed tunnel!)