Trivia: Longest Reversal: Distance

[Requeststop]

There are threads about reversals and the largest number of reversals a service might have but which service has the longest distance covered by a reversal. I'm thinking of the reversal at Grantham where the Nottingham - Skegness trains cover almost six miles reversing between Allington East Junction to Grantham Station and back. Are there any any longer reversals?

 

[Pete_uk]

Worcester to Southampton reversing at Gloucester?

 

[William3000]

The Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich does two reversals at Sheffield and Ely. I would estimate that Sheffield’s is about 7.5km (15km both ways) and Ely’s is about 2.5km (5km both ways). Both are probably necessary as they provide major interchange facilities but the Sheffield reversal probably adds close to 20 mins on to the journey and Ely probably about 8 mins.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Mar 2022 ==

The reversals on the line at Eastbourne are necessary as the through route has been dismantled but ends up with the somewhat bizarre situation of trains calling at Hampden Park twice.

 

[341o2]

Manchester to Bournemouth reversing at Reading
Milford Haven to Cardiff reversing at Carmarthen
Plymouth to Gunnislake reversing at Bere Alston

 

[Class800]

Manchester to Bournemouth reversing at Reading
Milford Haven to Cardiff reversing at Carmarthen
Plymouth to Gunnislake reversing at Bere Alston

But the actual reversed distance isn't long - the one I know best is the Bere Alston one and the junction is just on the approach to the station, so it's a case of come into the platform, change ends and very soon head off on another line

 

[steamybrian]

Brighton to Hastings services Willingdon Jn to Eastbourne and back.
Far north services- Wick to Inverness trains run from Georgmas Jn to Thurso and back before continuing on. Similar for trains in opposite direction

 

[py_megapixel]

I was surprised to discover that Glossop to Dinting is slightly less than a mile. It feels longer than this to me, as the trains go quite slowly.

 

[Watershed]

Far north services- Wick to Inverness trains run from Georgmas Jn to Thurso and back before continuing on. Similar for trains in opposite direction

This has got to be the 'winner' here. Trains double back between Georgemas Junction and Thurso, adding 13¼ miles and around 37 minutes to the journey time.

 

[mrcheek]

I think the service is suspended at present, but the Cardiff - Manchester XC service via Temple Meads must travel some distance.

Essentially doubling up between Filton Abbey Wood and Temple Meads.

 

[miklcct]

The Liverpool Lime Street to Norwich does two reversals at Sheffield and Ely. I would estimate that Sheffield’s is about 7.5km (15km both ways) and Ely’s is about 2.5km (5km both ways). Both are probably necessary as they provide major interchange facilities but the Sheffield reversal probably adds close to 20 mins on to the journey and Ely probably about 8 mins.

The reversals on the line at Eastbourne are necessary as the through route has been dismantled but ends up with the somewhat bizarre situation of trains calling at Hampden Park twice.

This has got to be the 'winner' here. Trains double back between Georgemas Junction and Thurso, adding 13¼ miles and around 37 minutes to the journey time.

Is it possible, under the normal timetable pattern, to alight at the first stop in the reversing section and board a previous departure in the opposite direction to continue to the destination?

 

[Watershed]

Is it possible, under the normal timetable pattern, to alight at the first stop in the reversing section and board a previous departure in the opposite direction to continue to the destination?

Certainly not at Georgemas Junction - there are only 4 trains per day traversing the entirety of the Far North Line!

Between Dore and Sheffield, avoiding the double back is also impossible, as there are no longer any platforms on the lines to/from Chesterfield. There is a Dore West-South curve, but this has no regularly scheduled passenger service, and is only used for freight and diverted passenger services.

However at Hampden Park, if you time things right it's certainly possible to 'skip forward' a train.

 

[30907]

However at Hampden Park, if you time things right it's certainly possible to 'skip forward' a train.

There are, or were, regular connections of that sort. IIRC off the London-Eastbourne into the Eastbourne-Ashford. Doesn't look to work ATM

 

[Class800]

There are, or were, regular connections of that sort. IIRC off the London-Eastbourne into the Eastbourne-Ashford. Doesn't look to work ATM

Double calling at Hampden Park is much rarer now, so reduces opportunities

 

[Gloster]

Wasn’t there at one time a train from Gunnislake that went into Plymouth and then headed back into Cornwall via the GW line (or v.v.)

Another one in the past that is at the back of my mind is trains coming in to Scarborough from Filey and then heading back through Seamer towards Malton. Probably Summer Saturdays only.

I think there also used to be trains that ran in to Fratton or Portsmouth & Southsea and then reversed to continue along the coast.

Wasn’t there a time when the last train from Bristol ran to Frome and then reversed to Westbury and on to Warminster (or v.v.)

All of these are at the back of my mind and I am far from sure I am right about all of them. Or even any of them.

 

[Western Sunset]

There used to be St Pan - Derby trains that reversed at Nottm.

 

[dastocks]

I've done diversions between Brighton and London via Horsham where we reversed at Preston Park and Littlehampton.

 

[Watershed]

There used to be St Pan - Derby trains that reversed at Nottm.

There still are - for example 1B04, the 04:47 from Derby.

 

[Class800]

There still are - for example 1B04, the 04:47 from Derby.

According to RTT the double back is between Beeston South Junction and Nottingham

 

[Watershed]

According to RTT the double back is between Beeston South Junction and Nottingham

It's actually between Trent East Jn and Nottingham, which at 6 miles and 57 chains just beats my previous Far North example by a smidgeon. They don't double call at Beeston though.

 

[Class800]

It's actually between Trent East Jn and Nottingham, which at 6 miles and 57 chains just beats my previous Far North example by a smidgeon. They don't double call at Beeston though.

Sorry you're right. It's Trent East Junction - the data feed wasn't very well presented. What through me was that Beeston wasn't listed twice, once with a 'pass'

 

[topydre]

There's the once a day Pwllheli - Aberystwyth via Machynlleth. Granted it's advertised as 2 separate trains but to all intents and purposes it's a through train with a long reversal between Dyfi Junction and Machynlleth and back to Dyfi Junction before continuing to Aberystwyth .

 

[urpert]

Not going to beat any records, but Cromer-Sheringham is another example.

 

[voyagerdude220]

How about Severn Tunnel Junction to Newport South Wales (and back)?

(In the case of Cross Country services between Bristol and Birmingham when they occasionally divert via Newport and Gloucester)

 

[swt_passenger]

…I think there also used to be trains that ran in to Fratton or Portsmouth & Southsea and then reversed to continue along the coast.

I think that would have to be Portsmouth & Southsea, because a reversal at Fratton in service wasn’t a signalled passenger move until after Portsmouth Area re-signalling, by which time I don’t think such services ran any more.

 

[fgwrich]

With weekend engineering works taking place on the South Western Mainline at the moment, there have been several weekends where Bournemouth bound services have ran down to Guildford via Chobham, reversed the 7 or so miles back up to Woking, then carried on to Basingstoke etc.

SWR also has a few services per day, and have used the route for engineering work diversions in the past, which run Yeovil Junction, Pen Mill, Castle Cary, Westbury Reverse, Salisbury and onwards to Waterloo.

 

[DelW]

With weekend engineering works taking place on the South Western Mainline at the moment, there have been several weekends where Bournemouth bound services have ran down to Guildford via Chobham, reversed the 7 or so miles back up to Woking, then carried on to Basingstoke etc.

SWR also has a few services per day, and have used the route for engineering work diversions in the past, which run Yeovil Junction, Pen Mill, Castle Cary, Westbury Reverse, Salisbury and onwards to Waterloo.

Just to avoid confusion, that should be "via Cobham" (which is east of Woking), not Chobham, which is northwest of Woking.

 

[swt_passenger]

With weekend engineering works taking place on the South Western Mainline at the moment, there have been several weekends where Bournemouth bound services have ran down to Guildford via Chobham, reversed the 7 or so miles back up to Woking, then carried on to Basingstoke etc.

SWR also has a few services per day, and have used the route for engineering work diversions in the past, which run Yeovil Junction, Pen Mill, Castle Cary, Westbury Reverse, Salisbury and onwards to Waterloo.

I don’t think they’re really what the thread is about. London to Guildford via Cobham then to Woking to Bournemouth is more of a zig-zag route, the idea is that the reversal phase of the journey needs to run over a significant length of the same route in both directions. In your examples the junctions are not far off the platform ends…

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Manchester to Bournemouth reversing at Reading

Bournemouth to Manchester Piccadilly, having reversed at Reading, must be the best part of 100 miles beyond there.

Presume though that the OP is really looking for services which shuttle up and down the same section of track before continuing in a different direction, such as London Victoria -> Ore services for the two-and-a-half miles from Willingdon Junction into Eastbourne and back out again.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Some freights go a very long way to 'run round' before 'coming back'.

Cwmbargoed to Hope Cement Works via Margam springs to mind. Effectively this involves a 'reversal' all the way from Cardiff to Margam and back. (Yes, I know that one or other direction might be via either the main line or the Vale of Glamorgan and thus not strictly duplicative.)

 

[miklcct]

There are, or were, regular connections of that sort. IIRC off the London-Eastbourne into the Eastbourne-Ashford. Doesn't look to work ATM

How many passengers regularly changed trains this way at the station into the reversal section?

I think that would have to be Portsmouth & Southsea, because a reversal at Fratton in service wasn’t a signalled passenger move until after Portsmouth Area re-signalling, by which time I don’t think such services ran any more.

That scene would be spectacular when everyone travelling on the coastal route got off the train at Fratton and reboard in the opposite direction!