(Trivia) Services with most interchanges to different routes to London

[JohnRegular]

Which services have the most interchanges with different routes to London?

By this, I mean train services that don't themselves go to London, but have the most possible interchanges with seperate services into London. It's hard to give an iron-clad definition of 'separate routes', but there should be more difference between them than a short curve or avoiding line.

A good example would be Portsmouth-Cardiff: at Cardiff and Newport one can change for Paddington via Bristol Parkway, at Bristol and Bath for Paddington via Chippenham, at Westbury for Paddington via Newbury, at Salisbury for Waterloo via Andover, at Southampton for Waterloo via Southampton Airport Parkway and Victoria via Gatwick Airport, at Fareham for Waterloo via Botley, and Portsmouth stations for Waterloo via Petersfield. A total of 8 by my count!
I would not include Portsmouth to Victoria as this shares almost all of its route with others mentioned, except the S-E curve at Portcreek junction, nor would I include Westbury to Paddington via Melksham as this involves a change.

8 seems like a lot but there must be XC services with more...

EDIT: I forgot about Bristol to Paddington via Bristol Parkway- that gives a total of 9 for Portsmouth-Cardiff!

 

[robbeech]

Surely Aberdeen to Penzance has to be up there.

I believe LNER call at all the stations that the XC does all the way to York, so everything From Aberdeen to York where Grand Central also get a look in.

Avanti from Edinburgh and Haymarket.

Then Leeds and Wakefield with more LNER services.

Sheffield Chesterfield and Derby for EMR

Tamworth for LNR and Avanti.

More LNR and Avanti at Birmingham.

Chiltern to Marylebone if you include a walking interchange.

Then you’re onto some GWR services for the rest of the journey.

quite a lot, I’m sure someone will count them.

 

[JohnRegular]

I should probably clarify my original post- I'm interested in the number of different services/routes that can be interchanged onto, rather than the opportunities to interchange- for example, Aberdeen-Penzance has lots of potential interchanges onto LNER services, but I wouldn't count every possible interchange station seperately (Aberdeen, Stonehaven, Montrose, Arbroath, Dundee...) else we'll be here all day!

 

[Merseysider]

Liverpool to Norwich on EMR has a fair few.

Liverpool - Euston (Avanti)
Warrington - Euston (Avanti)
Manchester - Euston (Avanti)
Sheffield - St Panc (EMR)
Peterborough - KGX (LNER)
Peterborough - STP (TL)
Ely - KGX (GN)
Norwich - Liv St (G Anglia)

though Warrington does need a walk! There’s also Liverpool-Brum- Euston by WMT in normal/non-covid times.

 

[jopsuk]

Liverpool to Norwich on EMR has a fair few.

Liverpool - Euston (Avanti)
Warrington - Euston (Avanti)
Manchester - Euston (Avanti)
Sheffield - St Panc (EMR)
Peterborough - KGX (LNER)
Peterborough - STP (TL)
Ely - KGX (GN)
Norwich - Liv St (G Anglia)

though Warrington does need a walk! There’s also Liverpool-Brum- Euston by WMT in normal/non-covid times.

You missed Nottingham! And Ely has morning peak services to Liverpool Street too,

 

[robbeech]

I should probably clarify my original post- I'm interested in the number of different services/routes that can be interchanged onto, rather than the opportunities to interchange- for example, Aberdeen-Penzance has lots of potential interchanges onto LNER services, but I wouldn't count every possible interchange station seperately (Aberdeen, Stonehaven, Montrose, Arbroath, Dundee...) else we'll be here all day!

Indeed I was listing the opportunities separated into routes.

I believe it might be 10, with a few technicalities making it more. For example a Leeds to St Pancras that goes via Nottingham being a bit different to the Chesterfield to St Pancras not doing.

 

[gnolife]

Surely Aberdeen to Penzance has to be up there.

I believe LNER call at all the stations that the XC does all the way to York, so everything From Aberdeen to York where Grand Central also get a look in.

Avanti from Edinburgh and Haymarket.

Then Leeds and Wakefield with more LNER services.

Sheffield Chesterfield and Derby for EMR

Tamworth for LNR and Avanti.

More LNR and Avanti at Birmingham.

Chiltern to Marylebone if you include a walking interchange.

Then you’re onto some GWR services for the rest of the journey.

quite a lot, I’m sure someone will count them.

XC from Southampton to Newcastle will do even better
Southampton Central - Southern to Victoria
Basingstoke - SWR to Waterloo via Woking
Reading - SWR to Waterloo via Ascot, also GWR to Paddington
Oxford - Chiltern to Marylebone via Oxford Parkway
Banbury - Chiltern to Marylebone via Bicester North
Birmingham N St - Avanti or LNWR to Euston via Coventry
Tamworth - LNWR to Euston via Nuneaton
Derby - EMR to St Pancras
Doncaster - LNER, Hull Trains or Grand Central to Kings Cross

 

[alistairlees]

Brighton to Great Malvern must be in with a chance...

 

[gnolife]

Brighton to Great Malvern must be in with a chance...

I think that'll have
Brighton - SN to Victoria, TL to London Bridge and beyond (via Haywatds Heath)
Hove - SN to Victoria (via Haywards Heath)
Barnham - SN to Victoria via Crawley
Havant - SW to Waterloo via Petersfield
Fareham - SW to Waterloo via Botley
Southampton Ctl - SW to Waterloo via Southampton Airport Parkway
Salisbury - SW to Watrloo via Andover
Bath Spa - GW via Chippenham
Bristol Parkway - GW via GWML
Cheltenham Spa - GW via Stroud
Worcester Shrub Hill - GW via Oxford

 

[Parallel]

A good example would be Portsmouth-Cardiff: at Cardiff and Newport one can change for Paddington via Bristol Parkway, at Bristol and Bath for Paddington via Chippenham, at Westbury for Paddington via Newbury, at Salisbury for Waterloo via Andover, at Southampton for Waterloo via Southampton Airport Parkway and Victoria via Gatwick Airport, at Fareham for Waterloo via Botley, and Portsmouth stations for Waterloo via Petersfield. A total of 8 by my count!
I would not include Portsmouth to Victoria as this shares almost all of its route with others mentioned, except the S-E curve at Portcreek junction, nor would I include Westbury to Paddington via Melksham as this involves a change.

8 seems like a lot but there must be XC services with more...

EDIT: I forgot about Bristol to Paddington via Bristol Parkway- that gives a total of 9 for Portsmouth-Cardiff!

There are also Sunday only direct services between Cardiff Central and Brighton, which would add a few more in the Southern region. They are not running currently however due to engineering works.

I think that'll have
Brighton - SN to Victoria, TL to London Bridge and beyond (via Haywatds Heath)
Hove - SN to Victoria (via Haywards Heath)
Barnham - SN to Victoria via Crawley
Havant - SW to Waterloo via Petersfield
Fareham - SW to Waterloo via Botley
Southampton Ctl - SW to Waterloo via Southampton Airport Parkway
Salisbury - SW to Watrloo via Andover
Bath Spa - GW via Chippenham
Bristol Parkway - GW via GWML
Cheltenham Spa - GW via Stroud
Worcester Shrub Hill - GW via Oxford

And Westbury via Newbury!

 

[alistairlees]

I think that'll have
Brighton - SN to Victoria, TL to London Bridge and beyond (via Haywatds Heath)
Hove - SN to Victoria (via Haywards Heath)
Barnham - SN to Victoria via Crawley
Havant - SW to Waterloo via Petersfield
Fareham - SW to Waterloo via Botley
Southampton Ctl - SW to Waterloo via Southampton Airport Parkway
Salisbury - SW to Watrloo via Andover
Bath Spa - GW via Chippenham
Bristol Parkway - GW via GWML
Cheltenham Spa - GW via Stroud
Worcester Shrub Hill - GW via Oxford

I think more, though it really depends on how you count portions, and starting locations / calling patterns:
- Brighton - SN to Victoria (Brighton to Victoria), TL to LBG / Thameslink Core (Brighton to Bedford / Cambridge / Peterborough)
- Hove - SN to Victoria (Littlehampton to Victoria)
- Barnham - SN to Victoria (from Bognor / Southampton C- portion joins at Horsham)
- Havant - SWR to Waterloo via Guildford (Portsmouth Harbour / Portsmouth & Southsea to Waterloo)
- Fareham - SWR to Waterloo via Basingstoke (Portsmouth Harbour to Waterloo)
- Southampton - SWR to Waterloo (Weymouth / Poole / Bournemouth / Southampton C to Waterloo)
- Salisbury - SWR to Waterloo (Exeter / Yeovil J / Bristol TM to Waterloo)
- Westbury - GWR to Paddington (Exeter / Plymouth / Paignton / Bristol TM to Paddington via Newbury)
- Bath Spa - GWR to Paddington (Bristol TM / Weston Super Mare / Taunton to Paddington via Chippenham)
- Bristol TM - GWR to Paddington via Bristol Parkway
- Bristol Parkway - GWR to Paddington (Carmarthen / Swansea / Cardiff C to Paddington via Swindon)
- Gloucester - GWR to Paddington (via Stroud)
- Worcester SH - GWR to Paddington (Hereford / Great Malvern / Worcester to Paddington via Evesham)

 

[Kite159]

Indeed I was listing the opportunities separated into routes.

I believe it might be 10, with a few technicalities making it more. For example a Leeds to St Pancras that goes via Nottingham being a bit different to the Chesterfield to St Pancras not doing.

Although you can now discount Leeds to St Pancras as it no longer exists, the only EMR departure from Leeds only going to Derby

 

[bnc2018]

This is definitely stretching the definition of 'don't themselves go to London' but if we count 'London' as 'zone 1' I reckon Clapham Junction to Stratford just about has the edge over the others above (although a lot of these are OSIs):

SWR: Clapham Junction - Waterloo
Southern: Clapham Junction - Victoria
Southern: Clapham Junction - London Bridge
District: West Brompton
Central: Shepherd's Bush
Bakerloo: Willesden Junction
LO & LNWR: Willesden Junction - Euston
Jubilee: West Hampstead
Thameslink: West Hampstead Thameslink
Metropolitan: Finchley Road
Northern: Camden Town
Piccadilly: Caledonian Road
Victoria: Highbury & Islington
GN: Highbury & Islington - Moorgate
LO & GA: Hackney Downs - Liverpool Street
Central: Stratford
Jubilee: Stratford
TfL Rail & GA: Stratford - Liverpool Street

 

[61653 HTAFC]

The one that initially sprung to mind was South TPE: Manchester to Cleethorpes. Manchester Piccadilly & Stockport (Avanti); Sheffield (EMR); and Doncaster (LNER, Hull Trains, Grand Central).

Not as many as some listed here, but a fair few connecting options in just those four stops.

 

[Dai Corner]

How about the once a day Bristol Temple Meads to Stansted Airport?

Not all are running in the 'Covid' timetable, but

Temple Meads to Waterloo via Salisbury
Temple Meads to Paddington via Trowbridge & Newbury, Chippenham or Bristol Parkeay
Bristol Parkway to Paddington (ex S Wales)
Cheltenham-Paddington via Stroud
Worcestershire Parkway - Paddington via Oxford
Birmingham New Street - Euston
(Birmingham Snow Hill - Marylebone if we allow walking interchange)
Nuneaton-Euston
Leicester-St Pancras
Peterborough - Kings Cross
Peterborough - Thameslink
Cambridge - Kings Cross
Cambridge - Liverpool Street
Cambridge - Thameslink
Stansted - Liverpool Street.

 

[TheDavibob]

How about the once a day Bristol Temple Meads to Stansted Airport?

Not all are running in the 'Covid' timetable, but

Temple Meads to Waterloo via Salisbury
Temple Meads to Paddington via Trowbridge & Newbury, Chippenham or Bristol Parkeay
Bristol Parkway to Paddington (ex S Wales)
Cheltenham-Paddington via Stroud
Worcestershire Parkway - Paddington via Oxford
Birmingham New Street - Euston
(Birmingham Snow Hill - Marylebone if we allow walking interchange)
Nuneaton-Euston
Leicester-St Pancras
Peterborough - Kings Cross
Peterborough - Thameslink
Cambridge - Kings Cross
Cambridge - Liverpool Street
Cambridge - Thameslink
Stansted - Liverpool Street.

There's also the odd Melton/Oakham -> St. Pancras trains that are arguably yet another route.

 

[adc82140]

How about the North Downs route. I'm including North Camp and Dorking as they show as connections in the journey planners.

Gatwick/Redhill- Southern services to Victoria, Thameslink to London Bridge, Blackfriars, St. Pancras

Dorking Deepdene- SWR services from Dorking to Waterloo, Southern from Dorking to Victoria

Guildford- SWR to Waterloo via Woking, Epsom or Cobham

North Camp- SWR services to Waterloo from Ash Vale

Wokingham- SWR services to Waterloo

Reading- GWR services to Paddington

 

[robbeech]

Liverpool to Norwich on EMR has a fair few.

Liverpool - Euston (Avanti)
Warrington - Euston (Avanti)
Manchester - Euston (Avanti)
Sheffield - St Panc (EMR)
Peterborough - KGX (LNER)
Peterborough - STP (TL)
Ely - KGX (GN)
Norwich - Liv St (G Anglia)

though Warrington does need a walk! There’s also Liverpool-Brum- Euston by WMT in normal/non-covid times.

Doesn’t one of the Liverpool Norwich trains go via Corby or that way on too, or does that one start short at Nottingham.

 

[zwk500]

Doesn’t one of the Liverpool Norwich trains go via Corby or that way on too, or does that one start short at Nottingham.

I think there's a Melton-Corby-St P connection missing but the Liverpool-Norwich can't serve Corby and Peterborough without reversing twice, which I'm fairly sure it doesn't do.