Trivia: Longest end to end service with an inter-peak frequency of every 15 minutes or better

[GordonT]

Just like Swindon, the services don't terminate at Leicester, so it doesn't qualify.

Although the Swindon and Leicester examples fall outwith my OP criteria in relation to terminals, they are quite impressive for regularity of high frequency and relatively consistent stopping pattern over substantial distances. Perhaps it's my criteria that's flawed.

 

[Magdalia]

London to Leicester - 98 miles or so - almost same stopping patterns, just two variations. 4 trains per hour.

Although the Swindon and Leicester examples fall outwith my OP criteria in relation to terminals, they are quite impressive for regularity of high frequency and relatively consistent stopping pattern over substantial distances. Perhaps it's my criteria that's flawed.

Liverpool Street-Stansted Airport only falls down on the standard stopping pattern. All trains call at Tottenham Hale but alternate trains call at Harlow Town or Bishops Stortford, and one train per hour calls at Stansted Mountfitchet.

 

[Haywain]

Although the Swindon and Leicester examples fall outwith my OP criteria in relation to terminals, they are quite impressive for regularity of high frequency and relatively consistent stopping pattern over substantial distances. Perhaps it's my criteria that's flawed.

London to Leicester may be 4 tph but it certainly isn't every 15 minutes. If you are relaxingvthe stopping pattern and final destination criteria, then I would suggest that Bedford to London Bridge (and possibly East Croydon) is a good candidate.

 

[Purple Train]

Are there any Thameslink routes that have four trains per hour? I can't think of any since the upgrade, but maybe one of the shorter ones (which may still be in with a shout)?

 

[JonathanH]

Are there any Thameslink routes that have four trains per hour?

Not end to end. Hitchin to East Croydon, Bedford to East Croydon and St Albans to Streatham are all four even trains per hour, bar the call at West Hampstead Thameslink in the Bedford to Brighton but not the Bedford to Three Bridges, but no end to end 4tph service.

 

[Magdalia]

Are there any Thameslink routes that have four trains per hour? I can't think of any since the upgrade, but maybe one of the shorter ones (which may still be in with a shout)?

The St Albans-Sutton service probably comes nearest. It is every 15 minutes St Albans-Streatham but then trains go alternately clockwise or anti-clockwise round the Sutton/Wimbledon loop.

 

[GordonT]

London to Leicester may be 4 tph but it certainly isn't every 15 minutes. If you are relaxingvthe stopping pattern and final destination criteria, then I would suggest that Bedford to London Bridge (and possibly East Croydon) is a good candidate.

Happy to relax the criteria to bring more such services as you suggest into the frame.

 

[PGAT]

London Victoria to East Croydon is 9tph off-peak with the same stopping pattern if the final destination criteria is relaxed

 

[fkofilee]

While it doesnt fit your criteria - I would consider Thameslink services from Gatwick to Bedford as a contender. Mostly as some terminate at Three Bridges and Others Brighton etc.

 

[cle]

Old Thameslink (4tph Bedford-Brighton) was a solid contender, admittedly with some stopping patterns differing, but the core route and key stations were the same.

Southend Victoria is almost there, and 4tph was spoken of for a time. Same with the GN routes (pre-Covid) - fairly standard patterns and destinations, not much branching anyway.

 

[FenMan]

Wasn't Waterloo - Reading 4tph for a short period before COVID put its oar in?

 

[JonathanH]

Wasn't Waterloo - Reading 4tph for a short period before COVID put its oar in?

Not all day, and not all the same stops.

 

[py_megapixel]

Will there be 4tph from London to Birmingham Curzon Street when HS2 first opens? I've lost track of what the proposed service pattern is now, but if so, that will surely wipe the floor with almost anything else.

I think at one point there was a proposal to increase London-Manchester to 4tph, but nothing ever came of it.

 

[Kite159]

Old Thameslink (4tph Bedford-Brighton) was a solid contender, admittedly with some stopping patterns differing, but the core route and key stations were the same.

Southend Victoria is almost there, and 4tph was spoken of for a time. Same with the GN routes (pre-Covid) - fairly standard patterns and destinations, not much branching anyway.

I believe 4tph was talked about for Southend Victoria before Covid arrived on the scene knocking that on the head, even 3tph there is a different as 1tph calls at Romford (off-peak)

Some of the GN routes when they were running 4tph on both 'branches' had different calling pattern from memory, I want to say some of the quieter stations only had 2tph (off-peak)

 

[Sunil_P]

Not sure why Underground is excluded when Trams and other Light Rail are included, but for what it's worth West Ruislip to Epping is 34 miles.

 

[Cricketer8for9]

I’m guessing because the Underground would win and it would be a short thread.

 

[GordonT]

I’m guessing because the Underground would win and it would be a short thread.

Yes that's precisely the reason I excluded LU. My interest was more to establish examples of LU-style regularity and its outer suburban frequencies extending over even greater distances and the responses have been very interesting.

 

[Class15]

Almost certainly one of the overground lines. Richmond - Stratford or Highbury & Islington - Clapham Junction ELL would be the best shouts.

 

[Crithylum]

Almost certainly one of the overground lines. Richmond - Stratford or Highbury & Islington - Clapham Junction ELL would be the best shouts.

One is under 18 miles and the other does not have a service. ELL trains from Clapham Junction only run to Dalston Junction.

 

[Class15]

One is under 18 miles and the other does not have a service. ELL trains from Clapham Junction only run to Dalston Junction.

Thanks for reminding me. However, there doesn’t seem to be a reference to anything very much longer than 18 in this thread.