Trivia: Rail journeys that used to be much quicker

[Dr_Paul]

Newtown to Merthyr Tydfil -- not a quick journey; according to my pre-grouping Bradshaw, it took four hours at the quickest, with changes at Talyllyn Junction and Moat Lane, with one slower service with an additional change at Builth Wells that incorporated a 50-minute wait. Now one would have to go up to Shrewsbury, then down to Cardiff and then back up the valley to Merthyr Tydfil, quite a lot longer in distance, but quite possibly not in respect of time.

Penrith to Darlington -- a two-hour trip via Barnard's Castle with no change of trains in the 1920s, now one would have to go via Carlisle and Newcastle.

Cheltenham to Andover -- a bit of a dawdle through some nice countryside, two to three hours depending on where it stopped. Today the journey would require a change at Bristol Temple Meads or at both Reading and Basingstoke.

 

[Iskra]

And Clitheroe to Hellifield and places on the S&C.

Passenger trains do still run between Clitheroe and Hellifield. Just not very often.

 

[njamescouk]

takes out axe, starts grinding:

penistone to Sheffield, was 12 - 15 mins direct (depending who you talk to), now 45 mins via Barnsley

 

[Harbornite]

Statford upon Avon to Honeybourne takes rather longer now than when direct services between the two stations were still running.

 

[DanNCL]

Durham to Bishop Auckland. There used to be direct services (via the now closed direct route) but now the journey requires a change at Darlington.

 

[gaymale]

Although the fastest Sheffield (Midland) to Manchester trains are now around 51 minutes (single stop at Stockport) as compared to the 1969 timetable from Sheffield (Victoria) to Manchester of around 58 minutes (two stops - Penistone and Guide Bridge), getting from Penistone to Manchester is now an hour and a half with a change at Huddersfield as compared to just under 45 minutes via Woodhead in 1969.

There is currently a 13:18 shown from Leicester (change at New St) arriving Oxford/Reading at 15:40/16:11

By coincidence in 1964 there was a 13:18 from Leicester Central shown as arriving Oxford/Reading (West) at 15:09/16:05. That probably included a loco change at Banbury (a14:23/d14:33).

 

[341o2]

Services from Lydney and Parkend across the Severn bridge which was accidentially demolished in 1960 and deemed beyond economic repair.Now via Gloucester or Severn tunnel

 

[Dr_Paul]

Lowestoft to Great Yarmouth -- there was a direct service, 30 minutes, now a change is required at Brundall, practically an hour's journey with waits of between a few minutes and best part of an hour.

Beccles to Great Yarmouth -- there was a direct service, 25 or 35 minutes depending on intervening stops, now two changes are required, at Lowestoft and Brundall, an hour and a quarter's journey with combined waits of between half an hour and an hour.

The former services went to Yarmouth South Town and/or Beach, both now closed, and today's go to Vauxhall, but I don't think that invalidates the comparison.

 

[frodshamfella]

Acton Bridge to Warrington, now via Liverpool South Parkway.

 

[Millisle]

Dumfries-Lockerbie.
Elgin-Aviemore is probably quicker now via Inverness than it was direct, Keith Junction-Aviemore more finely balanced.

 

[bnm]

Barnstable to Taunton -- you now have to go via Exeter.

Fastest was 1h50min in 1920.
Fastest today via Exeter St Davids is 1h42min.

Admittedly, if modern rolling stock and permanent way was in use on the Devon & Somerset Railway today then the direct time would probably be faster.

 

[SSp]

Walkden to Bolton..?

 

[Springs Branch]

Even where direct routes are still open, there are some longer-distance commutes into Manchester with slower journeys today than 40 - 50 years ago. Well into the BR Blue DMU era, there used to be fast, limited-stop trains from places like Southport and the Fylde coast, timed for 9-5 office workers in central Manchester.

Comparing some commutes today to 45 years ago (1973):

Southport to Manchester in morning
1973: 0755 Southport - Manchester Vic arr 0849 = 54 mins [3 stops at Meols Cop, W/Wallgate & Salford (Central)]
2018: 0717 Southport - *Manchester Oxford Rd arr 0831= 74 mins [11 stops, via Bolton]

Manchester to Blackpool in afternoon
1973: 1710 Manchester Vic - Blackpool N arr 1822 = 72 mins [stops only at Salford (Cent), Poulton & Layton]
2018: 1751 *Man. Oxford Rd - Blackpool N arr 1910 = 79 mins [stops Wigan NW, Leyland, Preston, Kirkham, Poulton, Layton]

Manchester to St-Annes-on-the-Sea in afternoon
1973: 1715 Manchester Vic - St Annes arr 1830 = 75 mins [stops Salford (Cent), Preston, Kirkham, Lytham, Ansdell. A direct train, forward to Blackpool South]
2018: 1734 *Man. Oxford Rd - St Annes arr 1859 = 85 mins [with change of trains at either Preston or Kirkham]

*Oxford Rd is a likely station for a central Manchester workplace.

Most, if not all, 1973 examples were worked by 2x 3-car BRCW Class 104 "white stripe" units, so you'd be very unlikely not to get a seat - especially in First Class, with two 1st compartments per 3-car set back then.


A Manchester commute where a long-closed direct line did speed things up was from Accrington (but at least there's still a through train today).
1965: 0753 Accrington - Manchester Vic arr 0836 = 43 mins [stops at Helmshore, Bury Bolton St, Clifton Jn & Salford]
1973: 0714 Accrington - Manchester Vic arr 0818 = 64 mins [via Blackburn & Bolton]
2018: 0721 Accrington - Manchester Vic arr 0824 = 63 mins [via Todmorden & Rochdale]

 

[GrimShady]

Edinburgh & Glasgow pre plastic!

 

[318266]

Glasgow to Stranraer. Now you need to go via Kilmarnock (with a reversal) or change at Ayr.

Not because of closed lines, they cut the services that go via Kilwinning!

 

[Dai Corner]

Have we had Pilning to Severn Beach ?

At one time direct, this now requires a change at Lawrence Hill in that direction or Lawrence Hill and Severn Tunnel Junction in the other due to no down trains calling at Pilning. If you start from Severn Beach on a Sunday you won't get to Pilning until the following Saturday.

 

[Springs Branch]

Skipton to Manchester

In 1965: 82 mins - direct DMU via Colne, Accrington, Bury & Clifton Jn. (dep 0708, arr 0830)

In 1968: 119 mins - direct DMU via Colne, Accrington, Blackburn & Bolton (dep 0645, arr 0844)

In 2018: 102 mins via Leeds (change) then TPE via Huddersfield to MCV. (dep 0640, arr 0822)

 

[Rob F]

Nottingham to Melton Mowbray
Nottingham to Rugby
Nottingham to Aylesbury

 

[RichJF]

Anything on the East Grinstead/Uckfield lines to the south coast or to Tunbridge Wells

 

[lyndhurst25]

1981 - Sheffield to Rotherham Masborough - 7 or 8 minutes
2018 - Sheffield to Rotherham Central - 12 or 13 minutes, with the Holmes Chord and stop at Meadowhall having slowed things down.