Trivia: Most connected TOC

[pokemonsuper9]

Does anyone know what the TOC that connects to the most other TOCs is?
I'd think it might be EMR connecting to 12
Northern, TPE, Avanti, WMT, Crosscountry, LNER, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, Southeastern and Eurostar

But maybe there's something I'm not thinking of or that seems less obvious, or have I gotten something wrong with my count?

If anyone knows of any other threads that've already explained this please send a link as I couldn't find any

Edit for clarity:
TOC = train operating company that holds a passenger license to operate trains and is a party to the Ticketing Settlement Agreement (TSA)

 

[All Line Rover]

London Underground

 

[Mat17]

Does anyone know what the TOC that connects to the most other TOCs is?
I'd think it might be EMR connecting to 12
Northern, TPE, Avanti, WMT, Crosscountry, LNER, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, Southeastern and Eurostar

But maybe there's something I'm not thinking of or that seems less obvious, or have I gotten something wrong with my count?

If anyone knows of any other threads that've already explained this please send a link as I couldn't find any

Cross country must be a contender, it travels the length and breadth of the country.

 

[Horizon22]

Surely it's Crosscountry?

Everyone but Southeastern & C2C*?

 

[Brubulus]

Surely it's Crosscountry?

Everyone but Thameslink and Southeastern?

Cross country connect with TL at Cambridge

 

[Horizon22]

Cross country connect with TL at Cambridge

Since edited!

 

[telstarbox]

But not c2c...

 

[Horizon22]

But not c2c...

Of course neither does EMR. C2C is almost entirely self-contained, apart from Overground and very occasionally Greater Anglia and Elizabeth line.

 

[PTR 444]

XC doesn’t connect with Merseyrail either.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Does anyone know what the TOC that connects to the most other TOCs is?
I'd think it might be EMR connecting to 12
Northern, TPE, Avanti, WMT, Crosscountry, LNER, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, Southeastern and Eurostar

But maybe there's something I'm not thinking of or that seems less obvious, or have I gotten something wrong with my count?

If anyone knows of any other threads that've already explained this please send a link as I couldn't find any

Cross country connects with Scotrail, LNER, Avanti, Caledonian Sleeper, Northern, EMR, TfW, Greater Anglia, GWR, SWR, GTR (Southern / Thameslink brands), MTR Elizabeth Line, Hull Trains, Grand Central, West Midlands Trains

 

[Horizon22]

XC doesn’t connect with Merseyrail either.

EMR doesn't connect with SWR, GWR or TfW or Elizabeth line of which Crosscountry connects with all at some point.

 

[CAF397]

Does anyone know what the TOC that connects to the most other TOCs is?
I'd think it might be EMR connecting to 12
Northern, TPE, Avanti, WMT, Crosscountry, LNER, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, Southeastern and Eurostar

But maybe there's something I'm not thinking of or that seems less obvious, or have I gotten something wrong with my count?

If anyone knows of any other threads that've already explained this please send a link as I couldn't find any

XC wins, as others have said, but EMR also connects with TfW (Crewe and Manchester/Stockport)

 

[Mat17]

Cross country connects with Scotrail, LNER, Avanti, Caledonian Sleeper, Northern, EMR, TfW, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, GWR, SWR, Southern, Eliebeth line, Hull Trains, Grand Central. WMR, LNR

Chiltern?

 

[Peterthegreat]

Chiltern?

And Chiltern

 

[CAF397]

EMR doesn't connect with SWR, GWR or TfW or Elizabeth line of which Crosscountry connects with all at some point.

EMR connects at Crewe and Manchester/Stockport with TfW

 

[Horizon22]

EMR connects at Crewe and Manchester/Stockport with TfW

Ah yes Crewe! Still don't think you can beat Crosscountry.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Dec 2022 ==

And Chiltern

Somewhere EMR also doesn't.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

EMR - 15
Northern, TPE, Avanti, Merseyrail, WMT, Crosscountry, LNER, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, Southeastern, TfW and Eurostar, Caledonian Sleeper

London Underground - 19
Avanti, WMT, EMR, Thameslink, Eurostar, LNER, Southeastern, Hull Trains, Grand Central, Greater Anglia, C2C, Southwestern, Heathrow Express, GWR, Chiltern, Overground, Elizabeth Line, Lumo, Caledonian Sleeper

Crosscountry - 19
Scotrail, LNER, Avanti, Caledonian Sleeper, Northern, EMR, TfW, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, GWR, SWR, Southern, Elizabeth line, Hull Trains, Grand Central, WMT, Chiltern, Lumo, TPE

 

[OrangeJuice]

EMR - 14
Northern, TPE, Avanti, Merseyrail, WMT, Crosscountry, LNER, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, Southeastern, TfW and Eurostar

London Underground - 17
Avanti, WMT, EMR, Thameslink, Eurostar, LNER, Southeastern, Hull Trains, Grand Central, Greater Anglia, C2C, Southwestern, Heathrow Express, GWR, Chiltern, Overground, Elizabeth Line

Crosscountry - 18
Scotrail, LNER, Avanti, Caledonian Sleeper, Northern, EMR, TfW, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, GWR, SWR, Southern, Elizabeth line, Hull Trains, Grand Central, WMT, Chiltern, Lumo

EMR also have Caledonian sleeper at Crewe.
Cross-country also have TPE at many places.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Edited now, thanks!

 

[JamieL]

EMR - 15
Northern, TPE, Avanti, Merseyrail, WMT, Crosscountry, LNER, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, Southeastern, TfW and Eurostar, Caledonian Sleeper

London Underground - 17
Avanti, WMT, EMR, Thameslink, Eurostar, LNER, Southeastern, Hull Trains, Grand Central, Greater Anglia, C2C, Southwestern, Heathrow Express, GWR, Chiltern, Overground, Elizabeth Line

Crosscountry - 19
Scotrail, LNER, Avanti, Caledonian Sleeper, Northern, EMR, TfW, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, GWR, SWR, Southern, Elizabeth line, Hull Trains, Grand Central, WMT, Chiltern, Lumo, TPE

London Underground connects with Caledonian Sleeper at Euston. It also connects with the dreadful Lumo if that counts as a TOC.

 

[plugwash]

London Underground connects with Caledonian Sleeper at Euston. It also connects with the dreadful Lumo if that counts as a TOC.

Asside from the fact that I'm pretty sure London Underground are not a TOC (they accept some rail tickets, but only under specific arrangements, not in the way a regular TOC does), this raises the question of what exactly a "connection" means? If you are going to count underground and NR stations that are joined together as "connections" should you also consider Kings Cross and St Pancras mainline stations as "connections"?

 

[pokemonsuper9]

London Underground connects with Caledonian Sleeper at Euston. It also connects with the dreadful Lumo if that counts as a TOC.

Edit made, thanks for the suggestion.

I'm pretty sure London Underground are not a TOC (they accept some rail tickets, but only under specific arrangements, not in the way a regular TOC does)

I was just wondering how they compared to Crosscountry.

this raises the question of what exactly a "connection" means? If you are going to count underground and NR stations that are joined together as "connections" should you also consider Kings Cross and St Pancras mainline stations as "connections"?

For the tube I do count them, which yes is a bit off from how I treat St Pancras and Kings Cross, but more in line with how I treat Liverpool Lime St high/low level.
The Underground would be at 7: Greater Anglia, c2c, Elizabeth Line, Overground, Southern, WMT (Through LNW) and GWR if that kind of connection was dis-allowed. Either way allowing Kings Cross - St Pancras probably doesn't change the answer as crosscountry see all but 3.

 

[Basil Jet]

Of course neither does EMR. C2C is almost entirely self-contained, apart from Overground and very occasionally Greater Anglia and Elizabeth line.

I wouldn't say Saturday and Sunday happen "very occasionally".

 

[Mike99]

Is Southern being included with Thameslink for London Underground? There's the obvious connection at London Victoria

 

[pokemonsuper9]

Is Southern being included with Thameslink for London Underground? There's the obvious connection at London Victoria

Only counting GTR as a whole, not the 4 ones separately, similar with WMT

 

[London Trains]

London Underground:

GTR (all 4 of its brands), Southeastern, SWR, GWR, Heathrow Express, Chiltern, Avanti, WMR (only LNWR), Caledonian Sleeper, EMR, Eurostar, LNER, Hull Trains, Grand Central, Lumo, Greater Anglia, C2C, London Overground, Elizabeth Line.

So that's 19 (or 22 if counting Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express separately)

It doesn't connect to Northern, TPE, Merseyrail, Crosscountry (since the Elizabeth Line isn't part of LU), TfW or Scotrail.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

EMR - 15
Northern, TPE, Avanti, Merseyrail, WMT, Crosscountry, LNER, Grand Central, Hull Trains, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, Southeastern, TfW and Eurostar, Caledonian Sleeper

London Underground - 19
Avanti, WMT, EMR, Thameslink, Eurostar, LNER, Southeastern, Hull Trains, Grand Central, Greater Anglia, C2C, Southwestern, Heathrow Express, GWR, Chiltern, Overground, Elizabeth Line, Lumo, Caledonian Sleeper

Crosscountry - 19
Scotrail, LNER, Avanti, Caledonian Sleeper, Northern, EMR, TfW, Greater Anglia, Thameslink, GWR, SWR, Southern, Elizabeth line, Hull Trains, Grand Central, WMT, Chiltern, Lumo, TPE

London Underground:

GTR (all 4 of its brands), Southeastern, SWR, GWR, Heathrow Express, Chiltern, Avanti, WMR (only LNWR), Caledonian Sleeper, EMR, Eurostar, LNER, Hull Trains, Grand Central, Lumo, Greater Anglia, C2C, London Overground, Elizabeth Line.

So that's 19 (or 22 if counting Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express separately)

It doesn't connect to Northern, TPE, Merseyrail, Crosscountry (since the Elizabeth Line isn't part of LU), TfW or Scotrail.

The underground was counted in my main count, which has been buried a bit by this point

 

[miklcct]

Asside from the fact that I'm pretty sure London Underground are not a TOC (they accept some rail tickets, but only under specific arrangements, not in the way a regular TOC does), this raises the question of what exactly a "connection" means? If you are going to count underground and NR stations that are joined together as "connections" should you also consider Kings Cross and St Pancras mainline stations as "connections"?

London Underground is a TOC at least for the part on Network Rail metal, if Eurostar is also counted as a TOC. Using the same reasoning Tyne & Wear Metro and Sheffield Supertram should also be counted as TOCs as well. The criteria inferred is "scheduled passenger service in the Network Rail timetable".

Eurostar doesn't accept any normal rail tickets at all, it's a separate system. If you have to count Eurostar as a TOC, the above is the only reasoning available.

 

[dcsprior]

Caledonian Sleeper connect to more other operators (12) than the number of services they run each day:

1. ScotRail
2. Cross Country
3. TPE
4. Avanti
5. Lumo
6. London North-Western
7. EMR
8. TfW
9. Northern
10. London Overground
11. Southern
12. LNER

 

[scrapy]

London Underground is a TOC at least for the part on Network Rail metal, if Eurostar is also counted as a TOC. Using the same reasoning Tyne & Wear Metro and Sheffield Supertram should also be counted as TOCs as well. The criteria inferred is "scheduled passenger service in the Network Rail timetable".

Eurostar doesn't accept any normal rail tickets at all, it's a separate system. If you have to count Eurostar as a TOC, the above is the only reasoning

The OP specifies trains, so it's debatable whether tram-trains meet that criteria to allow Sheffield Supertram to count. If they do count is also open to debate as to which stations count for interchange as the train/tram meets just Northern at Rotherham Central, whereas the trams also meet TPE at Meadowhall, and TPE, XC and EMR at Sheffield Station (although some may consider them to be seperate stations). Only the OP can answer this.