Most change-heavy journey

[telstarbox]

Journeys between certain stations can include a few changes (especially if done at the start and end of the day), but what is the journey suggested by National Rail Enquiries with the most changes relative to the total time taken? Results have to be from NRE without specifying via points.

For example: Stourbridge Town to Sheerness-on-Sea at 12.44 tomorrow has an average of 1 change every 39 minutes (6 changes in 4 hours 31 minutes including Tube).

 

[Crossover]

Not a huge journey, but one that came to mind after doing part of it the other week.

Brighouse to Burnley Manchester Road - only the one change (at Hebden Bridge) but involves almost more time off the train than on it!

Times taken from tomorrow:
Brighouse - 11:49
Hebden Bridge (arr) - 12:08 (19 mins)
Hebden Bridge (dep) - 12:38
Burnley Manchester Road - 12:57 (19 mins)

Total journey time 1 hour 8 mins!

 

[calc7]

Sandhills to Edge Hill.

14:25 Sandhills [SDL]
Moorfields [MRF]
14:28
14:41 Moorfields [MRF]
Liverpool Lime Street [LIV]
14:43
14:55 Liverpool Lime Street [LIV]
Edge Hill [EDG]
14:59

2 changes in 34 minutes' journey time, with only 9 minutes on trains!

 

[Eagle]

Loughborough Junction to Brixton (10.53 tomorrow) has one change every 17 minutes.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
No wait, even better, Lye to Stourbridge Junction. One change every 13 minutes.

 

[Qwerty133]

south wigston 08:10 8:15 leicester
leicester 08:25 08:32 syston
1 change 22 mins

 

[Rich McLean]

Today I did:

Oxford - Birmingham New Street (XC)
Birmingham New Street - Sheffield (XC TUBE SERVICE)
Sheffield - Doncaster (Norther 158)
Doncaster - Northallerton (EC HST)

Normally this can be done in just one change at Doncaster

 

[EM2]

Maryland to Stepney Green?

Maryland to Stratford - 2mins
Stratford to Mile End (Central Line) - 2mins
Mile End to Stepney Green (District line) - 2 mins

And if you're really unlucky with your timing, you wait 4 mins for each Tube!

 

[Ivo]

Kirby Cross to Mistley on a Sunday:

Kirby Cross to Thorpe-le-Soken (1336 - 1342)
Thorpe-le-Soken to Colchester (1344 - 1405)
Colchester to Manningtree (1414 - 1422)
Manningtree to Mistley (1426 - 1430)

Total journey time, 54 minutes; requires three changes. For an all-NR non-suburban route, that's pretty steep!

You can also do it on other days, but it's not quite as good as (a) it takes 58 minutes and (b) the option is there to change only twice.

 

[IanXC]

The other day I went from Tamworth to Hull changing at Derby, Chesterfield and
Sheffield. This would normally be possible by changing just at Sheffield.

 

[ValleyLines142]

One utterly ridiculous example is a journey from Bognor Regis to Whitby, which involves SEVEN changes. This is an overnight example, and throughout the day it’s possible to do such a journey in around four changes, but even so it’s a good one.

Bognor Regis leave 2315 arr Barnham 2321
Barnham leave 2325 arr Brighton 0025
Brighton leave 0350 arr Three Bridges 0445
Three Bridges leave 0455 arr St Pancras 0554
Walk to Kings Cross
Kings Cross leave 0700 arr Darlington 0930
Darlington leave 0930 arr Middlesbrough 0954
Middlesbrough leave 1038 arr Whitby 1205.

Admittedly, this is one of those stupid examples where NRE basically imply that you have to wait overnight on a station platform for about 6 hours (this particular example isn’t as bad thanks to Southern having a near 24-hour service), but it’s a good example none the less, and it is in the NRE journey planner! With three and a half hours to spare in Brighton, I’d be tempted to go to a few bars whilst I’m waiting!

 

[tsr]

Maryland to Stepney Green?

Maryland to Stratford - 2mins
Stratford to Mile End (Central Line) - 2mins
Mile End to Stepney Green (District line) - 2 mins

And if you're really unlucky with your timing, you wait 4 mins for each Tube!

Yep, some really daft ones are possible on the Tube.

As an aside, the timings above make my deliberate attempt at the "most ridiculous number of different lines used in fewer than 60 minutes between two Zone 1 stations*" look quite feeble (I managed just 8 different lines in roughly 58 minutes ). The route of that journey, whilst able to be plotted by fiddling very much with the TfL website, was not entirely necessary in its length or interchanges.

*Warren Street > St James's Park, if you're interested.

 

[cjohnson]

I commuted Balham - Rickmansworth for a while. Quickest way was via 5 lines (Balham - Stockwell - Oxford Circus - Baker Street - Finchley Road - Rickmansworth) as each was a cross-platform change.

 

[tsr]

I commuted Balham - Rickmansworth for a while. Quickest way was via 5 lines (Balham - Stockwell - Oxford Circus - Baker Street - Finchley Road - Rickmansworth) as each was a cross-platform change.

Oooh, that's my sort of commute!

 

[barrykas]

Yep, some really daft ones are possible on the Tube.

As an aside, the timings above make my deliberate attempt at the "most ridiculous number of different lines used in fewer than 60 minutes between two Zone 1 stations*" look quite feeble (I managed just 8 different lines in roughly 58 minutes ).

It's apparently possible to cover all 11 lines in 33 minutes 37 seconds if you're lucky...It's another one in the "arsenal" of alternatives to the all stations challenge, mad fools that those Tube Challengers are.

 

[tractakid]

Having done it myself in 42 minutes 36 seconds, it is hard to imagine shaving a whole 9 minutes off this time! It must have been perfect...

(btw I am not doubting the legitimacy of the time)

 

[Chapeltom]

Journeys between certain stations can include a few changes (especially if done at the start and end of the day), but what is the journey suggested by National Rail Enquiries with the most changes relative to the total time taken? Results have to be from NRE without specifying via points.

For example: Stourbridge Town to Sheerness-on-Sea at 12.44 tomorrow has an average of 1 change every 39 minutes (6 changes in 4 hours 31 minutes including Tube).

Garswood to Barton upon Humber can require 7 changes!

At Wigan NW, Hindley, Manchester Victoria, Huddersfield, Wakefield Westgate, Doncaster and Habrough.

 

[12CSVT]

I commuted Balham - Rickmansworth for a while. Quickest way was via 5 lines (Balham - Stockwell - Oxford Circus - Baker Street - Finchley Road - Rickmansworth) as each was a cross-platform change.

A bit like me travelling from Paddington to Kings Cross whenever the Circle / H&C lines are closed for engineering works.

It is often quicker to go Bakerloo line to Oxford Circus, Southbound Victoria line to Green Park and northbound Victoria line to Kings Cross than it is to navigate half a mile of passageways at Oxford Circus getting from southbound Bakerloo to northbound Victoria line platforms.

 

[district]

When all lines are in operation, is it possible to get from every LU/LO station to any other by just changing once? I'm trying to think of circumstances where you cannot.

 

[Eagle]

When all lines are in operation, is it possible to get from every LU/LO station to any other by just changing once? I'm trying to think of circumstances where you cannot.

Any Met-only station to any LO-only station. The two don't meet once (although they cross a couple of times). Also the Met and the District don't meet.

 

[Ivo]

Unless you fancy going on a far longer (and far more congested) trip than is necessary, and are thus prepared to travel via Zone 1 and/or walk, travelling from South Ealing and beyond to North Harrow and beyond would necessitate changing three times - and in the case of Chesham, four until recently.

 

[ValleyLines142]

When all lines are in operation, is it possible to get from every LU/LO station to any other by just changing once? I'm trying to think of circumstances where you cannot.

Waterloo & City does not meet the Piccadilly or the Victoria Line at any point, or with the Metropolitan, Circle, Central and District (unless you count Bank & Monument as one station).

 

[telstarbox]

But both Waterloo and Bank are on multiple other lines.

 

[Roverman]

One utterly ridiculous example is a journey from Bognor Regis to Whitby, which involves SEVEN changes. This is an overnight example, and throughout the day it’s possible to do such a journey in around four changes, but even so it’s a good one.

Bognor Regis leave 2315 arr Barnham 2321
Barnham leave 2325 arr Brighton 0025
Brighton leave 0350 arr Three Bridges 0445
Three Bridges leave 0455 arr St Pancras 0554
Walk to Kings Cross
Kings Cross leave 0700 arr Darlington 0930
Darlington leave 0930 arr Middlesbrough 0954
Middlesbrough leave 1038 arr Whitby 1205.

Admittedly, this is one of those stupid examples where NRE basically imply that you have to wait overnight on a station platform for about 6 hours (this particular example isn’t as bad thanks to Southern having a near 24-hour service), but it’s a good example none the less, and it is in the NRE journey planner! With three and a half hours to spare in Brighton, I’d be tempted to go to a few bars whilst I’m waiting!

Love those automated examples! Who would actually start a jounrey like that from Bognor? When I lived near Angmering I would often get a lift to Brighton or Horsham as the choice of trains was far better.

 

[tsr]

Love those automated examples! Who would actually start a jounrey like that from Bognor? When I lived near Angmering I would often get a lift to Brighton or Horsham as the choice of trains was far better.

Excuse me, sir! I'm sure there's at least one person a year who does it! That is precisely why such planning functions exist within the journey planner, no matter how daft they may seem.

On past occasions I have bought tickets for numerous strange journeys at numerous strange times, most of which have actually been necessary! Admittedly, one of them have been to or from Bognor Regis. Before open-source railway planning websites, the NRE journey planner was surprisingly well-used by and useful for me, if I managed to use it competently!

 

[mirodo]

Any Met-only station to any LO-only station. The two don't meet once (although they cross a couple of times). Also the Met and the District don't meet.

Kensington Olympia is only open at weekends and selected Olympia events.

Also, Mill Hill East is only served by through trains at peak hours - the rest of the time it's a shuttle service from West Finchley.

 

[greg tingey]

Once, when there was a strike ...
Walthamstow Central - Liverpool St
Walk to Cannon ST
Cannon St - London Bdg
London Bdg - Waterloo East
Waterloo - CJn
C Jn - Kenny O ( for GBBF @ Olympia!)

 

[paul1609]

Love those automated examples! Who would actually start a jounrey like that from Bognor? When I lived near Angmering I would often get a lift to Brighton or Horsham as the choice of trains was far better.

FROM LITTLEHAMPTON Ive done Kyle of Lochalsh and Fort William (several times) on one ticke> ive even bought a saver to Fort William from the guard on the first train to brighton pre advantix. he had to phone to get the fare but had still completed the transaction by West Worthing.
I haven't done Whitby but I have done Pickering (bus) for the NYMR on several day trips from Littlehampton this one requires a split in London. Littlehampton station also issued me with a Lancashire day rover ticket for one of Ascots meets that actually turned in to a pub lunch when the heysham train was taxistuted