[TRIVIA] What are the longest routes between two close places for each of the TOCs, using only their trains/routes

[Watershed]

There are some late night services between Manchester and Sheffield via Huddersfield but I think the call at Huddersfield is normally a staffing call only not a passenger call.

Yes, that's right. Although when engineering work diversions occur, the calls at Huddersfield are sometimes open.

 

[najaB]

Shortest journey from Central to Queen Street is via Watford Junction and Dalmuir (you can't get off at Queen Street on the Highland Sleeper, you have to continue to Dalmuir, then wait until the return Sleeper that night). Return journey would have to be via Euston as the Southbound Highland Sleeper doesn't stop at Watford Junction.

But can you do this purely by CS services? How would you get from Watford Junction to Euston?

 

[flitwickbeds]

Teesside Airport to Allens West if we're only considering time, not distance! ☺

 

[najaB]

Teesside Airport to Allens West if we're only considering time, not distance! ☺

Time, space - two sides of the same thing really.

 

[crossani]

But can you do this purely by CS services? How would you get from Watford Junction to Euston?

Perhaps I explained the Watford / Euston difference badly. The Central to Queen Street journey doesn't have to go all the way to London as you can change at Watford Junction instead (both southbound Lowland and northbound Highland Sleeper stop there). But the reverse journey wouldn't be possible as the southbound Highland Sleeper doesn't stop at Watford Junction, so you have to go all the way to Euston. The full route would be:

Central - Queen Street:

• Lowland Sleeper (southbound) - Glasgow Central to Watford Junction
• Highland Sleeper (northbound) - Watford Junction to Dalmuir
• Highland Sleeper (southbound) - Dalmuir to Glasgow Queen Street

Queen Street - Central:

• Highland Sleeper (northbound) - Glasgow Queen Street to Dalmuir
• Highland Sleeper (southbound) - Dalmuir to London Euston
• Lowland Sleeper (northbound) - London Euston to Glasgow Central

The Watford Junction changeover would be possible normally from Queen Street to Central by getting off the southbound Highland Sleeper at Edinburgh then waiting almost an entire day until the next nights Lowland Sleeper leaves Waverley:

Queen Street - Central (shorter version):

• Highland Sleeper (northbound) - Glasgow Queen Street to Dalmuir
• Highland Sleeper (southbound) - Dalmuir to Edinburgh Waverley
• Lowland Sleeper (southbound) - Edinburgh Waverley to Watford Junction
• Lowland Sleeper (northbound) - Watford Junction to Glasgow Central

But Edinburgh isn't served by the current Euston - Fort William timetable, so that's not possible. That timetable ends this weekend, so it may change from next week though.

 

[Watershed]

Teesside Airport to Allens West if we're only considering time, not distance! ☺

You'll be waiting a very long time to catch a train from Teesside Airport

 

[gazzaa2]

Even the quickest Scarborough/Whitby route by rail is about 4 hours.

 

[randyrippley]

Weymouth and Yeovil Junction with SWR is an example, although not as significant as OP's example. It's under 30 miles between the two but using only SWR would require a change at Basingstoke or two changes at Southampton and Salisbury.

or Dorchester-Basingstoke-Yeovil-Dorchester (assuming Waterloo-Weymouth via Yeovil still runs)
or Yeovil Pen Mill-Yeovil J via Weymouth and Basingstoke

 

[matacaster]

Cheating slightly, but Bradford forster sq to Bradford interchange less than 1/2mile. Using Northern via Leeds circa 25 miles.

 

[flitwickbeds]

Kyle of Lochalsh to Mallaig.

19 miles as the crow flies.

28 miles by road including a (once a day only) ferry crossing

By train:
82 miles Kyle to Inverness
180 miles Inverness to Glasgow Queen Street
160 miles Glasgow Queen Street to Mallaig

Total 422 miles

 

[5562]

The distance between the stations at Chinley and Chapel-en-le-Frith is 2.8 miles but circa 40 miles on Northern by having to first go into Manchester Piccadilly.

 

[Watershed]

The distance between the stations at Chinley and Chapel-en-le-Frith is 2.8 miles but circa 40 miles on Northern by having to first go into Manchester Piccadilly.

There is a daily passenger service in each direction between Chinley and Stockport, operated Northern. The eastbound one stops at Hazel Grove, so in theory you only need to travel from Chapel-en-le-Frith to Hazel Grove to Chinley.

However neither service actually has a feasible connection to/from Chapel-en-le-Frith- the Hazel Grove-Chinley service leaves Hazel Grove before the first train from Chapel-en-le-Frith arrives, and the Chinley-Stockport service arrives at Stockport after the last train to Chapel-en-le-Frith has left.

 

[5562]

There is a daily passenger service in each direction between Chinley and Stockport, operated Northern. The eastbound one stops at Hazel Grove, so in theory you only need to travel from Chapel-en-le-Frith to Hazel Grove to Chinley.

However neither service actually has a feasible connection to/from Chapel-en-le-Frith- the Hazel Grove-Chinley service leaves Hazel Grove before the first train from Chapel-en-le-Frith arrives, and the Chinley-Stockport service arrives at Stockport after the last train to Chapel-en-le-Frith has left.

Thanks for that info. I had wondered about either Stockport or Hazel Grove but assumed it was only possible from
Chinley with EMR. Rather a shame that there hasn’t been a move to re-open the old Chapel Central station and extend some of the New Mills Central services from Piccadilly.

 

[Quakers Yard]

Plenty quicker to walk such as Merthyr to Rhymney on a Sunday