(TRIVIA) Most indirect through train

[yorkie]

Nothing can beat Radyr to Coryton, surely?

it's 1.2miles on foot, 4 miles by road, 9.1 by train!

 

[Flange Squeal]

Frequent all-day services:-

Waterloo to Southampton (SWR) - 1h14 - 79 miles
Victoria to Southampton (Southern) - 2h27 - 102 miles

 

[transmanche]

If cheap Advances are offered then it will be used, as are a number of other cheaper longer services such as WMT Liverpool-Euston vice Avanti or Waterloo-Exeter instead of Paddington.

But the OP wasn't asking about slow services that are good value, just trains that are indirect. You'll notice in the Liverpool-Edinburgh example he compared the cost of the Off-Peak Returns (one set by LNER, the other by TPE) not the cost of Advances.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

How are we defining most indirect? is it the overall length of the detour? or the length of the detout in proportion to the passenger's journey?

SPT to MIA is about 7 miles by road, I don't have a track atlas handy, but I am pretty sure it's more than double that by train.

Any chance we could avoid using 3-letter codes for stations outside of contexts in which the station referred to is obvious from the surrounding discussion? I have no idea which stations you are referring to there.

 

[USBT]

How about Earlsfield to Clapham Junction via Kingston & Richmond? Or is that not allowed on a Earlsfield to Clapham Junction ticket?

Queenstown Road to Vauxhall via the same Kingston loop (other way round) would be longer. 62 minutes vs 3 minutes.

And you could do the journeys on Oyster/Contactless so no problem there.

On the Tube, Paddington Praed Street to Egdware Road anti-clockwise on the Circle line vs a 2 minute non stop in the other direction.

 

[jfisher21]

The Bognor Regis to Littlehampton shuttle is a bit indirect, it does 3 sides of a rectangle.

Both routes from London - Oxford too. Via reading does not go north quick enough while via Bicester goes too far north and doubles back south again.

 

[Raedwald]

Starcross to Exmouth? Nearly 20 miles by rail, less than 2 by ferry

 

[Killingworth]

Dronfield to Dore, 11 miles by through EMR service reversing in Sheffield. Crow would fly less than 3 miles. One through train in each direction a day.

 

[SWTCommuter]

Romsey to Chandlers Ford on the 'figure of six' service: 4.74 miles as the crow flies, 5 miles 22 chains direct, 15 miles 76 chains via Southampton Central.
Services are hourly and take 7 minutes or 35 minutes respectively so it can be quicker to take the longer route than to wait for the next direct service.

 

[RPI]

St Budeux Victoria road to St Budeaux Ferry road, although theres no fare

 

[work-traveller]

.....

 

[transmanche]

Fort William to Kyle of Lochalsh
Rail (via Glasgow QS and Inverness): 123 + 112 + 80 = 315 miles

So, not a "through train" then...

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The old "Grand Tour" service from Selby to Wakefield Westgate via everywhere with three reversals would be a contender...

 

[Kite159]

Last year I'm sure there was an early morning Leeds - Hull service which went via York, calling at nearly all the stations along the way.

 

[Esker-pades]

Last year I'm sure there was an early morning Leeds - Hull service which went via York, calling at nearly all the stations along the way.

Yep. Leeds - Harrogate - York - Hull. Early (ish) morning.

 

[Doomotron]

Southeastern's 'Kent Loop' service. It takes 3 hours and stops at almost every station.

 

[snookertam]

The ScotRail service from Glasgow Central to Newcastle via Kilmarnock would be a contender?

This service used to originate at Stranraer and run via Ayr and Kilmarnock before returning south to Dumfries and Carlisle.

The Far North line between Ardgay and Golspie and again from Helmsdale to Thurso and Wick is way longer than by road. The legacy of landlowners with far too much power, probably the descendants of the Duke of Sutherland and likes responsible for the Highland Clearances that blighted the area.

 

[vlad]

I am discounting circular services like Blackburn to Blackburn via Bolton, Manchester and Rochdale - or services via the Cumbrian coast as the WCML provides a more sensible route for non-enthusiasts.

If you're going between Barrow and Carlisle I'd say that the direct train along the coast is a sensible route as you don't need to worry about changing trains. It's quicker to change at Lancaster but is it actually more convenient?

 

[iainbhx]

Crewe to Cardiff Central - 139mi 77ch

Crewe to Cardiff Central via the HOWL (17:20 ex Crewe) 200mi 1ch

 

[Peter Bonner]

A couple years ago before the timetable changed, you used to get Lincoln - Adwick/Scunthorpe services which went via Sheffield, compared to changing at Retford for Doncaster.

Maybe the saturdays Waterloo - Weymouth via Salisbury & Yeovil [compared to the 'direct' Weymouth trains]

There was an afternoon pacer service from Lincoln to Hull via Sheffield too

 

[Ianigsy]

Inverness to Edinburgh via Aberdeen comes to mind.

 

[LewFinnis]

Picking up on the Kent Loop mentioned above, Dover to Faversham on the High Speed via Ramsgate at 49 miles in almost twice the direct 25 mile distance via Canterbury East.

 

[ambi23]

Walsall to Wolverhampton.

 

[Statto]

Liverpool Lime Street to Crewe via Manchester Airport. 75 1/4 miles, direct route via Runcorn is 35 1/4 miles.

The service via Manchester takes around 2 hours 10 minutes whilst the direct service via Runcorn takes 40-45 minutes

 

[route101]

From May, if travelling from Liverpool Lime Street to Glasgow Central, there's a direct train at 16.12, arriving into Glasgow at 19.38.

If you just miss it, fear not - there's another direct train to Glasgow Central a mere 12 minutes later, at 16.24. This one arrives into Glasgow Central slightly later - at 21.54! An extra 2 hours and 4 minutes journey time, because it runs via Newcastle and Edinburgh!

This latter train must certainly be a strong contender for most indirect service.

TPE starting some services back at Glasgow to Liverpool via York?

 

[Requeststop]

The XC service from Aberdeen to Penzance: By quick addition using fingers thumbs and toes and Google Earth Measurement: 773 miles by rail, 505 and a bit as the crow does it.
I suppose all XC services that plough their way from Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh via Sheffield, Leeds York and Newcastle could have a much shorter and quicker run via Preston and Carlisle.

 

[dk1]

The XC service from Aberdeen to Penzance: By quick addition using fingers thumbs and toes and Google Earth Measurement: 773 miles by rail, 505 and a bit as the crow does it.
I suppose all XC services that plough their way from Birmingham New Street to Edinburgh via Sheffield, Leeds York and Newcastle could have a much shorter and quicker run via Preston and Carlisle.

Would be much quicker although the train would lose the bulk of its purpose and patronage.

 

[SlimJim1694]

Deptford to New Cross on one of the 2Oxx peak time rounders via Slade Green and Sidcup is 1 hour 21 minutes for a journey between stations less than half a mile (or less than ten minutes walk) apart.

 

[Peter Bonner]

Last year I'm sure there was an early morning Leeds - Hull service which went via York, calling at nearly all the stations along the way.

IIRC There was a Leeds to Hull via Harrogate and York one year but I cant think when it was.

Also a Lincoln to Hull via Worksop,Sheffield and Donny used to leave in the late afternoon. Was a pacer too.

 

[Requeststop]

Would be much quicker although the train would lose the bulk of its purpose and patronage.

Not when there is a direct service from New Street to either Edinburgh or Glasgow every hour by whoever took over from Virgin. OK, run the XC's to Newcastle but whats the point of sending all these passengers so far out their way to get from the south and south west to Scotland? Privatisation and ticketing again working against the public interest?