Trivia: Longest train journey between two geographically close towns

[alex17595]

Buxton-Matlock.

3hrs 15mins by train.
40 Minuite Drive

 

[Darren R]

Skipton <> Colne (!)

That gets my personal vote - 12 miles by road, 3 and a half hours by train including an hour -long wait at Accrington and a walk across Bradford to boot!

NRE quotes £33.80 as the cheapest return fare - ouch!

 

[7Pinza]

Cleethorpes - Skegness;
Gentle 39 miles down the Lincolnshire coast, or anywhere between 3.5 - 5 hours by rail

 

[FQ]

Goole to Barton-On-Humber 35 minute drive, 2 hours 45 minutes.

 

[JamesRowden]

Marlow to High Wycombe:

• 19 Mins by Bus
• 122 Mins by National Rail & Underground (3 Changes)
• 150 Mins by National Rail only (3 Changes) (via Banbury)

 

[syorksdeano]

I suppose Bradford Interchange to Bradford Foster Square could be included.

10 mins walking distance, 40 odd minutes by train

 

[LM 170]

Has I live in kidderminster I have a few.

Kidderminster to Ludlow 43 min by road. But by rail the fastest route is via Hereford with a time of 2 hours and via Galton Bridge it takes about an extra 40 min on top.

Kidderminster to Redditch 34 min by road. But by rail it takes about 1 hour and 45 min with a change at university.

 

[kevconnor]

I suppose Bradford Interchange to Bradford Foster Square could be included.

10 mins walking distance, 40 odd minutes by train

By this logic you could throw into that any station where there is a high level and low level platform on divergent lines (such as Shotton) but I think the OP was about separate towns, unless one half of Bradford has tried declaring independence from the other I don't think this would count.

 

[LewFinnis]

Canterbury West to Canterbury East - less than a mile apart but around 90 minutes via Ashford and Dover or Ramsgate and Dover

 

[Domh245]

West ruislip to Ickenham. About 8 minutes to walk it, 72 minutes on the tube with 3/4 interchanges

 

[mr williams]

Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction?

 

[Trainfan344]

Lowestoft to great yarmouth, 10.7 miles, 1h 25m on the train

 

[FQ]

Windermere to Garsdale. Driving 1h 7 minutes and train 3 h 3 minutes.

 

[FQ]

Malton to Battersby might be another one 58 minutes driving and 2h 58 minutes on the train. My second one is a Malton to Pickering (NYMR). 15 minutes driving and 5h 45m on train.

 

[Jonny]

Another one:

Mallaig - Kyle of Lochalsh is 27 miles by road and ferry 90 minutes from each other. the rail between the two takes between 14 - 20 hours.

11h 30 from Kyle on the 12:05 if you're OK with tight connections at Inverness and Glasgow Queen Street. 14 hours the other way with an over-two-hours layover at Inverness.

 

[MrPosh]

Peterborough to Whittlesea?

Do that journey and you go back 40 years.

 

[Quakers Yard]

Merthyr to Rhymney on a Sunday. 3hr 31 min or 2hr 41 other direction.
No buses to my knowledge on a Sun.
Definately quicker to walk the 7 miles or so.
What about Pilning to Severn Beach?

 

[asylumxl]

Luton and Hitchin. Station to station is 9 miles and 20 minutes by road. By train NRE gives me 1 hour 34 minutes. That's 4.7x as long.

I imagine the situation is broadly the same for most places in the home counties, from experience.

 

[EM2]

Barming to East Farleigh is a two-mile, half-hour walk (or five minute drive), but 1hr 52m by train, changing at Ashford and Paddock Wood (although anyone with any sense would walk between Maidstone East & Maidstone Barracks )

 

[Strathclyder]

Largs to Wemyss Bay. 7.2 miles apart, which is a 14 minute drive, 13 minutes by bus but 1hr 50 minutes by train, with a change at Paisley Gilmour Street.

 

[Markdvdman]

Merthyr to Rhymney on a Sunday. 3hr 31 min or 2hr 41 other direction.
No buses to my knowledge on a Sun.
Definately quicker to walk the 7 miles or so.
What about Pilning to Severn Beach?

N.A.T Group run buses on a Sunday taking 23 mins

 

[Statto]

Buxton-Matlock.

3hrs 15mins by train.
40 Minuite Drive

Depends what direction you're travelling Buxton to Matlock about 4 hours, the other way as you say 3hrs 14min quickest, journey planner suggests changing in Nottingham on some trains.

SVR return fare £45.50 even though the 2 towns are 20 miles apart but no direct rail line means a long detour via Stockport, Sheffield, Derby or Nottingham.

 

[button_boxer]

Depends what direction you're travelling Buxton to Matlock about 4 hours, the other way as you say 3hrs 14min quickest, journey planner suggests changing in Nottingham on some trains.

SVR return fare £45.50 even though the 2 towns are 20 miles apart but no direct rail line means a long detour via Stockport, Sheffield, Derby or Nottingham.

and doubling back all the way between Ambergate and Derby as no trains from the Chesterfield direction stop at Belper or Duffield (1tpd does Belper to Chesterfield but there's nothing in the other direction).

 

[duncanp]

If you include the London Underground, then there are a number of instances where there is a direct bus service, but the journey solely on the tube would be very long winded:-

Wimbledon to Morden
Cockfosters to High Barnet
Canons Park to Edgware
Harrow and Wealdstone to Harrow on the Hill

 

[thenorthern]

St Albans to St Albans Abbey must be quite a long journey.

 

[G0ORC]

It might be more interesting to determine which pair of stations fit this category, but for which tickets are offered. If you consult (for example) The Trainline, you cannot get a fare for Farnborough Main to Farnborough North, but you can buy Buxton to Matlock (£37.10, Anytime Single).

Buxton - Matlock £3.20 on the 'bus!

 

[DeeGee]

(although anyone with any sense would walk between Maidstone East & Maidstone Barracks )

Which is, I imagine, another silly long journey by train, changing, like Barming - East Farleigh, at Ashford and Paddock Wood.

 

[MyFriendMary]

Dorchester West - Dorchester South

Approx 30 mins by rail, change at Upwey, or a casual 5 minute walk.

Casual walk costs nothing. Rail fare is the price of a FOSS rover. Or for a cheaper deal split your journey at Upwey [£6.60]

Record for the shortest journey requiring a split?

 

[Scotty]

Some people aren't reading the thread title...

 

[FQ]

Some people aren't reading the thread title...

Agreed. May I point out that it is the longest train journey between 2 geographically close towns not 2 geographically close stations.