Trivia: Trains Leaving The Same Stations At The Same Time And Going To The Same Destinations

[Doomotron]

Say train 1 is leaving station A at 12:00 for station B. It is a fast train. Train 2 leaves at roughly the same time and is also going to station B but as it is stopping will take longer. Are there any real life examples of this, where two or more trains going to similar places (not necessarily final destinations) leave at very similar times?

 

[Purple Train]

Thorpe-le-Soken to Colchester - the fast train from Clacton (destined for Liverpool Street) connects with the stopper from Walton-on-the-Naze at TLS, then goes fast to Colchester, calling only at Wivenhoe; the Walton train goes all stations (including Colchester Town) to Colchester and then terminates.
While it isn't strictly the same time, as it's only double track there, they're timed to connect with each other in the loop at TLS, so does that satisfy your requirements?

 

[VideozVideoz]

On a Sunday. Does this count?

 

[365 Networker]

This would happen quite often at Stevenage - I can remember arriving into the platform on a semi fast from Peterborough (Usually a 365) and a stopper would arrive from either King’s Lynn or Cambridge (usually a 317 or 321) One time the stopper left before the semi fast, but we soon caught up once it had stopped at Knebworth. Eventually both would meet again at kings cross.

 

[Purple Train]

On a weekday, there is the 9R78 0908 London Paddington-Reading Elizabeth Line stopper, calling at the usual stations, leaving Paddington at the same time as the 1K06 0908 London Paddington-Newbury, operated by GWR, first stop Reading.

 

[Traveller54]

Pre Covid, Glasgow Central had express trains to Ayr at xx00 and xx30, first stop Irvine, followed four minutes later by stoppers. Remains to be seen if they will be fully reinstated once current issues are over.

 

[Teddyward]

Often pull out of Liverpool st on the main and a tfl is leaving same time on electric

 

[HST43257]

If a Scotland to London LNER fast service is about 5 minutes late, it may leave York on the London lines whilst a York to London stopper leaves simultaneously on the Leeds lines, with the stopper coming across straight behind it at Colton.

 

[Purple Train]

Pre Covid, Glasgow Central had express trains to Ayr at xx00 and xx30, first stop Irvine, followed four minutes later by stoppers. Remains to be seen if they will be fully reinstated once current issues are over.

Similarly, there is currently a relief-line 1758 Paddington-Reading, operated by GWR, calling at Slough, Burnham, Maidenhead, and Twyford, followed three minutes later on the same line by an Elizabeth Line train that stops at all the usual stations.

 

[Peter0124]

From Glasgow Central it is possible to get a High Level 12.45 to Newton via Maxwell Park and a Low Level 12.45 to Newton via Rutherglen (the Larkhall service and mostly departs at xx.48 apart from the 12.45). Safe to say the Low Level service almost always wins beating the High Level one by about 9 minutes.

Pre Covid, Glasgow Central had express trains to Ayr at xx00 and xx30, first stop Irvine, followed four minutes later by stoppers. Remains to be seen if they will be fully reinstated once current issues are over.

Wasn't it Kilwinning they ran fast to?

 

[Doomotron]

On a Sunday. Does this count?

Yes, definitely. I'm not aware of the area, are they two different lines?

 

[nw-sparks]

Every weekday from Huyton we have
1F07 1410 to Liverpool Lime Street (non stop)
and
2F13 1410 to Liverpool Lime Street (all stations)

Considering we only get two or three services an hour it's a bit annoying to have them so close together, especially as the third is only 13 minutes later.

 

[Alex365Dash]

Say train 1 is leaving station A at 12:00 for station B. It is a fast train. Train 2 leaves at roughly the same time and is also going to station B but as it is stopping will take longer. Are there any real life examples of this, where two or more trains going to similar places (not necessarily final destinations) leave at very similar times?

On Saturdays throughout the day at Portsmouth & Southsea, the xx:20 leaves High Level (Platform 1) for London Waterloo via Guildford as the fast service. Four minutes later, the xx:24 on Low Level also leaves Portsmouth & Southsea for London Waterloo via Guildford, forming the stopping service.

The same also applies to Fratton entirely on Platform 1 - just add four minutes to the above times!

 

[VideozVideoz]

Yes, definitely. I'm not aware of the area, are they two different lines?

Yes, Manchester to Sheffield and Manchester to Buxton

 

[AF91]

At Watford Junction it's common enough to get departures to Euston on the fast and slow lines within a minute of each other. One going non stop and the other stopping at Bushey and Harrow. With the DC trains also bound for Euston it's possible to have three quickfire departures to Euston if things line up.

 

[miklcct]

Say train 1 is leaving station A at 12:00 for station B. It is a fast train. Train 2 leaves at roughly the same time and is also going to station B but as it is stopping will take longer. Are there any real life examples of this, where two or more trains going to similar places (not necessarily final destinations) leave at very similar times?

There are 3 routes from Guildford to Waterloo and trains running on different routes to Waterloo can depart at the same time.

For example, Monday - Friday 16:34 South Western Railway Guildford - Waterloo.

 

[ivorytoast28]

At Guildford for years both the fast train via woking and the slow train via cobham to Waterloo both left at xx:34. And it was the slow train people saw first as you pass straight through the ticket line to where it was

The one people often mention is XC and Avanti leaving Birmingham New Street at the same time taking very different routes, but I don't think it still runs

 

[AndrewE]

Yes, Manchester to Sheffield and Manchester to Buxton

and to totally different stations a long way apart, so not really relevant here.

Although not having the same departure times, my big gripe is the Northern Lime St to Crewe (and vv) all-stations service via Manchester airport which is advertised at both termini by its ultimate destination and takes over 2 hours. It must catch out loads of people and waste an appalling amount of their time.
Whatever the railway operating arrangements may be I can't imagine any customer benefit from not showing the trains as airport terminators.

 

[Traveller54]

Wasn't it Kilwinning they ran fast to?

It was at one time but if my memory serves me correctly most recently it was Irvine, I’d need to look at an old timetable to check. Also, previously the express would stop at Paisley GS to pick up only, the most recent ones didn’t.

 

[etr221]

There was a fairly long thread on this (and implications) earlier this year: Same destination, same departure time, same train company .

 

[VideozVideoz]

and to totally different stations a long way apart, so not really relevant here.

What on earth are you on about? Please read my original post as you have completely missed the context

 

[NorwichRailFan]

It hasn't been running for a while but Greater Anglia used to operate their Fast Norwich to London Liverpool Street Peak time Norwich 90 service at almost the same time as the slow London service. I believe that the Fast service left on the hour and the slow service left at 03 past the hour.

 

[johnnychips]

The TPE and Northern stopper leave Doncaster within seven minutes of each other, and the latter is overtaken by the former during its trip round Rotherham.

 

[johntea]

Leeds - Sheffield

xx:32 - All stops - Woodlesford, Castleford, Normanton, Wakefield Kirkgate, Darton, Barnsley, Wombwell, Elsecar, Chapeltown, Meadowhall, Sheffield (80 minutes)

xx:37 - Express - Wakefield Kirkgate, Barnsley, Meadowhall, Sheffield (58 minutes) - although some of these services now go on to the likes of Lincoln afterwards

They often depart from 17A and 17B respectively too but you often find some passengers heading for stations that the express service calls at end up on the slow train without doing the maths and assuming it will get them there first because it departs 5 minutes earlier! (although there is now some slight logic to this choice if travelling on advance tickets as they're cheaper on the slow service!)

 

[Bovverboy]

Deleted.

 

[Potatopotato]

Carlisle to Preston via WCML or cumbrian coast line.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Carlisle to Preston via WCML or cumbrian coast line.

Can't actually see any same time departures for these two routes/stations. Closest I can find is on Sunday only, when there's a 1648 Northern departure from platform 5 (via Appleby) followed by the 1649 Avanti departure from platform 4 (via the WCML). Both services calling at Preston in due course on departure from Carlisle.

 

[Llandudno]

2230 Chester to Liverpool Lime Street Merseyrail
2230 Chester to Liverpool Lime Street TfW

There are numerous occasions throughout the day when only one or two minutes separates them leaving Chester

 

[Purple Train]

Clapham Junction to London Waterloo.

 

[gnolife]

It was at one time but if my memory serves me correctly most recently it was Irvine, I’d need to look at an old timetable to check. Also, previously the express would stop at Paisley GS to pick up only, the most recent ones didn’t.

You're definitely remembering wrong - right up to COVID, IU'd get regular distressed phonecalls from my partner saying that he'd wound up in Kilwinning instead of at Milliken Park