Which GB railway station has the most destinations?

[Mcr Warrior]

That you can travel to directly (i.e. without any change of train being necessary)?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Clapham Jn or Birmingham New St at a guess

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Clapham Junction is certainly a good shout, as it would include most trains originating from either London Waterloo or London Victoria.

Manchester Piccadilly might be a contender, too.

 

[Aictos]

Peterborough certainly has to be considered as you've got direct services to Doncaster, York, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Norwich, London, Nottingham, Newcastle all from whom you can reach further parts of the UK.

 

[158_Sprinter]

Crewe. You can get to pretty much anywhere from there.

 

[EM2]

To give you an idea, St Pancras serves 135 other UK stations with at least one train a week, so places like Clapham Junction, Crewe etc. must be in the 500-600 range.

 

[dave_wm]

I would probably say Birmingham New Street, with Aberdeen via Leeds & Edinburgh, Glasgow via Crewe, Edinburgh via both Crewe and Leeds, Newcastle via Doncaster, Liverpool, Manchester, Holyhead via both Crewe and Shrewsbury, Aberystwyth/Pwllheli (including all the stations along the Cambrian Coast), Shrewsbury itself, Worcester and Hereford via Bromsgrove, Rugeley, Wolverhampton, Lichfield, Nottingham, Leicester, Cambridge, Stansted Airport, London (on both the fast VT and the slow LM), Bournemouth and Reading (and Guildford), Redditch, Bristol, Paignton, Plymouth, Newquay (Summer Sats Only), Penzance, Cardiff Central and of course all the stations called at on the way to each of those places!

 

[AlexS]

Birmingham New Street has direct services to approximately 249 stations. I might have missed one or two but I reckon I've got them all - had to wait for the washer to finish

 

[ChrisCooper]

Along the same lines, I wonder what the maximum number of changes are you would have to make to travel between any two stations in the mainland UK? I imagine you would be able to travel between most pairs of stations with 3 changes. It's a bit hard to find though as most journey planners show the shortest journey, not the least number of changes. Of cource it also depends if you want realistic or just do-able, as in some cases the route with the least changes might be very impractical (for example using infrequent direct trains that don't connect).

 

[Statto]

Along the same lines, I wonder what the maximum number of changes are you would have to make to travel between any two stations in the mainland UK? I imagine you would be able to travel between most pairs of stations with 3 changes. It's a bit hard to find though as most journey planners show the shortest journey, not the least number of changes. Of cource it also depends if you want realistic or just do-able, as in some cases the route with the least changes might be very impractical (for example using infrequent direct trains that don't connect).

Off the top of my head, somewhere like Cromer to Dingwall which is 4 changes[& that's even going through London for the sleeper]although i think there may be shorter journeys with similar amount of changes

 

[Chapeltom]

Garswood to Barton on Humber is almost always 5.
Mallaig to Blaenau Ffestiniog requires between 4 and 6.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Wick or Thurso to Shanklin requires 6 changes (but that included the hovercraft leg)...Sorry, I have just realised it was MAINLAND services.:roll:

Anyway, the last few of us seemed to have gone off-thread, myself included, so I will go for Birmingham New Street station as my answer to the original thread query.

 

[TEW]

Reading must have a fair few destinations. You have the whole of the South West as well as large parts of the Cross Country network.

 

[cle]

Surely it won't be big intercity destinations like Crewe, but places with a mix of that and many local/stopping trains.

How about Cardiff, with all those Valley lines?

Or London Bridge? Most of South London, Kent and Sussex - not to mention TL north of the Thames too.

Clapham Junction is probably the most likely though. Or Liverpool Street maybe?

Similarly, Liverpool Lime St if including Merseyrail would be high, and Leeds too. Manchester Picc is slightly diluted due to having Victoria, but many stations run to both.

 

[Darandio]

Crewe. You can get to pretty much anywhere from there.

Nah, you cannot even get to the North East from Crewe without a change.

 

[j0hn0]

I would go for Leeds / Bham New Street

 

[ObservationCar]

Along the same lines, I wonder what the maximum number of changes are you would have to make to travel between any two stations in the mainland UK? I imagine you would be able to travel between most pairs of stations with 3 changes. It's a bit hard to find though as most journey planners show the shortest journey, not the least number of changes. Of cource it also depends if you want realistic or just do-able, as in some cases the route with the least changes might be very impractical (for example using infrequent direct trains that don't connect).

Quite a short hop but a lot of hopping would be Stirling to Larkhall

Requires a changes at Camelon, Cumbernauld, Motherwell, Hamilton Central.

Or you could of course walk between the two Glasgow Stations. These were daily predicaments we used to face when working for JourneyCare, as what is simple to most of us, may need careful planning when assistance and/or wheel chairs are involved.

 

[cuccir]

I offer Barton-on-Humber to Balloch as a mainland service which requires at least five changes.

As for most destinations - yeah, I'd expect Birmingham New Street to be up there

 

[Buttsy]

Reading must have a fair few destinations. You have the whole of the South West as well as large parts of the Cross Country network.

Waterloo, Paddington, Henley-on-Thames, Redhill, Guildford, Shalford, Gatwick Airport, Bournemouth, Southampton Central, Basingstoke, Newbury, Bedywn, Frome, Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth, Paignton, Newquay, Penzance, Weston-Super-Mare, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff, Swansea, Carmarthen, Cheltenham Spa, Gloucester, Hereford, Great Malvern, Worcester Foregate Street, Worcester Shrub Hill, Moreton-in-Marsh, Didcot Parkway, Oxford, Banbury, Birmingham New Street, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Manchester Piccadilly, Sheffield, York, Leeds.

 

[tbtc]

Quite a short hop but a lot of hopping would be Stirling to Larkhall

Requires a changes at Camelon, Cumbernauld, Motherwell, Hamilton Central

Could you do:

• Stirling - Glasgow Queen Street
• Glasgow Queen Street - Partick
• Partick - Larkhall

?

 

[j0hn0]

Leeds (departure boards - duplicates omitted)

13:15 Selby
13:20 Doncaster
13:23 Wakefield Westgate
13:25 Manchester Airport
13:26 Skipton
13:28 Newcastle
13:29 York via Harrogate
13:32 Ilkley
13:32 Sheffield via Barnsley
13:37 Manchester Victoria
13:38 Hull
13:40 Bradford Forster Square
13:40 Manchester Piccadilly
13:42 York
13:43 Huddersfield
13:45 London Kings Cross
13:48 Sheffield
13:49 Morecambe
13:53 Blackpool North
13:55 Manchester Airport
13:57 Middlesbrough
13:59 Knaresborough
14:00 Knottingley
14:05 Glasgow Central
14:05 Nottingham
14:11 Penzance
14:12 Scarborough
14:23 Wakefield Westgate
14:49 Carlisle

Bham New Street (duplicates omitted)

13:23 Longbridge
13:24 Holyhead
13:25 Lichfield City
13:30 Cardiff Central via Gloucester
13:30 London Euston
13:30 Newcastle via Doncaster
13:31 Manchester Piccadilly via Stoke-on-Trent
13:33 Northampton
13:33 Reading
13:35 Lichfield Trent Valley
13:36 Birmingham International
13:36 Liverpool Lime Street
13:38 Wolverhampton
13:39 Rugeley Trent Valley
13:42 Exeter St David's
13:43 Redditch
13:45 Four Oaks
13:47 Walsall
13:49 Hereford
13:49 Nottingham
13:52 Leicester
14:03 Bournemouth via Coventry
14:03 Glasgow Central via Leeds
14:05 Shrewsbury
14:12 Plymouth
14:13 Coventry

 

[thefab444]

Clapham Junction has 344 destinations served by at least one train per day, although I may have missed a few.

Addlestone
Aldershot
Alton
Amberley
Andover
Angmering
Arundel
Ascot
Ash Vale
Ashford (Surrey)
Ashtead
Ashurst New Forest
Axminster
Bagshot
Balcombe
Balham
Banstead
Barnes
Barnes Bridge
Barnham
Basingstoke
Bath Spa
Battersea Park
Beaulieu Road
Bedhampton
Belmont
Bentley (Hampshire)
Berkhamsted
Berrylands
Berwick (Sussex)
Bexhill
Billingshurst
Bishopstone
Bletchley
Bognor Regis
Bookham
Bosham
Botley
Bournemouth
Box Hill & Westhumble
Bracknell
Bradford-on-Avon
Branksome
Brentford
Brighton
Bristol Temple Meads
Brockenhurst
Brockley
Brondesbury
Brondesbury Park
Brookwood
Burgess Hill
Byfleet & New Haw
Caledonian Road & Barnsbury
Camberley
Camden Road
Canonbury
Carshalton
Carshalton Beeches
Caterham
Cheam
Chertsey
Chessington North
Chessington South
Chichester
Chipstead
Chiswick
Christchurch
Christs Hospital
Clandon
Claygate
Cobham & Stoke d'Abernon
Collington
Cooden Beach
Cooksbridge
Cosham
Coulsdon South
Coulsdon Town
Crawley
Crewkerne
Crystal Palace
Dalston Kingsland
Datchet
Dorchester South
Dorking
Dormans
Durrington-on-Sea
Earley
Earlsfield
Earlswood (Surrey)
East Croydon
East Grinstead
Eastbourne
Eastleigh
Edenbridge
Effingham Junction
Egham
Emsworth
Epsom
Epsom Downs
Esher
Ewell East
Ewell West
Exeter Central
Exeter St Davids
Fareham
Farnborough
Farncombe
Farnham
Faygate
Feltham
Feniton
Finchley Road & Frognal
Fishbourne
Fleet
Ford
Forest Hill
Fratton
Frimley
Fulwell
Gatwick Airport
Gillingham (Dorset)
Gipsy Hill
Glynde
Godalming
Godstone
Goring-by-Sea
Gospel Oak
Grateley
Guildford
Hackbridge
Hackney Central
Hackney Wick
Hampden Park
Hampstead Heath
Hampton
Hampton Court
Hampton Wick
Hamworthy
Harrow & Wealdstone
Haslemere
Hassocks
Hastings
Havant
Haywards Heath
Hedge End
Hemel Hempstead
Hersham
Highbury & Islington
Hilsea
Hinchley Wood
Hinton Admiral
Holmwood
Holton Heath
Homerton
Honiton
Honor Oak Park
Hook
Horley
Horsham
Horsley
Hounslow
Hove
Hurst Green
Ifield
Imperial Wharf
Isleworth
Kempton Park
Kenley
Kensal Rise
Kensington Olympia
Kentish Town West
Kew Bridge
Keynsham
Kingston
Kingswood
Lancing
Leatherhead
Leigh (Kent)
Leighton Buzzard
Lewes
Lingfield
Liphook
Liss
Littlehampton
Littlehaven
London Bridge
London Road (Guildford)
London Victoria
London Waterloo
Longcross
Malden Manor
Martins Heron
Merstham
Micheldever
Milford
Millbrook (Hampshire)
Milton Keynes Central
Mitcham Eastfields
Mitcham Junction
Moreton (Dorset)
Mortlake
Motspur Park
New Cross Gate
New Malden
New Milton
Newhaven Town
Norbiton
Norbury
Normans Bay
North Sheen
Norwood Junction
Nutbourne
Nutfield
Ockley
Ore
Overton
Oxshott
Oxted
Parkstone
Penshurst
Petersfield
Pevensey & Westham
Pevensey Bay
Pinhoe
Plumpton
Pokesdown
Polegate
Poole
Portchester
Portslade
Portsmouth & Southsea
Portsmouth Harbour
Preston Park
Pulborough
Purley
Purley Oaks
Putney
Queenstown Road Battersea
Raynes Park
Reading
Redbridge
Redhill
Reedham (Surrey)
Reigate
Richmond
Riddlesdown
Rowlands Castle
Salfords
Salisbury
Sanderstead
Seaford
Selhurst
Shawford
Shepherds Bush
Shepperton
Sherborne
Shoreham-by-Sea
South Croydon
Southampton Airport Parkway
Southampton Central
Southbourne
Southwick
St Denys
St Leonards Warrior Square
St Margarets (London)
Staines
Stoneleigh
Stratford
Strawberry Hill
Streatham Common
Streatham Hill
Sunbury
Sunningdale
Sunnymeads
Surbiton
Sutton
Sway
Swaythling
Sydenham
Syon Lane
Tadworth
Tattenham Corner
Teddington
Templecombe
Thames Ditton
Thornton Heath
Three Bridges
Tisbury
Tolworth
Tonbridge
Totton
Tring
Trowbridge
Twickenham
Upper Halliford
Upper Warlingham
Upwey
Vauxhall
Virginia Water
Waddon
Wallington
Walton-on-Thames
Wandsworth Common
Wandsworth Town
Warblington
Wareham
Warminster
Warnham
Watford Junction
Wembley Central
West Brompton
West Byfleet
West Croydon
West Hampstead
West Norwood
West Worthing
Westbury
Weybridge
Weymouth
Whimple
Whitchurch (Hampshire)
Whitton
Whyteleafe
Whyteleafe South
Willesden Junction
Wimbledon
Winchester
Winchfield
Windsor & Eton Riverside
Winnersh
Winnersh Triangle
Witley
Wivelsfield
Woking
Wokingham
Woldingham
Woodmansterne
Wool
Worcester Park
Worplesdon
Worthing
Wraysbury
Yeovil Junction

That must be one of the largest if not the largest.

 

[Buttsy]

Clapham Junction has 344 destinations served by at least one train per day, although I may have missed a few.

That must be one of the largest if not the largest.

I thought, and I'm happy to be wrong, it was the final destination that was the driver on this question.

 

[thefab444]

Well, the question is "Which GB railway station has the most destinations that you can travel to directly?" (i.e. stations you can reach without changes), not "Which GB railway station has the most different train destinations?".

 

[Greenback]

Well, the question is "Which GB railway station has the most destinations that you can travel to directly?" (i.e. stations you can reach without changes), not "Which GB railway station has the most different train destinations?".

I agree with that interpretation. And I would guess that the answer would be either Birmingham New St, Waterloo or Leeds.

Definitely not Gowerton

 

[thefab444]

I agree with that interpretation. And I would guess that the answer would be either Birmingham New St, Waterloo or Leeds.

Definitely not Gowerton

Definately not Waterloo either; Clapham Junction has the same destinations plus virtually everything out of Victoria Central as well.

 

[Greenback]

Definately not Waterloo either; Clapham Junction has the same destinations plus virtually everything out of Victoria Central as well.

Very true - if only we were including underground! Claphamk Junction or Birmingham NS then?

 

[b0b]

Quite a short hop but a lot of hopping would be Stirling to Larkhall

Requires a changes at Camelon, Cumbernauld, Motherwell, Hamilton Central.

Or you could of course walk between the two Glasgow Stations.

Or presumably Stirling > QS > QS LL to Partick for Larkhall?

 

[Essexman]

A similar sort of question which we were discussing the other day:

Is there anywhere on the mainland National Rail system that you can't reach with just one change from London using scheduled trains (but not necessarily every day)(a walk from say Glasgow Central to Queen Street doesn't count as an extra change)?

 

[b0b]

As for absolute destinations, I think the answer is Manchester Piccadilly. Possibly with 58 destinations.