Trivia: Longest rail journey on a through train?

[bennorthyork]

I was just wondering what the longest timetabled direct rail journey is in the UK with no changes?

I can see
Aberdeen (ABD) to Penzance (PNZ)
08:20 - 21:47 Duration 13:27

But are there any longer duration?

 

[Bayum]

That is THE longest train journey that there is i'm afraid!

You could do Penzance - Fortwilliam or something, but obviously that isn't a direct train =/

 

[Geezertronic]

How many different crews would a journey like that have and does anyone know where the likely swapover points would be?

 

[Mike Redding]

I'd hazard a guess at 4 crews. Aberdeen - Newcastle - Birmingham - Bristol - Penzance. I'm probably wrong, but that seems the more obvious (to me) changeovers. Although that's going on the basis of the Euston - Preston - Glasgow trains (the only long distance service i've been on).

 

[Mcr Warrior]

But are there any longer duration?

Don't think so. Sunday's Caledonian sleeper service from Euston to Fort William is down as 12hrs 59mins, I believe.

 

[Bayum]

I'd hazard a guess at 4 crews. Aberdeen - Newcastle - Birmingham - Bristol - Penzance. I'm probably wrong, but that seems the more obvious (to me) changeovers. Although that's going on the basis of the Euston - Preston - Glasgow trains (the only long distance service i've been on).

I think it's more like

Aberdeen - Edinburgh
Edinburgh - Newcastle
Newcastle - Leeds/York
Leeds/York - Birmingham
Birmingham - Bristol
Bristol - Plymouth
Plymouth - Penzance

When i've been on trains from Edinburgh, they seem to swap crews at Newcastle, and when I'm at Leeds, I usually see southbound crews changing over as well... But i'm not too sure about the rest of the journey if i'm honest!

 

[Pumbaa]

I think it's more like

Aberdeen - Edinburgh
Edinburgh - Newcastle
Newcastle - Leeds/York
Leeds/York - Birmingham
Birmingham - Bristol
Bristol - Plymouth
Plymouth - Penzance

When i've been on trains from Edinburgh, they seem to swap crews at Newcastle, and when I'm at Leeds, I usually see southbound crews changing over as well... But i'm not too sure about the rest of the journey if i'm honest!

That's pretty much it. Trains via Leeds swap at Leeds, trains via Doncaster usually swap at Sheffield.

 

[Waverley125]

on the subject of the XC services, is it just me that thinks it's a tad silly to run an Aberdeen-Penzance service? Would it not be better to run overlapping services between points, giving a better frequency on the core? e.g.

Penzance-Birmingham (St Erth, Redruth, Camborne, Truro, St Austell, Par, Bodmin Parkway, Liskeard, Plymouth, Totnes, Newton Abbott, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Exeter St Davids, Tiverton Parkway, Taunton, Weston super Mare, Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, Cheltenham Spa)

Plymouth-Newcastle (as above, Birmingham NS, Tamworth, Derby, Chesterfield, Sheffield, Wakefield Westgate, Leeds, York, Northallerton, Darlington, Durham)

Bristol-Aberdeen (as above, Morpeth, Alnmouth, Berwick upon Tweed, Dunbar, Edinburgh Waverley, Haymarket, Inverkeithing, Kirkcaldy, Cupar, Leuchars, Dundee, Arbroath, Montrose, Stonehaven)

I also think the trains need to be lengthened, hopefully using the 7 car meridians once the MML gets wired.

 

[MCR247]

Dont you mean if the MML gets wired

 

[williamn]

Nice, over 23 hours with no buffet and no hot food.

I did Exeter to Abderdeen once, which would have been shortly after privatisation. We went on a deal that was kind of like Premium Economy which meant we got drinks throughout the trip and fed several times with proper (though I think just microwaved) meals.

Now I have to say I would be unlikely to consider the train for the same trip.

 

[Mojo]

I don't know for that train exactly, but it depends on the individual rosters as to the changeover points. It'd certaintly be possible for a changeover to happen at all locations with traincrew depots but then again a Bristol guy may work a train from Birmingham to Plymouth and swap there. There are also a couple of diagrams where crews change over at points that aren't their depot. I know of a Bristol diagram where they swap with Plymouth crews at Taunton and another where they swap at Exeter, even though there are no staff based there.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

on the subject of the XC services, is it just me that thinks it's a tad silly to run an Aberdeen-Penzance service? Would it not be better to run overlapping services between points, giving a better frequency on the core?

In effect that is what happens - on all ex VT routes there is a core hourly service:
Manchester - Bristol
Manchester - Bournemouth
Edinburgh - Plymouth
Newcastle - Reading
Some trains are then extended past these locations (eg. Edinburgh - Plymouth becomes Aberdeen - Penzance) but there is 2tph on the "core" sections of route from Birmingham to Bristol, Manchester, Reading & Newcastle, plus extra trains made up from the ex CT routes (4tph to Derby, 3tph to Cheltenham).

 

[SWT Driver]

Would someone call the white coats!

There's a nutter in here who want's to do 13h 27m on a XC service! hock:

It definitely ain't me!

 

[monkey]

^^especially if its on a voyager. I think some go to cardiff central but I don't know if that starts in aberdeen or if its just edinburgh or newcastle. still its a good point, a buffet, proper food/buffet car would be handy on such a journey if any...

 

[Waverley125]

i think i might have to do this. Take several packups, get down to Penzance early. Just to say I'd done it, the longest train journey possible in Britain without changing.

 

[Bayum]

You can't do it Penzance - Aberdeen though...

It's the other way around...

 

[Waverley125]

oh, **** it then. I'm not going to that effort to end up in a ****hole like penzance at the end of the day.

 

[yorkie]

I've done Glasgow-Penzance and Penzance-Dundee on HSTs (Valentas with IC70 seats but sadly no buffet car). I wouldn't recommend it now, especially with Voyagers! The strangest part was getting a Cornish guard in Scotland, and a Scottish guard in Cornwall on the Glasgow-Penzance train.

 

[Aussie_Rail]

13 and a half hours is a pretty decent effort for the UK I reckon; I was expecting something shorter than that. Although I can beat that with a journey time of 66 and a quarter hours over 4 days on the one train with only 3 stops between start and finish .

 

[merlodlliw]

13 and a half hours is a pretty decent effort for the UK I reckon; I was expecting something shorter than that. Although I can beat that with a journey time of 66 and a quarter hours over 4 days on the one train with only 3 stops between start and finish .

Good Morning Aus.

Have you been on the Ghan yet, & how many rail guages are left,I understand
several states have changed to a national guage.

Here in the Uk, on National lines we have two, NI & IR remain broad guage.

I note your new timetables commence Oct, what on earth is an oscar set used in Sydney

 

[Aussie_Rail]

Good Morning Aus.

Have you been on the Ghan yet, & how many rail guages are left,I understand
several states have changed to a national guage.

Here in the Uk, on National lines we have two, NI & IR remain broad guage.

I note your new timetables commence Oct, what on earth is an oscar set used in Sydney

Good afternoon UK.

Personally I have not been on the Ghan, but when I went on holiday to Darwin last year I went and saw it when it was in town. The Ghan and the Indian Pacific are quite expensive to travel on, hence why they are so popular with retired American couples.

There are 2 main gauges used, broad gauge and standard gauge and then there are various types of narrow gauge tracks.

An Oscar set is a type of train used in Sydney, short for "Outer Suburban CAR".

More info about it can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CityRail_H_set

 

[ravisurya]

I think it would simply be much better to replace the Voyager trains with either Meridian or HST sets (as parts of line aren't electrified), at least they can carry a decent buffet carriage and good food!!! (ps I hope cross country's lease expires soon... I HATE THE COMPANY!!!)

 

[mindfeeder]

Is this the infamous "£1000" fare or is that from Wick to Penzance?

 

[SWT Driver]

The £1002 fare was from Newquay to Kyle of Lochalsh, which I believe is now £1062.

 

[mindfeeder]

The £1002 fare was from Newquay to Kyle of Lochalsh, which I believe is now £1062.

Forgot about the recent price hikes

 

[tbtc]

The £1002 fare was from Newquay to Kyle of Lochalsh, which I believe is now £1062.

Today's Guardian has an article about this, with a rail blue 26 at Kyle of Lochalsh to illustrate it

Much prettier than a Sprinter (do Pacers use the Cornish branch?)

 

[BigHairyIan]

I made the journey from Warrington to Kyle of Lochalsh with a child using a rail card and it cost me £28 each way and her £4.50 each way. Yes four pounds and fifty pence! Bananas!

 

[ATW Alex 101]

The £1002 fare was from Newquay to Kyle of Lochalsh, which I believe is now £1062.

where would you change for that? i would have thought newquay-par, par-bristol, bristol-new street, new street-edinburgh, edinburgh-averdeen and aberdeen-kyle?

 

[MidnightFlyer]

Newquay-Par
Par-Edinburgh (or Par-Plymouth-Edinburgh)
Edinburgh-Inverness
Inverness-the Kyle

 

[dave_wm]

It'd be Newquay-Par, Par-Plymouth, Plymouth-Edinburgh, Edinburgh-Inverness and Inverness-Kyle of Localsh.

Possibly less if you can get a direct train from Newquay to Plymouth, or from Par to Edinburgh - you can't do Newquay - Kyle in one day though, you have to overnight somewhere or catch a sleeper.

 

[Zoe]

Don't forget you can go via London if you don't want to go on a Voyager.