Chris M
Member
Reading the thread about visiting the fewest stations to see trains operated by every passenger operator (http://www.railforums.co.uk/showthread.php?t=129126 ) I was wondering about a journey that took in all of them.
To define what counts for this thread, an "operator" is a company or brand (but not sub-brand*) presented to the public as a separate operator of scheduled passenger trains between any two consecutive National Rail stations on mainland Great Britain over tracks operated by Network Rail on which a member of the public can travel without needing to pre-book.
By this definition, London Underground is an Operator (Bakerloo line trains run between consecutive NR stations), but Heathrow Express is not (journeys between two consecutive NR stations are not possible). Consecutive applies to services rather than literally - Paddington and Reading and Paddington and Acton Main Line are both considered consecutive stations for example as they are NR stations that have services call at them without intermediate stops at non-NR stations)
All legs of the journey must be possible in 2017. Changes of station are allowed only if the transfer can be made by direct train or tram, and must start and end at National Rail stations. If a transfer between trains can be made without leaving railway property it counts as a single station, if it can't then it is two stations (regardless of whether they share the same name) - the only exception is where platforms at the same station are connected only by the public road bridge/underpass/le
Examples:
"Shortest" can mean either distance travelled or fewest number of stations called at (but not both in one journey).
*Brand vs sub-brand:
GTR has four brands: Southern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Great Northern as they a presented as separate operators.
Chiltern mainline is a sub-brand of Chiltern as it is presented as a service.
To define what counts for this thread, an "operator" is a company or brand (but not sub-brand*) presented to the public as a separate operator of scheduled passenger trains between any two consecutive National Rail stations on mainland Great Britain over tracks operated by Network Rail on which a member of the public can travel without needing to pre-book.
By this definition, London Underground is an Operator (Bakerloo line trains run between consecutive NR stations), but Heathrow Express is not (journeys between two consecutive NR stations are not possible). Consecutive applies to services rather than literally - Paddington and Reading and Paddington and Acton Main Line are both considered consecutive stations for example as they are NR stations that have services call at them without intermediate stops at non-NR stations)
All legs of the journey must be possible in 2017. Changes of station are allowed only if the transfer can be made by direct train or tram, and must start and end at National Rail stations. If a transfer between trains can be made without leaving railway property it counts as a single station, if it can't then it is two stations (regardless of whether they share the same name) - the only exception is where platforms at the same station are connected only by the public road bridge/underpass/le
Examples:
- Waterloo to Waterloo East is allowed as you can get from one to the other without leaving NWR property
- King's Cross to St. Pancras is not as you must cross a public road or walk through TfL property.
- Manchester Piccadilly to Manchester Oxford Road is allowed as you can take a direct tram from one to the other.
- King's Cross to Waterloo is not allowed as you need to change at a non-National Rail station.
- Wimbledon to West Croydon is not allowed as you must leave West Croydon tram stop and walk along a public road to get to West Croydon station. Wimbledon to Beckenham Junction is allowed as you can walk between Beckenham Junction tram stop and station without leaving railway property.
"Shortest" can mean either distance travelled or fewest number of stations called at (but not both in one journey).
*Brand vs sub-brand:
GTR has four brands: Southern, Gatwick Express, Thameslink and Great Northern as they a presented as separate operators.
Chiltern mainline is a sub-brand of Chiltern as it is presented as a service.
Last edited:
