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Trivia — Shortest Routes Between Stations of the Same Name (For Example: Catford to Catford Bridge)

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TT-ONR-NRN

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London Road > Brighton > Redhill > Guildford > London Road
Can’t reverse. You would need to reverse at Brighton, so I think it would have to be

London Road (Brighton) > Hastings > Ashford International > Tonbridge > Bromley South > Clapham High Street > Clapham Junction > Surbiton > Cobham > London Road

and if there’s no link from Clapham High Street to the SWR part of Clapham Jct then it would have to be

London Road (Brighton) > Hastings > Ashford International > Tonbridge > Redhill > Clapham Junction > Kensington Olympia > Slough > Reading > Basingstoke > Hedge End > Havant > Guildford > London Road
 

Old Yard Dog

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I have actually made a bona fide "normal" VFR journey from Chester to Chester Road
 

Dr_Paul

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Is Marylebone > Oxford > GWML> Acton Wells Jn > NLL > Stratford > Ldn Liverpool St not slightly shorter?
One can cut a few miles off by going on the curve at Hackney from the NLL to the Hackney Downs line down to Liverpool Street.
 

Dr_Paul

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Can’t reverse. You would need to reverse at Brighton, so I think it would have to be

London Road (Brighton) > Hastings > Ashford International > Tonbridge > Bromley South > Clapham High Street > Clapham Junction > Surbiton > Cobham > London Road

and if there’s no link from Clapham High Street to the SWR part of Clapham Jct then it would have to be

London Road (Brighton) > Hastings > Ashford International > Tonbridge > Redhill > Clapham Junction > Kensington Olympia > Slough > Reading > Basingstoke > Hedge End > Havant > Guildford > London Road
One can get from Clapham High Street to the South-Western, but only to the Windsor lines, so one would then need to go to Wimbledon via East Putney. However, as Brighton to Hastings these days requires a reverse because the Polegate to Pevensey side of the triangle junction north of Eastbourne has been removed, I don't think that London Road Brighton to London Road Guildford is now possible. In the past, going via the Bluebell line was probably the shortest route, once the junction at Lewes enabled through running towards Horsted Keynes. Otherwise, it would have been via Ashford.
 

SteveyBee131

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Bradford interchange - halifax - Mirfield - Wakefield kirkgate - Normanton - Leeds - Shipley - Bradford forster Square.
As we aren't allowed to reverse, this wouldn't count as you would do so at Leeds

Waterloo > Waterloo via Hounslow loop.
I think we're trying to figure out shortest routes between 2 different stations with similar names on different lines.
 

zwk500

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As we aren't allowed to reverse, this wouldn't count as you would do so at Leeds


I think we're trying to figure out shortest routes between 2 different stations with similar names on different lines.
Does Waterloo (Main side) to Waterloo international via Teddington count? :lol:
 

61653 HTAFC

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Another planet...
Waterloo > Waterloo via Hounslow loop.
That's a peculiar route to take from South West London to Merseyside... (!) ;)

A historical one would be Longwood (and Milnsbridge) to Lockwood... at the time the former was open, a route via Huddersfield, Leeds, York, Harrogate, Wetherby, Leeds and Huddersfield would have been possible. If departing westbound however, it'd have to be Diggle, Stalybridge, Denton, Stockport, Stoke, Derby, Sheffield, Barnsley. Alas the Hazel Grove chord would significantly shorten that route by giving access to the Hope Valley line, but didn't exist when Longwood station was open.

Even for this outside case, Woodhead is about as much use as rollerskates on a fish!
 
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London Trains

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Shepherds Bush (Overground) to Shepherds Bush Market (Circle/H+C lines): Clapham Jct > Twickenham > Kingston > Wimbledon > Earls Court > Victoria > Monument > Liverpool Street > KXSTP > Paddington > Shepherds Bush Market

Marylebone (NR) to Baker Street (Met/Circle/H+C): High Wycombe > Bicester Village > Oxford > Reading > Acton > Clapham Jct > Twickenham > Kingston > Wimbledon > Earls Court > Victoria > Monument > Liverpool Street > KXSTP > Baker Street
 
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tubenutter

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Hammersmith (H&C) -> Hammersmith (District) via Paddington, Liverpool Street, Monument, Earl's Court

(there's also Paddington (H&C) -> Paddington (District) via a similar route but I guess they count as being on the same line these days!)
 

Old Yard Dog

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Avoiding reversals and freight-only lines, I think you would need to go via Lancaster and Preston to get from Bradford Forster Square to Bradford Interchange

Like a number of other posters, I had discounted the Whitehall Curve as a freight only line.

As a gricer, I had been struggling to cop this line for years until the front unit of a TPE Leeds - Manchester train developed a fault. Eventually they limped it out towards Normanton and after a mile or so it reversed and proceeded towards Manchester via the Whitehall curve. I was delighted, other delayed passengers weren't.

As a Bradfordian, I hate having to change at Leeds. So my two other delights were (1) my one and only journey down the Wortley curve and (2) boarding a Hull KR supporters special on my way back from Bradford to Hull which went non stop through Leeds. I hadn't been to the game. I had been to a football match at Park Avenue the day before and was returning to Hull - but was told to board the special by the man on the barrier at the old Bradford Exchange station.
 

30907

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Like a number of other posters, I had discounted the Whitehall Curve as a freight only line.
I don't think it has ever been freight-only in operational terms (ie passenger trains not permitted) and it was used during the 1990s Leeds rebuilding (complete with temporary platform).
 

A Challenge

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Reversing isn't allowed. I'll have a think now and see what I can come up with.
EDIT: Falkirk High - Croy - Bishopbriggs - Ashfield - Anniesland - Partick - Glasgow Central Low Level - Newton - Hamilton - Motherwell - Cumbernald - Falkirk Grahamston. I'm pretty sure this works?
What about Falkirk High - Edinburgh Park - Suburban - Brunstane - Waverley - Falkirk Grahamston, is that shorter?
 
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