London Terminals Challenge

[Daz28]

The challenge:

Visit each London Terminal station using National Rail services alone.

What is the quickest route to visit all stations?

You cannot use buses, tubes or walk between stations.

What is the furthest outside of London that you need to go to make it possible?

 

[CatfordCat]

Do London Overground services count as trains or what?

 

[bangor-toad]

Don't know about the timings of this but it's relatively easy to do without going too far from London. The furthest out of London would be Reading using normal scheduled services, everything else can be done within the M25.

Here's my suggested route - I don't think I've forgotten anywhere and may have been a bit generous in definitions. The terminals are on the left, the changes required are indented:

Marylebone
.............South Ruislip
Paddington
.............Reading
Waterloo
.............Clapham Junction
Victoria
............. Eg East Croydon
London Bridge
Cannon Street
London Bridge
Waterloo East
Charing Cross
London Bridge
Blackfriars
Farringdon
St Pancras (Low Level)
.............Kentish Town
St Pancras
.............Kentish Town
London Bridge
.............New Cross + Highbury & Islington
Moorgate
.............Finsbury Park
Kings Cross
.............Finsbury Park + Highbury & Islington + Willesden Junction
Euston
.............Willesden Junction
Kensington Olympia
.............Stratford
Liverpool Street
.............Romford + Upminster
Fenchurch Street


Cheers,
Jason

 

[Daz28]

That's a great itinerary. Given how the private railways evolved, it is surprising just how well connected the London terminals are.

In terms of timing, South Ruislip to Paddington is the tricky one, as there is only one per day. Otherwise you would need to go out to Banbury to get back.

 

[IanD]

Are there direct services from Kentish Town to St Pancras High level?

 

[yorkie]

Do London Overground services count as trains or what?

London Overground certainly is a National Rail TOC.

Some of their staff are in denial, but they're wrong.

Are there direct services from Kentish Town to St Pancras High level?

Not normally, but it's all the same station anyway.

 

[tractakid]

I am tempted to have a go at a similar challenge next year, the 'National Rail Z1 challenge'. But any method of travel is permitted, so long as each of the following is visited by National Rail you're good.

Euston
St Pancras
Kings Cross
Moorgate
Hoxton
Shoreditch High Street
Farringdon
City Thameslink
Blackfriars
Elephant and Castle
Cannon Street
Waterloo
Vauxhall
Waterloo East
London Bridge
Cannon Street
Victoria
Paddington
Marylebone

 

[hairyhandedfool]

The challenge:

Visit each London Terminal station using National Rail services alone....

Define 'visit'.

....What is the quickest route to visit all stations?

You cannot use buses, tubes or walk between stations.

Something like this?

Admittedly I had two short walks, but that was because I had to start and end the day in Manchester, but based on that trip I think I could probably do the same and not have to walk between stations, but it would be very tight for time, one missed connection and the game is up. Not quite so hard if you live close to London.....

What is the furthest outside of London that you need to go to make it possible?

Depends where you start, but I'd say Reading. If you can't get to the once daily service (not Sundays) from South Ruislip to Paddington then probably somewhere like Banbury or Birmingham.

 

[D841 Roebuck]

I'd be tempted to flag Reading in favour of a walk from Windsor & Eton Central to Riverside, acquiring a pint on the way.