Trivia: Station with most TOCs?

[Caboose Class]

I believe that Crewe station is served by seven different Train Operating Companies (Avanti WC, Cally Sleeper, CrossCountry, EMR, TfW, WMT and Northern). Is any other station served by as many (or more) TOCs?

 

[johnnychips]

This comes up frequently on here. The joint winner is Doncaster: LNER, TPE, Northern, EMR, Cross-Country, Hull Trains and Grand Central.

 

[trainmania100]

Gatwick airport is served by Thameslink, Southern , Gatwick Express, GWR

 

[Parallel]

Gatwick airport is served by Thameslink, Southern , Gatwick Express, GWR

In terms of TOCs, wouldn't that count as 2? GTR and GWR. 4 If including brands though.

 

[Peter0124]

Motherwell is served by 6
Scotrail
Avanti
XC
TPE
LNER
Sleeper

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Motherwell is served by 6
Scotrail
Avanti
XC
TPE
LNER
Sleeper

Similarly Glasgow Central.

 

[XAM2175]

I'm not really sure how contributions of stations served by six or fewer TOCs are helpful when both the OP and the first respondent have already identified two stations served by seven TOCs

 

[waverley47]

There have been two winners for this question for as long as the current system of franchises has existed; Crewe and Doncaster, both with seven. Central trains splitting and the spinning off of the sleeper into its own franchise created a few extra points for some, and the open acess operators mean that Doncaster punches above its weight.

There are lots of sixes, as mentioned, as well as Stockport and others.

However, drumroll please, this year marks the emergence of a new joint winner.

First East Coast will bring Edinburgh up to seven; in conjunction with ScotRail, Avanti, TPE, LNER, XC and Caledonian Sleeper.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I'm not really sure how contributions of stations served by six or fewer TOCs are helpful when both the OP and the first respondent have already identified two stations served by seven TOCs

Be a short thread otherwise.

 

[Nova1]

Birmingham International has quite a few
Transport for Wales
West Midlands Railway
London Northwestern Railway
Avanti West Coast
CrossCountry

Although the list does get disappointing if you do the correct thing and don't count London Northwestern Railway as a separate TOC (because it's a brand)

 

[Ken H]

There have been two winners for this question for as long as the current system of franchises has existed; Crewe and Doncaster, both with seven. Central trains splitting and the spinning off of the sleeper into its own franchise created a few extra points for some, and the open acess operators mean that Doncaster punches above its weight.

There are lots of sixes, as mentioned, as well as Stockport and others.

However, drumroll please, this year marks the emergence of a new joint winner.

First East Coast will bring Edinburgh up to seven; in conjunction with ScotRail, Avanti, TPE, LNER, XC and Caledonian Sleeper.

we need London Overground to run to Doncaster to get to the top of the chart again!

 

[plugwash]

Liverpool lime street is also a joint winner with

Mersyrail
Northern
TPE
EMR
Avanti
LNWR
TFW

Manchester picadilly is an honourable mention, it only has 6 national rail TOCs, but it also has the metrolink.

Another honourable mention goes to the Kings Cross st pancras complex, the individual stations aren't all that high up on the list but the complex as a whole has 6 national rail TOCs operating under 7 brands, plus it has Eurostar and London Underground.

Edit, sorry it was LNWR not crosscountry, still 7 TOCs though.

 

[Darandio]

Be a short thread otherwise.

It should have been even shorter. Second post directing the OP to the various other threads asking the same question. Job done!

 

[Glenn1969]

Liverpool lime street is also a joint winner with

Mersyrail
Northern
TPE
EMR
Avanti
Crosscountry
TFW

Manchester picadilly is an honourable mention, it only has 6 national rail TOCs, but it also has the metrolink.

Another honourable mention goes to the Kings Cross st pancras complex, the individual stations aren't all that high up on the list but the complex as a whole has 6 national rail TOCs operating under 7 brands, plus it has Eurostar and London Underground.

CrossCountry doesn't serve Lime Street?

 

[Parallel]

Liverpool lime street is also a joint winner with

Mersyrail
Northern
TPE
EMR
Avanti
Crosscountry
TFW

CrossCountry don't run to Liverpool Lime Street although West Midlands Trains do with LNWR so this would still be at 7.

 

[swt_passenger]

Liverpool lime street is also a joint winner with

Mersyrail
Northern
TPE
EMR
Avanti
Crosscountry
TFW

Crosscountry? Only in people’s regular nostalgia threads…

 

[yorkie]

Gatwick airport is served by Thameslink, Southern , Gatwick Express, GWR

That's only two TOCs; Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is the TOC running the TSGN franchise which includes the Thameslink, Southern , Great Northern & Gatwick Express route brands

Birmingham International has quite a few
Transport for Wales
West Midlands Railway
London Northwestern Railway
Avanti West Coast
CrossCountry

Although the list does get disappointing if you do the correct thing and don't count London Northwestern Railway as a separate TOC (because it's a brand)

Yep, the TOC is West midlands Trains

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 Aug 2021 ==

It should have been even shorter. Second post directing the OP to the various other threads asking the same question. Job done!

Here are a few to keep anyone who missed them busy...

Google Search

 

[AlterEgo]

I'm not really sure how contributions of stations served by six or fewer TOCs are helpful when both the OP and the first respondent have already identified two stations served by seven TOCs

Haven’t you read a a trivia thread before? This is how they all go

 

[swt_passenger]

Haven’t you read a a trivia thread before? This is how they all go

Just to save time, I think I might know a few stations with only one TOC…

 

[southern442]

Altering the question slightly to keep it interesting, Peterborough is served by LNER, XC, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, Great Northern (in the peaks) and EMR. So that's 6, or 5 if you want to be boring and group the GTR brands together. Not a record-breaker, BUT, you also have Grand Central and Hull Trains that pass through without stopping, meaning that you can see 8 different companies at this station. When East Coast Trains starts this will increase to 9. I'm not sure if anywhere else can beat this, but maybe a few places come close.

 

[Caboose Class]

Altering the question slightly to keep it interesting, Peterborough is served by LNER, XC, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, Great Northern (in the peaks) and EMR. So that's 6, or 5 if you want to be boring and group the GTR brands together. Not a record-breaker, BUT, you also have Grand Central and Hull Trains that pass through without stopping, meaning that you can see 8 different companies at this station. When East Coast Trains starts this will increase to 9. I'm not sure if anywhere else can beat this, but maybe a few places come close.

Many thanks to you and to all other contributors. It looks like Crewe, Doncaster & Liverpool Lime Street are the winners (all with seven TOCs) - soon to be joined by Edinburgh Waverley.

 

[BayPaul]

Will Edinburgh Waverley actually be the winner with 7.5, as it also has the trams stopping nearby, which has got to count for something!

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

All this variety will shortly condense into one TOC (GBR), according to some theories.
Or it might be little different from now, according to others.

 

[zwk500]

Will Edinburgh Waverley actually be the winner with 7.5, as it also has the trams stopping nearby, which has got to count for something!

The trams aren't really stopping at Waverley though.

If you count 'served' as having a booked stop in the WTT, technically Crewe is also served West Coast Charters (they have a couple of Class 1 Q paths that are booked to stop). LSL and DB have a couple of ECS paths that are booked to stop buit I wouldn't count that as serving Crewe.

 

[John Hunt]

Just to save time, I think I might know a few stations with only one TOC…

One of the oddities would be South Wigston (served only by X Country, managed by EMR.......

 

[matt_world2004]

Stratford has
Abellio Greater Anglia
DLR
London Overground
London Underground
C2C
TfL Rail.

All operated by different companies with different contracts

 

[Neo9320]

One of the oddities would be South Wigston (served only by X Country, managed by EMR.......

And burton on trent…

 

[Nova1]

One of the oddities would be South Wigston (served only by X Country, managed by EMR.......

There’s plenty of examples of this
Another example is WMT managing Coleshill Parkway which is only served by XC. Interesting WMT chose to do it up in LNR branding.

 

[blakey1152]

I was sure Berney Arms would come up top for this....wrong again!

 

[MattRat]

Liverpool Lime Street has Avanti WC, EMR, LNWR, Northern, TPE, TFW and Merseyrail (which I admit is a technicality).