Trivia: Most single journeys performed by one unit in a day's diagram

[GordonT]

Wondering if the Stourbridge Town-Stourbridge Junction operation scores the highest or if any other "shuttle" type service achieves a better total of single journeys in a day's operation?

 

[Mike99]

I doubt it, Stourbridge is a very short trip, maybe Cardiff Bay to Queen Street might be a close call though.

 

[SuperLuke2334]

I doubt it, Stourbridge is a very short trip, maybe Cardiff Bay to Queen Street might be a close call though.

Cardiff Bay - QS is only half a shuttle now, some services go through to pontypridd.

Stourbridge shuttle provides a service every 10 minutes, the old timetable for Cardiff Bay was every 12 minutes. I imagine on this basis that the Stourbridge shuttle is the one with the most trips.

 

[greatkingrat]

Cardiff Bay - QS is only half a shuttle now, some services go through to pontypridd.

Stourbridge shuttle provides a service every 10 minutes, the old timetable for Cardiff Bay was every 12 minutes. I imagine on this basis that the Stourbridge shuttle is the one with the most trips.

The Waterloo and City line in the peak runs every 2.75 minutes, with 5 trains, so about 14 minutes for a round trip.

 

[Dr Hoo]

Some airport ‘people mover’ shuttles do a lot of trips over long operational days. A set-up such as Gatwick North <-> South uses ‘units’ rather than single vehicles such as Stourbridge.

 

[Topological]

This question would be made more interesting with a requirement that the train serve at least two distinct routes (as in share a maximum of 1 station).

Otherwise, the Stourbridge shuttle would be pretty hard to beat.

My distinct route addendum would rule out a train which did Cardiff Queen Street - Cardiff Bay and then followed it up with a shuttle from Cardiff Bay to the valleys since both also serve Cardiff Queen Street

 

[aliceh]

This question would be made more interesting with a requirement that the train serve at least two distinct routes (as in share a maximum of 1 station).

Otherwise, the Stourbridge shuttle would be pretty hard to beat.

My distinct route addendum would rule out a train which did Cardiff Queen Street - Cardiff Bay and then followed it up with a shuttle from Cardiff Bay to the valleys since both also serve Cardiff Queen Street

If we go with that addendum then the train on the Lymington shuttle just squeaks in, as it runs a single Brockenhurst to Poole at the end of the day, taking it to 67 services in a day

 

[GordonT]

Interesting responses and I'm liking the addendum. Do London Underground still run any parts of their network on a shuttle basis?

 

[bcarmicle]

Hainualt-Woodford on the Central Lline went back to a shuttle service in 2020; I don't believe it's gone back to through running since (except possibly on some weekends during engineering works elsewhere on the Central line).

 

[Dr_Intoxicated]

Last week it was still a shuttle, but that was weekday off peak

 

[FGW_DID]

GWR London & Thames Valley offerings:

RG267 - Windsor Branch: 110 services
RG270 - Henley-on-Thames Branch: 71 services
RG262 - Greenford Branch: 65 services
RG269 - Marlow Donkey: 55 services

 

[TheTallOne]

So the Stourbridge shuttle seems to be 214 journeys a day, assuming you count each direction as a separate journey (which seems fair!) and also assuming it doesn’t break down!

Junction to Town


Town to Junction


That’s got to be hard to beat under the original question?

 

[Wilts Wanderer]

Just think how many times the transmission changes direction and the cab set up / shut down procedures are undertaken (for any of these examples) and you grasp the reliability levels that trains require in the modern industry!

I recall that in its final few years on the Cardiff Bay shuttle, it was normal for 55032 to fail mid-afternoon, or be pre-emptively swapped out of service prior to the peak, with transmission issues.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Interesting responses and I'm liking the addendum. Do London Underground still run any parts of their network on a shuttle basis?

Chesham used to be a contender ! Not now though.

 

[PGAT]

Theres also a shuttle from Kensington Olympia to High Street Kensington/Earl’s Court although that has limited operating hours

 

[AlbertBeale]

Last week it was still a shuttle, but that was weekday off peak

I seem to remember on the platform indicators when on the Central at peak time recently that there were services from the central area to Woodford running on through to Hainault.

Elsewhere on the Underground, the Olympia shuttle is a longer run than Stoubridge, so that wouldn't win anything here (and it's never speedy because of the crossing movements involving all the other routes at Earls Court). Maybe one or other of the disused LU shuttles could rival Stourbridge though ... The old Acton Town - South Acton one just went up and down without much hanging around at either end (I think ... I was pretty young when I used to see it quite often); and did Holborn-Aldwych just go back and forth without waiting at each end? If so, might that have rivalled Stourbridge.

 

[Dstock7080]

As shown in the LU timetables:
Woodford-Hainault shuttle trains each complete 55/56 trips on weekdays.
Olympia-High Street trains complete 55 trips on Saturdays.