Longest distance/time between stations

[TheSmiths82]

Does anybody know what the longest distance you can travel on a scheduled passenger train without stopping at a passenger station? So far I think it is down to two Avanti services.

Stafford to London Euston - 1 hour and 19 minutes - distance 133 chain miles
London Euston - Warrington Bank Quay - 1 hour 45 minutes - distance 181 chain miles.

I think London Euston to Warrington Bank Quay has to be the record, does anybody know of a longer direct service?

I won't count the Eurostar service as much of that service isn't on UK soil.

 

[RailWonderer]

We did this a while back on a thread I started.

23:50 Caledonian Sleeper from Euston goes Watford - Carlisle in almost 5 hours non-stop

Realtime Trains | 2350 London Euston to Glasgow Central | 12/07/2024

Real-time train running information for 2350 departure from London Euston to Glasgow Central on 12/07/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

07:04 Newcastle - London in the morning 2 hours, 36 minutes.

Realtime Trains | 0540 Edinburgh to London Kings Cross | 12/07/2024

Real-time train running information for 0540 departure from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross on 12/07/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

The 16:30 Euston - Preston non stop used to run many moons ago but no longer does.

Otherwise you have York - Kings Cross as well which is around 1 hour 50 non stop.

 

[TheSmiths82]

Thanks, I was going to say I might not count night trains but I didn't realise some of the East Coast services were so direct. I think the London to Newcastle service would be the winner.

 

[RailWonderer]

Lumo runs some as well, with a 2 hours 49 minute path given, slightly slower than LNER.

Realtime Trains | 0623 Edinburgh to London Kings Cross | 12/07/2024

Real-time train running information for 0623 departure from Edinburgh to London Kings Cross on 12/07/2024. From Realtime Trains, an independent source of train running info for Great Britain.

www.realtimetrains.co.uk

 

[Mag_seven]

We did this a while back on a thread I started.

23:50 Caledonian Sleeper from Euston goes Watford - Carlisle in almost 5 hours non-stop

It stops at Preston for a crew change.

 

[RailWonderer]

It stops at Preston for a crew change.

Oops, didn't see that, but it still is 3 hours 30 from Watford, and is not a passenger stop. Even if it was, it would still win.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

The 0704 LNER service from Newcastle to Kings Cross is scheduled to take 2 hours 36 mins and is a 268 mile trip.

Lumo also do similar runs but as @RailWonderer has just pointed out, are timetabled to do it in slightly longer.

 

[DanNCL]

Historical example, but wasn’t there a southbound only non-stop from St Pancras to Lyon? Obviously northbound it stopped at Lille-Europe but don’t think the southbound did?

 

[TheSmiths82]

Historical example, but wasn’t there a southbound only non-stop from St Pancras to Lyon? Obviously northbound it stopped at Lille-Europe but don’t think the southbound did?

I am not sure, I went on the London to Marseilles service a few years when that used to run, I seemed to remember it stopped at Lille and Lyon but it was the same train all the way down. On the way back we had to change at Paris which was a real faff, I am not sure why it couldn't have stopped at Lille instead and made us go through customs there.

 

[SteelWeelApeal]

It's also worth mentioning the 1203 Paddington to Penzance, first stop Exeter in 1h 59m. Runs on week days.

 

[30907]

On the way back we had to change at Paris which was a real faff, I am not sure why it couldn't have stopped at Lille instead and made us go through customs there.

You obviously didn't come back on it, as it did just that. however, IIRC it didn't run daily so you may not have had the option, or the arrival in St Pancras might have been inconveniently late.

 

[TheSmiths82]

You obviously didn't come back on it, as it did just that. however, IIRC it didn't run daily so you may not have had the option, or the arrival in St Pancras might have been inconveniently late.

That is true, I can't exactly remember the reasons why. I did the entire trip back from Marseille to Manchester in a day, I remember it being quite late by the time I got back.

 

[Haywain]

It's also worth mentioning the 1203 Paddington to Penzance, first stop Exeter in 1h 59m. Runs on week days.

A mere 173 miles!

 

[irish_rail]

It's also worth mentioning the 1203 Paddington to Penzance, first stop Exeter in 1h 59m. Runs on week days.

Technically Exeter is pick up only, so it could be argued the first stop for passengers ex London is Plymouth, just under 3 hours after leaving Paddington.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Technically Exeter is pick up only, so it could be argued the first stop for passengers ex London is Plymouth, just under 3 hours after leaving Paddington.

If a train stops at an intermediate station, if only to allow passengers to board, then it has, IMHO, stopped there.

 

[Bill57p9]

Oops, didn't see that, but it still is 3 hours 30 from Watford, and is not a passenger stop. Even if it was, it would still win.

The Highlander runs non-stop between Edinburgh and Preston each way, which is a similar duration (3h12 vs 3h23 looking at tonight’s WTT).

I have a recollection of an entry in the Guinness Book of Records back in the early 90s for this very exam question which was won by the Night Scotsman: public schedule non-stop Watford Junction to Edinburgh.

 

[liamf656]

Trivia: Longest journey time between two consecutive stations

We’ve had numerous threads on consecutive stations that don’t have a direct service between them, but what about stations next to each other that have the longest journey time between them? This applies to both stations with and without direct services between them. For example, Whimple and...

www.railforums.co.uk

Trivia - longest journey time and distance between stations outside London

I was at Reading station today and noticed the Penzance train was just leaving. This showed a 1 hour 20 min journey time to the next station stop at Taunton. A quick google search has shown this to be a distance of 97 miles. Now my trivia question is what is the longest non-stop journey...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[jfollows]

Historical example, but wasn’t there a southbound only non-stop from St Pancras to Lyon? Obviously northbound it stopped at Lille-Europe but don’t think the southbound did?

It stopped at Lille southbound also, presumably for traincrew purposes.