Trivia: Quantity of TOCs between two stations

[nicolaboo]

Locally, I can go from Manchester Piccadilly to Stockport with…

Northern
Transport for Wales
TransPennine Express
Virgin
Cross Country
East Midlands Railways

Any other two stations beat that?
(Sorry if already done, I couldn't find one)

 

[Mex I can]

I was thinking about this recently and I guessed there must be a couple of stations near London that would take it.

Personally, I’ve got Northern, TP Express and Cross Country running between Swinton and Mexborough, passing where I work. DB Cargo and GBRF also pass between the two.

I’m way off track for TFW and East Midlands and I’ve never seen a Virgin in Swinton or Mexborough.

 

[johnnychips]

There is the odd EM train that runs from Doncaster to Sheffield, one very early and the other from Scarborough or York. So that makes four operators between Doncaster and Sheffield. I think the OP may be hard to beat.

 

[swt_passenger]

A regular question, was still being discussed early last month:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trivia-stations-where-the-most-tocs-call.175188/page-2

 

[Kite159]

A regular question, was still being discussed early last month:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/trivia-stations-where-the-most-tocs-call.175188/page-2

Although a slight twist on that question as it's TOCs between stations, somewhere like Crewe might have 7 operators but the overlap is small

Liverpool Lime Street to Liverpool South Parkway gets five operators which call at both
East Midland Railways
London NorthWestern
Northern
Merseyrail (assuming you count the low level platforms as part of the same station)
Transport for Wales

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

Haymarket to Edinburgh has 5:

Scotrail
CrossCountry
Transpennine Express
LNER
Virgin

If the sleeper stopped there it would match the OP with 6 (I’m assuming we’re not counting ones that run non stop through one of the stations?)

 

[VT 390]

Haymarket to Edinburgh has 5:

Scotrail
CrossCountry
Transpennine Express
LNER
Virgin

If the sleeper stopped there it would match the OP with 6 (I’m assuming we’re not counting ones that run non stop through one of the stations?)

Don't the TPE services stop to pick up/set down only st Haymarket though so you can only use 4 operators between those 2 stations.

 

[Esker-pades]

Don't the TPE services stop to pick up/set down only st Haymarket though so you can only use 4 operators between those 2 stations.

Technically, yes. But, if there's a train in platforms 1 or 3 at Haymarket, it's going to Waverley. Plenty of people do it with the E2G expresses too.

 

[IrishDave]

Liverpool Lime Street to Liverpool South Parkway gets five operators which call at both
East Midland Railways
London NorthWestern
Northern
Merseyrail (assuming you count the low level platforms as part of the same station)
Transport for Wales

The Merseyrail trains at Liverpool South Parkway don't serve Liverpool Lime Street - they serve Liverpool Central and Moorfields.

 

[naverag]

Another with 4 is Selby-Brough-Hull, which is served by Hull Trains, TPE, Northern and occasional LNER services.

 

[gnolife]

Motherwell - Glasgow Central has 5 that you can actually use for the journey, plus the sleeper whichyou can't board at Motherwell heading North
Virgin Trains
LNER
CrossCountry
TPE
Scotrail

 

[pne508]

If you treat the two WM trains brands as different operating companies, then the Wolverhampton, Birmingham New Street, Birmingham International corridor also has 5. Also TfW, West Coast and Cross Country.

 

[Kite159]

The Merseyrail trains at Liverpool South Parkway don't serve Liverpool Lime Street - they serve Liverpool Central and Moorfields.

Doh, my rail geography failed last night

 

[Mag_seven]

I was thinking about this recently and I guessed there must be a couple of stations near London that would take it.

Oddly enough London has not featured at all (so far) in this thread - does that imply that multi TOC operation between two stations is mainly a north of England / Scotland thing?

 

[Ianno87]

Oddly enough London has not featured at all (so far) in this thread - does that imply that multi TOC operation between two stations is mainly a north of England / Scotland thing?

I guess all the main radial lines out of London are specified, at most, generally as two TOCs per terminal (local and long distance).

Liverpool Street-Stratford has Greater Anglia, TfL Rail and c2c. (Plus Southeastern, albeit St Pancras-Stratford International).

London-Stevanage has Thameslink/Great Northern, LNER and Hull Trains (couple of Sunday trains).

 

[VT 390]

Oddly enough London has not featured at all (so far) in this thread - does that imply that multi TOC operation between two stations is mainly a north of England / Scotland thing?

I would say this is mostly correct as in London TOC's generally operate within there own areas.

Although if you count the Underground there some good London examples such as 4 operators between Harrow & Wealdstone and Wembley Central: Underground, Overground, London Northwestern Railway & Southern.

 

[mlambeuk]

Leeds to York with 4
TPE
Cross Country
Northern
LNER (1 service each way)

 

[Kite159]

Southampton Central to Southampton Airport (Parkway) with 4
SWR
XC
GWR (1 service each day)
Southern (a couple services)

 

[ANDREW_D_WEBB]

London Euston to Watford Junction- Virgin, LNWR, London Overground and Caledonian Sleeper

 

[Kite159]

London Euston to Watford Junction- Virgin, LNWR, London Overground and Caledonian Sleeper

However both Virgin & Cally Sleeper are pick up only heading towards Watford and set-down only heading towards London